Full Text of HR0604 99th General Assembly
HR0604 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | 3 | | Representatives have learned, with deep sadness, of the deaths | 4 | | on June 17, 2015 of the Rev. Senator Clementa C. Pinckney, | 5 | | Cynthia Hurd, Susie Jackson, Ethel Lance, DePayne Middleton | 6 | | Doctor, Tywanza Sanders, Daniel L. Simmons, Sr., Sharonda | 7 | | Singleton, and Myra Thompson, the 9 people who were murdered | 8 | | while engaged in a session of Christian Bible studies at the | 9 | | Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, | 10 | | South Carolina; and
| 11 | | WHEREAS, These 9 community and church leaders are deeply | 12 | | mourned by their families and friends; as a result of this | 13 | | tragedy, their skills at work and life have become familiar to | 14 | | their South Carolina neighbors and the people of the United | 15 | | States; and
| 16 | | WHEREAS, As State legislators, we are especially aware of | 17 | | the hard work and statesmanship of the late Rev. Senator | 18 | | Clementa C. Pinckney, as he was a leader for his state on | 19 | | lawmaking efforts concerning issues, such as body cameras for | 20 | | police officers, which we know are exceptionally complex and | 21 | | demand courageous, careful handling; and
| 22 | | WHEREAS, Events connected with this tragedy have raised |
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| 1 | | questions about the so-called "Battle Flag of the Confederacy" | 2 | | as a suitable element in public displays of honor; although | 3 | | this flag was raised for reasons familiar to everyone, many | 4 | | feel that this flag has become offensive and should no longer | 5 | | be a symbol on state property; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, A slightly different version of the "Battle Flag" | 7 | | currently flies, by South Carolina statute, on the grounds of | 8 | | the South Carolina State House in Columbia, South Carolina, as | 9 | | an element of a monument honoring fallen South Carolina | 10 | | soldiers; and | 11 | | WHEREAS, The members of this body affirm the right and duty | 12 | | of the people of South Carolina to pay tribute to the heritage | 13 | | of their state, including the heritage of the American Civil | 14 | | War; and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, At times like this we are reminded of the words of | 16 | | Abraham Lincoln, who said that it is the work of all of us | 17 | | "with malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness | 18 | | in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on | 19 | | to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's | 20 | | wounds..."; and
| 21 | | WHEREAS, The members of this body suggest that the correct | 22 | | flag for the people of South Carolina to fly when honoring |
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| 1 | | their heritage is the flag of the United States of America; | 2 | | South Carolina is one of the 13 original states and there is a | 3 | | stripe and a star on this flag for them, and 13 stripes and 50 | 4 | | stars to stand for one united people; therefore, be it
| 5 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 6 | | NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | 7 | | call upon the South Carolina General Assembly to take statutory | 8 | | action to remove any examples of the "Battle Flag of the | 9 | | Confederacy" from the grounds of the South Carolina State | 10 | | House, including the Confederate Monument; and be it further
| 11 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 12 | | delivered to South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, Henry | 13 | | McMaster, President of the South Carolina Senate, and Jay | 14 | | Lucas, Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives.
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