Proc. 7268 Title 3--The President As we observe Religious Freedom Day this year, let us give thanks for the wisdom of America's founders in protecting our precious right to express our beliefs and practice our faith freely and openly. Let us resolve to be vigilant in defending that freedom and teaching tolerance in our homes, schools, communities, and workplaces. And let us continue to lead the world in assisting those who are persecuted because of their religious faith and in proclaiming the rights and dignity of every human being. NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitu- tion and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 16, 2000, as Religious Freedom Day. I call upon the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs, and I urge all Americans to reaffirm their devotion to the fundamental prin- ciples of religious freedom and tolerance. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-fourth. WILLIAM J. CLINTON Proclamation 7268 of January 14, 2000 Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday, 2000 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Just this month, thousands of Americans gathered at the Lincoln Memorial to welcome a new year, a new century, and a new millennium. There-- where 37 years ago Martin Luther King, Jr., so eloquently voiced his dream for America's future--we pledged not only to keep Dr. King's dream alive, but also to bring it to reality in the 21st century. We are living in a time of unprecedented peace and prosperity for our Na- tion, where the struggles of the valiant and visionary men and women who came before us have borne fruit with the guarantee of civil rights at home and the triumph of freedom in nations across the globe. But we cannot af- ford to become complacent. As Dr. King so wisely observed, "We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers. Our abundance has brought us neither peace of mind nor serenity of spirit." We must seize this rare moment in our Nation's history to build a society in which we accept our differences and honor our common humanity. We must unite against the forces of hatred, fear, and ignorance that seek to di- vide us. We must use our economic success and our technological prowess to widen the circle of opportunity, to eliminate poverty, and to give all our children the education, values, and encouragement they need to reach their full potential. Each year since 1994, when I signed into law the King Holiday and Service Act, Americans have marked this observance by devoting the day to service projects in their communities. By renovating schools, cleaning up neighbor- 18
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