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 Proc. 7298 Title 3--The President ing demand for excellence, creativity, and choice in education. Because of their vision and leadership, charter schools across our Nation are helping to raise standards, expectations, and accountability in all of America's pub- lic schools. By investing in charter schools, we are investing in our Na- tion's future. NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM }. CLINTON, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitu- tion and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May i through May 5, 2000, as National Charter Schools Week. I encourage the American peo- ple to mark this observance with appropriate programs and activities that raise awareness of the many contributions that public charter schools make to the education of our children and the success of our Nation. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand, and of the Independ- ence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-fourth. WILLIAM J. CLINTON Proclamation 7298 of April 28, 2000 Law Day, U.S.A., 2000 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation The freedom of America's citizens is sustained by American law. In crafting the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, our Nation's founders wise- ly understood that liberty and law are equally important to ensuring human rights and preserving human dignity. Law without freedom becomes tyr- anny; freedom without law becomes chaos. The theme of this year's Law Day observance, "Speak up for Democracy and Diversity," reminds us of the vital role that the law and America's legal community have played in protecting our freedoms and extending them to an ever-widening circle of Americans. Many signal victories for civil rights have been won in the courts by men and women of conscience whose commitment to the Constitution and the rule of law compelled them to speak out against bigotry and discrimination. Many Americans have found champions among the legal profession to defend their rights and to uphold our Nation's promise of equality and justice for all. From the War for Independence to the War Between the States, from emancipation in the 19th century to women's suffrage and the civil rights movement in the 20th century, courageous Americans have risen to the challenge of improving upon our laws and extending their protections to all of our citizens. Today, thanks in large measure to the efforts of our Nation's legal commu- nity, people of all backgrounds, races, and religions are working, living, and learning side by side. The doors of opportunity are open wider than ever. But despite the advances we have made, we still see in our society stubborn obstacles to true freedom and justice--obstacles such as poverty, unemployment, and lingering discrimination. That is why I have called America's legal community to action once again to lead the fight for equal 68

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