HB-4464, As Passed House, June 30, 2011
March 22, 2011, Introduced by Reps. Haines, Crawford, Kowall, Heise, Knollenberg, Lane, Moss, Agema, Genetski, Nesbitt, Tyler, Liss, Damrow, Rogers, Ouimet, Johnson, Franz, Lori, Zorn and Tlaib and referred to the Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security.
A bill to designate the period beginning on September 11
through September 17 of each year as Patriot Week in the state of
Michigan.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 1. (1) The legislature recognizes that understanding
American history and America's First Principles are indispensable
to the survival of our republic as a free people. In great
reverence to the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks, the
legislature acknowledges that American citizens must take time to
honor the First Principles, founders, documents, and symbols of
their history. The events that led to the signing of the
Constitution of the United States of America by the delegates of
the Constitutional Convention on September 17, 1787, have
significance for every American and are honored in public schools
across the nation on September 17 of each year as Constitution Day.
Revolution, the rule of law, the social compact, equality,
unalienable rights, and limited government are the First Principles
upon which America was founded and flourishes. Exceptional,
visionary, and indispensable Americans such as Thomas Paine,
Patrick Henry, John Adams, John Marshall, George Washington,
Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King, Jr.,
Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Thomas Jefferson, and
James Madison founded and advanced the United States. The
Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Congressional
resolution forwarding the Constitution to the states, Marbury v
Madison, Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions,
the Gettysburg Address, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the I
Have A Dream speech are key documents that embody America's First
Principles and have advanced American liberty. The Bennington flag,
the original Betsy Ross American flag, the current American flag,
the Suffragist flag, the Fort Sumter flag, the Gadsden flag, and
the flag of the state of Michigan are key physical symbols of
American history and freedom that should be studied and remembered
by each American. Recognizing that each generation needs to renew
the spirit of America based on America's First Principles, key
historical figures, founding documents, and symbols, the
legislature declares that the period beginning on September 11
through September 17 of each year shall be known as "Patriot Week"
which symbolically begins on September 11 and concludes on
September 17, Constitution Day.
(2) The legislature encourages citizens, schools and other
educational institutions, government agencies, municipalities, and
nonprofit, religious, labor, community, and business organizations
to recognize and participate in Patriot Week by honoring and
celebrating the First Principles, key historical figures, founding
documents, and symbols of America to renew the spirit of America.