123STA T . 3 609PROCL A M AT I O N8 3 4 4 —FEB .2 , 2009 Proclam a ti o n834 3o fJ an u ar y20, 200 9Nation a lD a y o fRe ne w al an d Re c onciliation ,20 0 9BythePr e sid e n t of the U nited S t a tes of Am eri c a A Proc l amation AsItake t h esa cr e do ath o f the h ig hest office i n the l and , Ia m h u m -b led b y the res p onsibility placed upon my shoulders, rene w ed by the courage and decency of the American people, and fortified by my faith in an awesome G od .W e are in the midst of a season of trial. O ur N ation is being tested, and our people know great uncertainty. Y et the story of America is one of renewal in the face of ad v ersity, reconciliation in a time of discord, and we know that there is a purpose for everything under heaven. On this Inauguration D ay, we are reminded that we are heirs to over two centuries of American democracy, and that this legacy is not sim- ply a birthright — it is a glorious burden. Now it falls to us to come to- gether as a people to carry it forward once more. S o in the words of P resident Abraham L incoln, let us remember that
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‘ T he mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the U nion, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature. ’ ’ NOW, T HER E F ORE, I, B ARA CK OBA M A, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim J anuary 20 , 200 9 , a National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation, and call upon all of our citi z ens to serve one another and the common purpose of remaking this Nation for our new century. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third. BARACK OBAMA Proclamation 8344 of Feb ruary 2, 2009 Am e r ican H eart M ont h , 2009 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Together, we can turn the tide on the number one killer of American women and men. Heart disease claims more lives each year than all forms of cancer combined. During American Heart Month, we renew our commitment to promoting heart disease awareness. It is never too late to start protecting heart health. Certain risk factors can lead to heart disease. These include: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, physical inactivity, smoking, and
