    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 133, 116th Congress, 1st Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    Proclamation 9972 of December 9, 2019

    Human Rights Day, Bill of Rights Day, and Human Rights Week, 2019

    By the President of the United States of America

    A Proclamation

    Nearly two and a half centuries ago, American colonists broke free of a
    tyrannical monarchy and rose from the shadow of oppression, creating a
    new Republic predicated on liberty and the rule of law. Innate to the
    identity of this new Nation was a revolutionary commitment to the
    preservation of individual rights. The Framers drafted a Constitution
    that would ensure the God-given rights of the people. Nevertheless, some
    of them believed more was needed and insisted upon the enumeration of a
    set of rights that would be protected from government interference. As a
    result, the United States ratified 10 Amendments to our Constitution,
    known as the Bill of Rights. On this day, we pay tribute to these
    profound protections provided to all Americans, and we reaffirm our
    commitment to safeguarding them.
    James Madison, the ``Father of the Constitution,'' was once a skeptic of
    the need for a Bill of Rights, pondering whether such ``parchment
    barriers'' could prevent government intrusion on our liberty. After some
    persuasion from his friend Thomas Jefferson, however, Madison eventually
    supported the adoption of the Bill of Rights to achieve the compromise
    necessary to ratify the Constitution. Jefferson famously wrote to
    Madison: ``A bill of rights is what the people are entitled to against
    every government on earth, general or particular, and what no

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    just government should refuse or rest on inference.'' In the 228 years
    since the adoption of the Bill of Rights, it has continuously served as
    the guarantor of some of our most cherished freedoms: the right to
    practice the religion we choose, the right to speak freely and openly,
    the right to privacy, and the right to keep and bear arms.
    Since taking office, I have worked to confine government authority to
    its proper, constitutional scope. In May of 2017, I signed an Executive
    Order defending religious freedom and freedom of speech to better
    protect the First Amendment rights of all Americans. I signed another
    Executive Order in March to promote free speech on college campuses,
    protecting free inquiry and open debate at universities across the
    country. These orders recognize that freedom of speech is a fundamental
    right that must always be guarded vigilantly.
    Underlying our Bill of Rights is the understanding that all human beings
    are endowed with certain inalienable rights and that it is the duty of
    every government to protect these rights. On December 10, 1948, inspired
    by the Bill of Rights, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the
    Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This historic document drew
    global recognition of ``the inherent dignity and of the equal and
    inalienable rights of all members of the human family.'' Unfortunately,
    however, millions around the world still suffer from unjust
    imprisonment, religious persecution, and countless other human rights
    abuses. As part of my Administration's efforts to protect human rights,
    in July, the Department of State hosted the second Ministerial to
    Advance Religious Freedom, and in October, I was honored to be the first
    President to host a meeting at the United Nations on religious freedom.
    During Human Rights Day, Bill of Rights Day, and Human Rights Week, we
    celebrate the Bill of Rights for safeguarding our God-given rights and
    protecting us from the abuse of government power. We also acknowledge
    the truth that people around the world are empowered when human rights
    are protected by law. The United States has long been at the forefront
    of this effort, and we will always stand up for individual freedoms and
    against all forms of oppression.
    NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of
    America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
    the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim December 10, 2019, as
    Human Rights Day; December 15, 2019, as Bill of Rights Day; and the week
    beginning on December 8, 2019, as Human Rights Week. I call upon the
    people of the United States to mark these observances with appropriate
    ceremonies and activities.
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this ninth day of
    December, in the year of our Lord two thousand nineteen, and of the
    Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
    fourth.
    DONALD J. TRUMP