Proc. 7387 Title 3--The President own lifetime, we have seen the fall of the Berlin Wall and the triumph of democracy in the Cold War. More people live in freedom today than at any other time in history. But that march toward freedom is not inevitable; it is advanced by indi- vidual acts of courage and will; by the strong voices of people refusing to be silenced by their oppressors; by the willingness of free people and free nations to defend the rights of men, women, and children. Heroes like Lech Walesa in Poland, Vaclav Havel in the Czech Republic, Nelson Mandela in South Africa, and Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma are powerful reminders of how precious our human rights are and how high the cost is to sustain them. The Bill of Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that we celebrate this week are not merely proud words preserved on paper; they are a pledge written on our consciences and to oppressed peo- ple everywhere, so that they too will some day know the meaning of dig- nity and the blessing of human rights. 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 laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim December 10, 2000, as Human Rights Day; December 15, 2000, as Bill of Rights Day; and the week beginning December 10, 2000, as Human Rights Week. I call upon the people of the United States to celebrate these observances with appropriate activities, ceremonies, and programs that demonstrate our national commit- ment to the Bill of Rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and promotion and protection of human rights for all people. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this Ninth day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-fifth. WILLIAM J. CLINTON Proclamation 7387 of December 14, 2000 Wright Brothers Day, 2000 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation In 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright were poised on the brink of one of his- tory's most remarkable advances. For years, the two brothers had been mes- merized by the principle of flight and had studied birds to understand how these fascinating creatures rose, fell, and darted through the air. The Wright Brothers' studies affirmed what they had long believed: that powered, con- trolled human flight was possible. After much research and experimen- tation and many trials and failures, the brothers tested their prototype bi- plane on the windy dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. On December 17, their efforts were rewarded and their dream realized when the Wright Flyer rose through the air, soaring for 12 seconds and traveling 120 feet. While it took humanity thousands of years to reach that pivotal moment, we have achieved stunning advances in aviation in the past century alone. Less than 25 years after the Wright Brothers' inaugural flight, Charles Lind- 222
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