113 STAT. 2096 PROCLAMATION 7204—JUNE 11, 1999 this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities that celebrate our diversity, and to remember throughout the year the gay and lesbian Americans whose many and varied contributions have enriched our national life. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eleventh day of June, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-third. WILLIAM J. CLINTON Proclamation 7204 of June 11, 1999 Flag Day and National Flag Week, 1999 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Since its adoption in 1777 by the Continental Congress, the Stars and Stripes has symbolized the promise of America. This promise—of equality, justice under the law, freedom from tyranny, and inclusion in a government of the people—^beckons immigrants to our shores today just as it has for more than two centuries. Each time the Stars and Stripes is raised over our homes, public buildings, schools, or community gathering places, it proclaims that our Nation's great experiment in democracy is alive and well. The stately design of the Stars and Stripes celebrates America's diversity while proclaiming the imity of our Nation. Its white stars, whose shifting constellation has chronicled the growth of our Nation, are the ancient symbols of a sovereign domain; they lie on a field of blue that represents loyalty, justice, and truth. Thus our flag describes the xmique Republic designed by our founders, in which States that vary widely in geography, history, and culture are joined in sustaining the common goals and ideals our Nation holds dear. The Stars and Stripes reminds us that, wherever we come from across our country, we are all first and foremost Americans. Today, as we stand at the threshold of the 21st century, we have a special opportunity to renew our flag's heritage and to honor the spirit of resilience in oui national character that it signifies. As part of this ef- fort, the White House Millennium Council's "Save America's Treasures Project," created by the First Lady, is helping to restore and preserve the original Star-Spangled Banner at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. This banner, "so gallantly streaming" as the British navy retreated from Baltimore Harbor after a failed assault on Fort McHenry in 1814, is immortalized in the bold and patriotic words of Francis Scott Key that now serve as our National Anthem. From the fledgling Nation of Key's time, defiantly opposing domination by European powers, the United States has evolved into a Nation of unrivaled influence in the world with an unparalleled commitment to democracy and human rights. During Flag Day and National Flag Week, we honor this incredible journey and the bright future it has made possible. To commemorate the adoption of our flag, the Congress, by joint resolution approved August 3, 1949 (63 Stat. 492), designated June 14 of
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