Agenda 12/08/2015 Item # 4AInd Cn3a n q/1+
Teresa L. Cannon
From: Brock, MaryJo
Sent: Monday, December 07, 2015 7:43 AM
To: DL_BCCSEC; Minutes and Records; Neet, Virginia; Althouse, Tammy; Bigelow, Catherine;
Miller, Troy; Hancock, Joy
Cc: Sheffield, Michael
Subject: Proclamation Reglious Freedom 2016 120815
Attachments: Proclamation Reglious Freedom 2016 120815.docx
Good morning, Please see attached add on to tomorrow's agenda. Thank you, MJ
Mary-Jo Brock - Executive Assistant to Leo E. Ochs, Jr. - County Manager's Office
mar&brock(c� col liergov.net
239.252.8364
Under Florida Law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not send
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Add On Item 4A
December 8, 2015
PROCLAMA TION
WHEREAS, since 1993, the President of the United States has proclaimed January 16 each
year to be Religious Freedom Day; and
WHEREAS, President Barack Obama's 2015 Proclamation ended as follows:
"NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws
of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 16, 2015, as Religious Freedom
Day. I call on all Americans to commemorate this day with events and activities that
teach us about this critical foundation of our Nation's liberty, and show us how we
can protect it for future generations at home and around the world ", - and,
WHEREAS, the celebration of Religious Freedom Day commemorates the signing of the Virginia
Statute for Religious Freedom, penned by Thomas Jefferson and adopted by the
Virginia House of Burgesses on January 16, 1786; and,
WHEREAS, the Virginia Statute, declared religious liberty a natural right and any attempt to
subvert it "a departure from the plan of the Holy Author of our religion, who being
Lord both of body and mind, yet chose not to propagate it by coercion on either. "
The Statute inspired religious liberty protections in the First Amendment, which has
stood for nearly two and a quarter centuries; and,
WHEREAS, the Liberty Bell on display at Freedom Hall in Philadelphia has the following
inscription on it, "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land, unto all the people
thereof, "Leviticus 25:10,• and,
WHEREAS, the citizens of Collier County desire that their elected representatives confirm the
principle of Religious Freedom.
NOW THEREFORE, be it proclaimed by the Board of County Commissioners of Collier County,
Florida, that January 16, 2016 be designated as
NA TIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM DAY
DONE AND ORDERED THIS 8th Day of December, 2015.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA
Commissioner Tim Nance, Chairman