HR0186 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0186 LRB096 12003 KXB 23807 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

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

WHEREAS, On March 25, 1821, the Feast Day of the Annunciation, the Greek nation reclaimed its ancient heritage as the "Cradle of Democracy" by throwing off the yoke of oppression which had enslaved its people since the fall of Constantinople in 1453; conquered by the Ottoman Turks in the 15th century, Greece waged a successful War of Independence (1821-1829) and reinstituted a democratic form of government; and

WHEREAS, Greece celebrates two important events in its history on March 25, the beginning of the revolution that freed the Greek people from the Ottoman Empire, and the Greek Orthodox Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary; and

WHEREAS, It was for that reason that on March 25, 1821, Bishop Germanos of Patras chose that day to deliver a message of a new life to the people of Greece and hoisted the Greek flag in defiance of the Turks at the Monastery of Ayia Lavra near Kalavrita; and

WHEREAS, The Founding Fathers of the United States drew heavily on the political experience and philosophy of ancient Greece in forming our representative democracy; and

WHEREAS, Greek Commander in Chief Petros Mavromichalis, a founder of the modern Greek state, said to the citizens of the United States in 1821 that "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, Greece played a major role in the World War II struggle to protect freedom and democracy through such bravery as was shown in the historic Battle of Crete, which provided the Axis land war with its first major setback, setting off a chain of events that significantly affected the outcome of World War II; and

WHEREAS, The price for Greece in holding our common values in their region was high as hundreds of thousands of civilians were killed in Greece during World War II; and

WHEREAS, Throughout the 20th century, Greece was one of only 3 countries in the world beyond the former British Empire that allied with the United States in every major international conflict; 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 over $10,000,000,000 in the region; and

WHEREAS, Greece was extraordinarily responsive to requests by the United States during the war in Iraq, as Greece immediately granted unlimited access to its airspace and the base in Souda Bay, and many ships of the United States that delivered troops, cargo, and supplies to Iraq were refueled in Greece; and

WHEREAS, In August 2004, the Olympic games came home to Athens, Greece, the land of their ancient birthplace 2,500 years ago, and the city of their modern revival in 1896; and

WHEREAS, Greece received world-wide praise for its extraordinary handling of over 14,000 athletes from 202 countries and over 2,000,000 spectators and journalists during the 2004 Olympics, which it did so efficiently, securely, and with its famous Greek hospitality; and

WHEREAS, The unprecedented security effort in Greece for the first Olympics to be held after the attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, included a record-setting expenditure of over $1,390,000,000 and an assignment of over 70,000 security personnel, as well as the utilization of an 8-country Olympic Security Advisory Group that included the United States; and

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

WHEREAS, the Government of Greece has had extraordinary success in recent years in furthering cross-cultural understanding and reducing tensions between themselves and Turkey; and

WHEREAS, Greece and the United States are at the forefront of the effort for freedom, democracy, peace, stability, and human rights; and

WHEREAS, Those ideals, as well as others, have forged a close bond between these 2 nations and their peoples; and

WHEREAS, March 25, 2009, marks the 188th anniversary of the beginning of the revolution that freed the Greek people from the nearby Ottoman Empire; and

WHEREAS, It is proper and desirable to celebrate this anniversary with the Greek people and to reaffirm the democratic principles from which these two great nations were born; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we designate March 25, 2009, and each March 25th thereafter, as Greek Independence Day and encourage the people of the State of Illinois to observe the day with appropriate ceremonies and activities; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago and the Consul General of Greece in Chicago.