DAR Encourages America to Celebrate "Bill of Rights Day"

The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution reminds Americans of the importance of celebrating "Bill of Rights Day" on December 15 as part of an annual commemoration designed to renew appreciation for a treasured national document that both protects the rights of people and limits the power of government.

"Freedom of speech and religion; the right to bear arms and to a jury trial; the guarantee of due process and the prohibition of 'cruel and unusual' punishment. All these -- and so much more -- are protected for every American by the Bill of Rights, which ranks alongside the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution as the most important of our national declarations," said Linda Tinker Watkins, President General of the National Society. "We encourage not only students but also every citizen to take time on December 15 to study and appreciate the liberties we enjoy as a result of this extraordinary statement of human rights."

The Bill of Rights became a part of the Constitution of the United States of America on December 15, 1791. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the national observance into practice on December 15, 1941, on its 150th anniversary.   

"For more than two centuries, the Bill of Rights has served as the cornerstone of our basic American freedoms. Particularly, during this time of war, we should renew our national appreciation for the document that protects our inalienable rights," Watkins said. "The Bill of Rights is a beacon to freedom-loving people around the globe. By honoring it, we celebrate the liberties it protects and on which this nation was founded." 

The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution is an international service organization with nearly 170,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters worldwide. Its members, who are descended from the patriots of the American Revolution, work to promote patriotism, education and historic preservation. For additional information on the DAR and its good works, visit www.dar.org.

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