Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 114 Part 6.djvu/216

 114 STAT. 3272 PROCLAMATION 7283—MAR. 24, 2000 standing that both secular education and spiritual training contribute enormously to human development, he sought to provide yoimg people with fresh opportunities for academic, social, and moral enrichment through the more than 2,000 educational and social institutions he established throughout our country and around the worid. His ef- forts continue to bear fruit today, helping a new generation to develop into responsible and mature adults. As we observe this special day, let us renew our commitment to excellence in education and to nurturing our young people's academic and spiritual development. Let us also remember the example of Rabbi Schneerson and pass on to our children the values and knowledge that have strengthened our Nation in the past and that will empower us to face the challenges of the future. NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILUAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 28, 2000, as Education and Sharing Day, U.S.A. I invite Government officials, educators, volimteers, and all the citizens of the United States to observe this day with appropriate activities, programs, and ceremonies. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty- fourth day of March, 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 7283 of March 24, 2000 Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of Greek and American Democracy, 2000 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Two thousand five hundred years ago, the birth of democracy in Greece ushered in one of the true golden ages of Western civilization. The flowering of political, social, and artistic innovation in Greece served as the source of many of our most treasured gifts—^the philosophy of Plato and Socrates, the plays of Sophocles and Aristophanes, the heroic individualism that rings in the epic poetry of Homer. But Ancient Greece's greatest legacy is the establishment of democratic government. America's founders were deeply influenced by the passion for truth and justice that guided Greek political theory. In ratifying our Constitution, they forever enshrined these principles in American law and created a system of government based on the Hellenic belief that the authority to govern derives directly from the people. While our democracy has its roots in Greek thought, the friendship between our two nations flows from our shared values, common goals, and mutual respect. This kinship with the Greek people was reflected in the enthusiasm with which America embraced modern Greece's fight for independence 179 years ago. Many Americans fought alongside the Greeks, while stirring speeches by President James Monroe

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