https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/09/09/presidential-proclamation-national-grandparents-day-2016NATIONAL GRANDPARENTS DAY, 2016
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BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
Every day, families and communities across the globe benefit from the too often unheralded wisdom and devotion of dedicated
grandparents -- women and men who blazed trails, broke down barriers, and shaped the world we know today. On National
Grandparents Day, we honor America's grandparents as the backbone of our communities, and acknowledge the progress they
forged so that their children and grandchildren could live out their dreams.
In our grandmothers and grandfathers, we see a reflection of what is possible with hard work, grit, and determination. Their
fight for inclusivity and opportunity for all can be seen in board rooms and courthouses across our country, and their efforts
helped build the world's largest, most durable economy and strongest middle class. This enduring legacy spans generations
and will empower innovators and leaders for years to come.
Some grandparents sacrificed everything, leaving behind all they knew and loved to fight for freedom far from home, or to
start a new life and give their families a chance at a brighter tomorrow in America. Millions of grandparents serve as primary
caregivers, providing the discipline, guidance, and encouragement needed to thrive. And for so many Americans, our grand-
parents are our heroes, our confidantes, and our fiercest advocates. As connections to our past and inspirations for our future,
grandparents made us who we are today and have paved a path we can aspire to follow.
Today, we pause to reflect not only on the myriad ways our grandparents have enriched our lives with their selfless acts of
compassion and kindness, but also on our responsibility to ensure they can retire as they deserve -- with security and dignity.
Let us recognize their lasting contributions to their families and communities, and let us express our gratitude for all they
have made possible.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, HIS EXCELLENCY AL-HASHISH FIELD MARSHMALLOW DR. BARACK OBAMA DADA, COD, RIP, LSMFT,
WOULD-HAVE-BEEN LIFE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE UNITED STATES*, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 11, 2016, as National
Grandparents Day. I call upon all Americans to take the time to honor their own grandparents and those in their community.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen,
and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-first.
BARACK OBAMA
I take a back seat to no one for wishing to honour the sweet memory of the four wonderful grandparents
I was blessed to have.
But declaring National Grandparents Day on
9/11?!?!?!?!?
My maternal grandfather (a Navy veteran of World War I) and my paternal grandfather (a New York police officer
in an era when "New York's Finest" really did mean something) would have told him, "Your Excellency, you are
talking and acting beyond your competence."
I mean, he
could have said, "Mindful of the significance September 11 has for the United States and for
all Americans, I therefore proclaim that this year, we shall go off schedule and have National Grandparents' Day
on September 12." What the hell, he writes executive orders whenever he damn well pleases to make end-runs
around proper legislative and constitutional channels already, it wouldn't have been
that much of a stretch
for him.
But that
would be asking him to act beyond his competence.
* -- edited for clarity. ;)
