[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 31, Number 38 (Monday, September 25, 1995)]
[Pages 1575-1576]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 6825--Citizenship Day and Constitution Week, 1995

September 16, 1995

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    Americans, unlike many other peoples, are linked to one another 
neither by the confines of geography nor by centuries of tradition. 
Instead, we base our citizenship on a foundation of shared ideals and 
ideas, bringing gifts from every country, race, and culture. Those whose 
ancestors came to these shores long ago and first-generation immigrants 
alike--all are bound by the unique set of principles set forth in the 
documents that established and continue to define this Nation.
    We find our heritage in profound words: in the declaration that all 
men are created equal, endowed with unalienable rights to life, liberty, 
and the pursuit of happiness; in the invitation of liberty extended to 
the tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free; and in 
the pledge to remain

[[Page 1576]]

one Nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all.
    Perhaps the greatest expression of our national identity is the 
United States Constitution. Adopted on September 17, 1787, the 
Constitution describes the parameters of our Government and the rights 
and responsibilities that accompany American citizenship. From its 
phrases we derive our precious rights to free expression and religious 
liberty, and we assume the responsibilities of electing our leaders and 
participating in the workings of government.
    Yet the genius of the Constitution is not simply in forming ``a more 
perfect Union,'' but in framing an ideal and providing a means for 
progress toward its realization. As Abraham Lincoln once stated, our 
Founding Fathers ``meant to set up a standard maxim for free society, 
which should be familiar to all, and revered by all; constantly looked 
to, constantly labored for, and even though never perfectly attained, 
constantly approximated, and thereby constantly spreading and deepening 
its influence, and augmenting the happiness and value of life to all 
people of all colors everywhere.''
    Indeed, this bold experiment in self-government has inspired more 
than 200 years of striving for true justice and freedom. From the 
beginning, there was a dissonance between the plain meaning of our creed 
and the reality of American life, and constitutional history reflects 
the vital changes wrought by amendments, civil war, and tremendous 
social transformations. Emancipation, women's suffrage, civil rights, 
voting rights--all these began as the struggles of citizens who joined 
together to push our Nation toward the ideals enshrined in our 
Constitution and whose efforts were encouraged by the Constitution 
itself.
    In honor of the paramount importance of the Constitution in setting 
forth the fundamental doctrines of our country and in recognition of the 
role each American must play in bringing these words to life, the 
Congress, by joint resolution of February 29, 1952 (36 U.S.C. 153), 
designated September 17 as ``Citizenship Day,'' and by joint resolution 
of August 2, 1956 (36 U.S.C. 159), requested the President to proclaim 
the week beginning September 17 and ending September 23 of each year as 
``Constitution Week.''
    Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United 
States of America, do hereby proclaim September 17, 1995, as Citizenship 
Day and September 17 through September 23, 1995, as Constitution Week. I 
call upon Federal, State, and local officials, as well as leaders of 
civic, educational, and religious organizations, to conduct meaningful 
ceremonies and programs in their schools, churches, and other community 
gathering places to foster a better understanding of the Constitution 
and the rights and duties of citizenship.
    I further call upon the officials of the Government to display the 
flag of the United States on all Government buildings on September 17, 
1995, in honor of Citizenship Day.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day 
of September, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-five, 
and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred 
and twentieth.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 12:35 p.m., September 
18, 1995]

Note: This proclamation was released by the Office of the Press 
Secretary on September 18, and it was published in the Federal Register 
on September 19.