HR0569 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0569 LRB100 13870 MST 28595 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Declaration of Independence establishes one of the bedrock principles of our democracy, "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among those are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."; and

WHEREAS, One of the foundational principles of America and the strengths of our great democracy is our diversity of thought, ideas, and people; we are a country where men and women of different races, faiths, sexual orientations, and political beliefs are united under the banner of the greatest country in the world, the United States of America; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois House of Representatives and the people of the State of Illinois mourn the victims of the tragic events in Charlottesville, Virginia and stand unified in our condemnation of the hatred espoused by the hundreds of white supremacists in Charlottesville; and

WHEREAS, While the House of Representatives is resolute in its support for the free speech rights of Americans, it will not ignore or condone hate speech or violence committed by hate groups or anyone seeking to commit acts of domestic terrorism against racial, ethnic, and religious minorities or other classes of protected individuals as was the case in Charlottesville; and

WHEREAS, The House of Representatives mourns the death of Heather Heyer and wishes a speedy recovery to the dozens who were injured by an individual who sought to silence different voices who chose to stand up to show that hate will never win out over love and the true American spirit; and

WHEREAS, The House of Representatives mourns the death of the two Virginia State Police Officers, Lt. H. Jay Cullen and Trooper Berke M. M. Bates, who lost their lives in the line of duty defending the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we repudiate and condemn white supremacists, neo-Nazis, the Ku Klux Klan, and any other group that espouses hate and seeks to undermine the very ideals of who we are as Americans; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we condemn the acts of violence in Charlottesville as domestic terrorism; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we celebrate the diversity of our State and nation; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we condemn those who seek to spread hate and division while attacking the foundational values of our State and nation.