Please sign our petition urging President Obama to recognize Darwin Day.

We need our elected leaders to speak out about the importance of scientific knowledge and its contribution to the advancement of humanity, and send a signal that religious infiltration into our science classrooms will not be tolerated. That's why we're asking you to sign our petition urging President Obama to recognize Darwin Day.

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Dear President Obama,

As an American who values scientific inquiry and integrity, I urge you to issue a presidential proclamation recognizing Darwin Day on February 12. Darwin Day is celebrated every year on the anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birthday in 1809, and is a day in which people gather together to commemorate his life and work. Charles Darwin was the first to propose the groundbreaking scientific theory of evolution by natural selection—a theory that has done more to unify and bring understanding to the life sciences than any other—and Darwin Day is a celebration of this discovery and of scientific progress.

I believe that issuing this proclamation will send a powerful message that scientific discovery and integrity in our society are top priorities—priorities that are needed now more than ever as extremists with narrow ideological agendas are attempting to undermine science in our schools.

Please stand with me and countless others who value science and discovery by issuing the following or a similar proclamation on Darwin Day.

A Proclamation

Charles Darwin was the first to propose the scientific theory of evolution by natural selection. On Darwin Day, celebrated on the anniversary of Darwin’s birth on February 12, 1809, we celebrate the life and discoveries of Charles Darwin and express gratitude for the enormous benefits that scientific knowledge, acquired through human curiosity and ingenuity, contributes to the advancement of humanity.

It is sobering to imagine where the human race would be today without advances in science. Science has helped us to live longer by enabling us to find cures for diseases and alleviating pain and suffering. It has allowed us to travel before unimaginable distances, to interact with and understand people of other cultures and recognize what makes us similar as well as what makes us unique. It has allowed us to understand and maneuver in our world and has provided us insight into the complexities of life.

Charles Darwin recognized the importance of scientific discovery and made a powerful impact on our understanding about life on earth. As a naturalist onboard the HMS Beagle, Darwin made important observations about the geological and zoological diversity of the lands he visited, which helped spark his theory of evolution by natural selection. Most of what we understand about the diversity of life and the process by which it has adapted and changed has originated in his profound insights.

Now, Therefore, I, Barack Obama, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim February 12, 2011, as Darwin Day. I call on all Americans to recognize the importance of Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution by natural selection, to endeavor to preserve scientific discovery and human curiosity as bedrocks of American society, and to commemorate this day with appropriate events and activities.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twelfth day of February, two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.

0-25 of 13547 signatures

Number	Date	Name
13547	March 16, 2013
13546	March 07, 2013	Benjamin Cale
13545	February 19, 2013	Kenneth Lindblad
13544	February 18, 2013	Lisa Neely
13543	February 18, 2013	Karen Bleier
13542	February 12, 2013	Guillermo Gomez
13541	February 12, 2013	Guillermo Gomez
13540	February 12, 2013	Andrew Callender
13539	February 12, 2013	Maria Bucarelli
13538	February 12, 2013	Jill French
13537	February 12, 2013	Alex Swavely
13536	February 12, 2013	Marilyn Just
13535	February 12, 2013	HILDE HIEL
13534	February 12, 2013	Nina Dropcho
13533	February 12, 2013	Michael Koch
13532	February 12, 2013	Chris Dodds
13531	February 12, 2013	Doug Pieper
13530	February 12, 2013	Lori Silveira
13529	February 11, 2013	Eilif Verney-Elliott
13528	February 11, 2013	Emma Johnson
13527	February 11, 2013	Hayat Lennon
13526	February 11, 2013	Christopher Gooch
13525	February 11, 2013	Anu Ramanathan
13524	February 10, 2013	Lily Barnes
13523	February 10, 2013	Robert Kimbro

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