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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, The Tennessee House of Representatives failed not 
3once but twice to adopt Tennessee House Joint Resolution 583 to 
4condemn white nationalism and neo-Nazism; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The Tennessee House of Representatives failed to 
6summon sufficient moral courage and basic decency to place 
7itself on the record against such a sinister and pernicious 
8ideology infecting the body politic of the United States; and 
 
9    WHEREAS, The Tennessee House of Representatives has been 
10cowed by the growing influence of white nationalists and 
11neo-Nazis; and
 
12    WHEREAS, The Illinois House of Representatives has no fear 
13of white nationalists and neo-Nazis and abounds in moral 
14courage and basic decency; therefore be it 
 
15    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE 
16HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the 
17Illinois House of Representatives wishes to adopt the following 
18text of the Tennessee House of Representatives in its entirety, 
19as if it were addressed to the State of Illinois, as follows:
 
20        "WHEREAS, recent tragic events have proven that white 
 
 
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1    nationalism and neo-Nazism remain very real threats to 
2    social and racial progress; and 
 
3        WHEREAS, throughout the course of our nation's 
4    history, white nationalism has promoted intimidation and 
5    violent repression of individuals solely on the basis of 
6    their race, ethnicity, religion, and immigration status; 
7    and 
 
8        WHEREAS, today, white nationalism has attempted to 
9    reinvent itself, self-identifying as the "Alt-Right," yet 
10    their present-day rhetoric and terrorism conjure painful 
11    memories of our nation's past; and 
 
12        WHEREAS, while free speech and assembly are bedrock 
13    values for Americans, white nationalist and neo-Nazi 
14    groups promote agendas that are in irreconcilable conflict 
15    with our nation's foundational principles of liberty and 
16    justice for all; and 
 
17        WHEREAS, white nationalism and neo-Nazism are 
18    continuing to grow as menaces to societal order that seek 
19    to reignite social animosities, reverse improvements in 
20    race relations, divide the nation, and foment hatred, 
21    classism, anti-Semitism, and ethnic eradication; and 
 
 
 
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1        WHEREAS, the white nationalist and neo-Nazi message of 
2    racial and social intolerance has led to senseless acts of 
3    violence that continue to terrorize members of ethnic, 
4    racial, and religious minority communities; now, therefore
 
5        BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
6    ONE HUNDRED TENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF 
7    TENNESSEE, THE SENATE CONCURRING, that we strongly 
8    denounce and oppose the totalitarian impulses, violent 
9    terrorism, xenophobic biases, and bigoted ideologies that 
10    are promoted by white nationalists and neo-Nazis. 
 
11        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we urge law enforcement to 
12    recognize these white nationalist and neo-Nazi groups as 
13    terrorist organizations and to pursue the criminal 
14    elements of these domestic terrorist organizations in the 
15    same manner and with the same fervor used to protect the 
16    United States from other manifestations of terrorism. 
 
17        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that our State, the great State 
18    of Tennessee, and its people will not tolerate 
19    discrimination or hate in any form or manifestation and 
20    that we stand united with resolve to promote and ensure 
21    equality for all Tennesseans. 
 
22        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that appropriate copies of this 
 
 
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1    resolution be prepared and transmitted to the President of 
2    the United States, all members of the United States Senate, 
3    all members of the United States House of Representatives, 
4    the Governor of the State of Tennessee, and all members of 
5    the Tennessee General Assembly."; and be it further
  
 
6    RESOLVED, That the Illinois House of Representatives 
7adopts the resolution of the Tennessee House of Representatives 
8as if it were its own; and be it further
 
9    RESOLVED, That appropriate copies of this Illinois House of 
10Representatives resolution be prepared and delivered to the 
11President of the United States, all members of the United 
12States Senate, all members of the United States House of 
13Representatives, the Governor of the State of Illinois, all 
14members of the Illinois General Assembly, the Governor of the 
15State of Tennessee, and all members of the Tennessee General 
16Assembly.