Whereas January 29, 2011, marks the 150th anniversary of
the admittance to the State of Kansas to the United States as the 34th
State;
Whereas the sesquicentennial of the statehood of the State
of Kansas is cause for celebration and reflection;
Whereas the name Kansas is derived from the Kansa Indians
who, among many other Indian tribes, have inhabited the plains of the United
States for centuries;
Whereas Kansas received official recognition as a
territory in 1854;
Whereas the territorial years of Kansas, commonly known as
Bleeding Kansas
, were marked by violence and bloodshed over
whether Kansas would join the United States as a State that permitted
slavery;
Whereas the territorial population of Kansas was committed
to the ideals of personal freedom and individual liberty, which led to armed
conflict with neighboring regions;
Whereas the battle between pro-freedom and pro-slavery
interests over the future of Kansas were fought politically and violently in
both Kansas and Washington, District of Columbia;
Whereas Kansas was admitted to the United States as a free
State on January 29, 1861, under President James Buchanan following a debate
that served as a factor in the outbreak of the Civil War;
Whereas the legislature of the State of Kansas convened
for the first time in March 1861, only a month prior to the commencement of the
Civil War with the firing on Fort Sumter in the State of South Carolina in
April 1861;
Whereas two-thirds of the able-bodied males in the State
of Kansas served in the Union Army over the course of the Civil War;
Whereas the State of Kansas was born in the midst of blood
and battle, has established itself as a national leader in agriculture and
aviation, and is a key contributor to the culture of the United States;
Whereas Kansas agricultural producers produce food, fuel,
and fiber that is used throughout the United States and exported across the
globe;
Whereas Kansas aircraft manufacturers have led the world
in producing quality aircraft since the early days of aviation;
Whereas throughout the State and across generations, the
people of the State of Kansas employ a work ethic and sense of duty befitting
the American Dream, none better exemplify this than President Dwight D.
Eisenhower, the boy who rose from humble beginnings to lead as Supreme Allied
Commander in World War II and later serve as the 34th President of the United
States;
Whereas from the days of the Bleeding
Kansas
border wars through the current deployments in the Middle East,
patriotic people of the State of Kansas have answered the call of duty to fight
for the United States and the cause of liberty, including Senator Bob Dole who
was wounded as a young infantry officer in World War II and later served as
Senate Majority Leader and the Republican Nominee for President of the United
States in 1996;
Whereas the State of Kansas continues its proud military
tradition by supporting troops and their families in the National Guard in
towns across the State and at Fort Riley, McConnell Air Force Base, and the
Army Staff and Command College in Leavenworth; and
Whereas the motto of the State of Kansas, Ad Astra
per Aspera,
which means To the Stars through Difficulty,
pays respect to the turbulent past of the State of Kansas, while remaining
hopeful about the future: Now, therefore, be it
That—
(1)it is the sense
of the Senate that—
(A)the people of the
United States should observe and celebrate the 150th anniversary of the
admittance of the State of Kansas to the United States as the 34th
State;
(B)the people of the
State of Kansas should—
(i)be
honored for their pioneering spirit and innovations; and
(ii)reflect on the
distinguished past of the State and look forward to a promising future;
and
(C)there is no place
like home; and
(2)the Senate
respectfully requests the Secretary of the Senate to transmit to the Governor
of the State of Kansas an enrolled copy of this resolution for appropriate
display.