[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 124, 111th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 8562--SEPT. 16, 2010

Proclamation 8562 of September 16, 2010
Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, Constitution Week, 2010
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation

The summer of 1787 was a watershed moment in our Nation's history. In
the span of four short months, delegates to the Constitutional
Convention in Philadelphia established a Constitution for the United
States of America, signing the finished charter on September 17, 1787.
With their signatures, and subsequent ratification of the Constitution
by the States, the Framers advanced our national journey.
On Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, and during Constitution Week,
we commemorate the legacy passed down to us from our Nation's Founders.
Our Constitution, with the Bill of Rights and amendments, has stood the
test of time, steering our country through times of prosperity and
peace, and guiding us through the depths of internal conflict and war.
Because of the wisdom of those who have shaped our Nation's founding
documents, and the sacrifices of those who have defended America for
over two centuries, we enjoy unprecedented freedoms and opportunities.
As beneficiaries, we have a solemn duty to participate in our vibrant
democracy so that it remains strong and responsive to the needs of our
people.
Each year, thousands of candidates for citizenship commemorate
Constitution Day and Citizenship Day by becoming new American citizens.
These individuals breathe life into our Constitution by learning about
its significance and the rights it enshrines, and then by taking a
solemn oath to ``support and defend the Constitution and laws of the
United States of America.'' In so doing, they voluntarily accept that
citizenship is not merely a collection of rights, but also a set of
responsibilities. Just as our Founders sought to secure the ``Blessings
of Liberty'' for themselves and their posterity, these new Americans
have come to our shores to embrace and impart the fundamental beliefs
that define us as a Nation.
In the United States, our Constitution is not simply words written on
aging parchment, but a foundation of government, a protector of
liberties, and a guarantee that we are all free to shape our own
destiny. As we celebrate this document's profound impact on our everyday
lives, may all Americans strive to uphold its vision of freedom and
justice for all.
In remembrance of the signing of the Constitution and in recognition of
the Americans who strive to uphold the duties and responsibilities of
citizenship, the Congress, by joint resolution of February 29, 1952 (36
U.S.C. 106), designated September 17 as ``Constitution Day and
Citizenship Day,'' and by joint resolution of August 2, 1956 (36 U.S.C.
108), requested that the President proclaim the week beginning September
17 and ending September 23 of each year as ``Constitution Week.''

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, do hereby proclaim September 17, 2010, as Constitution Day and
Citizenship Day, and September 17 through Sep-

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tember 23, 2010, as Constitution Week. I encourage Federal, State, and
local officials, as well as leaders of civic, social, and educational
organizations, to conduct ceremonies and programs that recognize our
Constitution and reaffirm our rights and obligations as citizens of this
great Nation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of
September, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
fifth.
BARACK OBAMA