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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, A devastating act of violence occurred at the Sikh | ||||||
| 3 | Temple of Wisconsin on August 5, 2012, in Oak Creek, Wisconsin; | ||||||
| 4 | and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, Members of the American Sikh community have a | ||||||
| 6 | long-standing commitment to the United States, demonstrated by | ||||||
| 7 | their record of military heroism, devotion to public service, | ||||||
| 8 | and contribution to the economic activity and prosperity of | ||||||
| 9 | this country; and
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| 10 | WHEREAS, This recent massacre in Wisconsin, a recent fire | ||||||
| 11 | that destroyed a mosque in Joplin, Missouri, and the aftermath | ||||||
| 12 | of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, have caused Sikhs, | ||||||
| 13 | Muslims, South Asian Americans, Arab Americans, and other | ||||||
| 14 | communities in the Midwest and the country at large to live | ||||||
| 15 | under an unfair burden of vulnerability; and
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| 16 | WHEREAS, There has been a growth in rhetorical attacks, | ||||||
| 17 | harassment, intimidation, bullying, and extreme violence | ||||||
| 18 | against these communities; and
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| 19 | WHEREAS, A crime like this should be condemned, regardless | ||||||
| 20 | of what ethnic or religious group is targeted; and
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| 1 | WHEREAS, In the United States and in Illinois, the | ||||||
| 2 | principles of tolerance, religious freedom, trust, and safety | ||||||
| 3 | are vital to the sense of community shared by all people; and | ||||||
| 4 | WHEREAS, The fundamental American values of justice and | ||||||
| 5 | equality for all are vital foundations of who we are as a | ||||||
| 6 | people, while xenophobia, racism, anti-religious rhetoric, and | ||||||
| 7 | extreme violence have no place in our society; therefore, be it
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| 8 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
| 9 | NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 10 | we encourage tolerance and the prevention of future violence by | ||||||
| 11 | promoting education about diverse cultures and religions, | ||||||
| 12 | grounded in the belief that this makes us strong as a community | ||||||
| 13 | and a nation; and be it further
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| 14 | RESOLVED, That we are grateful to the first responders, | ||||||
| 15 | congregants, and the local community in Wisconsin who helped to | ||||||
| 16 | save lives and prevent even greater loss; and be it further | ||||||
| 17 | RESOLVED, That we denounce any and all hate-fueled violence | ||||||
| 18 | and bigotry in public and political discourse and encourage | ||||||
| 19 | civic engagement and participation among all Illinois | ||||||
| 20 | residents, including immigrants and minorities.
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