[Reader-list] May 1st was "Loyalty Day"

[Rana Dasgupta]

This annual fear of protests is obviously getting a bit of a drag.  Remember
the old values people?

R

Loyalty Day, 2003
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/04/20030430-26.html


To be an American is not a matter of blood or birth. Our citizens are bound
by ideals that represent the hope of all mankind: that all men are created
equal, endowed with unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness. On Loyalty Day, we reaffirm our allegiance to our country and
resolve to uphold the vision of our Forefathers.

Our founding principles have endured, guiding our Nation toward progress and
prosperity and allowing the United States to be a leader among nations of
the world. Throughout our history, honorable men and women have demonstrated
their loyalty to America by making remarkable sacrifices to preserve and
protect these values.

Today, America's men and women in uniform are protecting our Nation,
defending the peace of the world, and advancing the cause of liberty. The
world has seen again the fine character of our Nation through our military
as they fought to protect the innocent and liberate the oppressed in
Operation Iraqi Freedom. We are honored by the service of foreign nationals
in our Armed Services whose willingness to risk their lives for a country
they cannot yet call their own is proof of the loyalty this country
inspires. Their service and sacrifice are a testament to their love for
America, and our soldiers' honor on and off the battlefield reaffirms our
Nation's most deeply held beliefs: that every life counts, and that all
humans have an unalienable right to live as free people.

These values must be imparted to each new generation. Our children need to
know that our Nation is a force for good in the world, extending hope and
freedom to others. By learning about America's history, achievements, ideas,
and heroes, our young citizens will come to understand even more why freedom
is worth protecting.

Last September, I announced several initiatives that will help improve
students' knowledge of American history, increase their civic involvement,
and deepen their love for our great country. The We the People initiative
will encourage the teaching of American history and civic education by
providing grants for curriculum development and training seminars. The Our
Documents initiative will use the Internet to bring infor-mation about and
the text of 100 of America's most important documents from the National
Archives to classrooms and com-munities across the country. These
initiatives are important, for it is only when our children have an
understanding of our past that they will be able to lead the future.

This Loyalty Day, as we express allegiance to our Nation and its founding
ideals, we resolve to ensure that the blessings of liberty endure and extend
for generations to come.

The Congress, by Public Law 85-529, as amended, has designated May 1 of each
year as "Loyalty Day," and I ask all Americans to join me in this day of
celebration and in reaffirming our allegiance to our Nation.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of
America, do hereby proclaim May 1, 2003, as Loyalty Day. I call upon all the
people of the United States to join in support of this national observance.
I also call upon government officials to display the flag of the United
States on all government buildings on Loyalty Day.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of April,
in the year of our Lord two thousand three, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and twenty-seventh.

GEORGE W. BUSH