[PEN-L:4907] May Day

[dhenwood@xxxxxxxxx (Doug Henwood)]

Comrades - here's how Bill Clinton celebrated Mayday! - Doug Henwood

>                            THE WHITE HOUSE
>
>                     Office of the Press Secretary
>
>________________________________________________________________________
>For Immediate Release                                        May 1, 1995
>
>
>                            LOYALTY DAY, 1995
>
>                              - - - - - - -
>
>             BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
>
>                              A PROCLAMATION
>
>
>     Our country's rich diversity of peoples and cultures has been called
>"the noble experiment."  From its beginnings, our great democracy has
>guaranteed its citizens the blessings of freedom and the right of
>self-determination.  Each year, with the coming of spring and the rebirth
>of nature, we pause to consider the progress of our Nation and to
>reaffirm our allegiance to the American experiment.
>
>     Two hundred and twenty years ago in Lexington, Massachusetts, a
>ragged group of colonial Americans faced a column of British soldiers.  As
>the smoke cleared from the "shot heard round the world," eight American
>"Minutemen" lay dead -- their blood spilled along the path to a new Nation
>on this soil.  Their gift of freedom is held sacred to this day.
>
>     All Americans can be proud of the heritage of courage and sacrifice
>that has extended unbroken through generations of our citizens.  The
>success of the United States today is seen both in our continued
>prosperity and strength and in our role as an international beacon of
>liberty.  As we recall those who gave their lives for our freedom, we see
>our Nation's history reflected in their ranks -- from the tireless
>"Minutemen" in Lexington to the brave men and women who fought in the
>Persian Gulf.  These fine citizens, along with their families and those
>who have served on the home front, deserve our profound respect and
>gratitude.  Let history forever record our loyalty to their legacy.
>
>     The Congress, by Public Law 85-529, has designated May 1 of each year
>as "Loyalty Day."  We spend this day in celebration of our Constitution
>and our precious Bill of Rights and in honor of the sacrifices that have
>enabled this great charter to endure.
>
>     NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States
>of America, do hereby proclaim May 1, 1995, as Loyalty Day.  I call upon
>all Americans to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and
>activities, including public recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance to the
>Flag of the United States.  I also call upon government officials to
>display the flag on all government buildings and grounds on this day.
>
>     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day
>of April, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-five, and of
>the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
>nineteenth.
>
>
>
>                                     WILLIAM J. CLINTON