SR0123 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0123 LRB102 17349 MST 22840 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The people of ancient Greece developed the concept of democracy, in which the supreme power to govern was vested in the people; and

WHEREAS, The Founding Fathers of the United States, many of whom read Greek political philosophy in the original Greek language, drew heavily on the political experience and philosophy of ancient Greece in forming the representative democracy of the United States; and

WHEREAS, Petros Mavromichalis, the former commander-in-chief of Greece and a founder of the modern Greek state, said to the citizens of the United States in 1821, "It is in your land that liberty has fixed her abode, and … in imitating you, we shall imitate our ancestors and be thought worthy of them if we succeed in resembling you."; and

WHEREAS, The Greek national anthem, the Hymn to Liberty, includes the words, "most heartily was gladdened George Washington's brave land"; and

WHEREAS, Few brave American Philhellenes took an active part in the Greek Revolution and became heroes of the Greek liberation struggle; and

WHEREAS, The people of the United States generously offered humanitarian assistance to the people of Greece during their struggle for independence; and

WHEREAS, Greece heroically resisted the Axis Powers at a crucial moment in World War II, forcing Adolf Hitler to change his timeline and delaying the attack on Russia; and

WHEREAS, Winston Churchill said that "if there had not been the virtue and courage of the Greeks, we do not know which the outcome of World War II would have been" and "no longer will we say that Greeks fight like heroes, but that heroes fight like Greeks"; and

WHEREAS, Hundreds of thousands of the people of Greece were killed during World War II; and

WHEREAS, Greece consistently allied with the United States in major international conflicts throughout the 20th century; and

WHEREAS, Greece is a strategic partner and ally of the United States in bringing political stability and economic development to the volatile Balkan region, having invested billions of dollars in the countries of the region and having contributed more than $750,000,000 in development aid for the region; and

WHEREAS, The government and people of Greece actively participate in peacekeeping and peace-building operations conducted by international organizations, including the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the European Union, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe; and

WHEREAS, Greece received worldwide praise for its extraordinary handling during the 2004 Olympic Games of more than 14,000 athletes and more than 2,000,000 spectators and journalists, a feat the government and people of Greece handled efficiently, securely, and with hospitality; and

WHEREAS, Greece, located in a region where Christianity meets Islam and Judaism, maintains excellent relations with Muslim countries and Israel; and

WHEREAS, Greece remains an integral part of the European Union; and

WHEREAS, The government of Greece has taken important steps in recent years to further cross-cultural understanding, rapprochement, and cooperation in various fields with Turkey and has also improved its relations with other countries in the region, including Israel, thus enhancing the stability of the wider region; and

WHEREAS, The governments and people of Greece and the United States are at the forefront of efforts to advance freedom, democracy, peace, stability, and human rights; and

WHEREAS, Those efforts and similar ideals have forged a close bond between the people of Greece and the United States; and

WHEREAS, It is proper and desirable for the United States to celebrate March 25, 2021, Greek Independence Day and the bicentennial anniversary of the Greek Revolution against the Ottoman Turks, with the people of Greece and to reaffirm the democratic principles from which these two great countries were founded; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we extend our warm congratulations and best wishes to the people of Greece as they celebrate the 200th anniversary of the independence of Greece; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we express our support for the principles of democratic governance to which the people of Greece are committed; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we recognize the important role that Greece has played in the wider European region and in the community of nations since gaining its independence 200 years ago; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we declare 2021 as the Year of Friendship between Greece and the State of Illinois.