[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 37 (Tuesday, April 9, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E446]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       COMMEMORATING THE 182ND ANNIVERSARY OF GREEK INDEPENDENCE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES R. LANGEVIN

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 9, 2002

  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in proud recognition of the 
182nd anniversary of Greek Independence. This is a great day, for it 
commemorates the return of democracy to the cradle of Western 
Civilization after nearly four hundred years of foreign rule.
  Greece has always been proud and independent by nature. Its people 
were a powerful force both culturally and militarily, as evidenced by 
the works of Homer and the multitude of Greek philosophers. The 
pinnacle of Greek influence was Alexander the Great and his unification 
of the eastern Mediterranean and ancient Middle East. Greek culture was 
spread throughout the new empire and for the first time, people were 
communicating with a common language, sharing ideas in a way never 
before possible. This Hellenization transformed every place is touched.
  Nearly two thousand years later, another important concept from 
ancient Greece came to the forefront of modern thought. The concept of 
``rule by the people'' gained prominence in the young United States. 
This was the desire of the framers of our Constitution, and they found 
their inspiration in the principles of the polis of Athens.
  In 1821, thirty years after the birth of our nation, the people of 
Greece acted upon a desire to be free. The Ottoman Turks had conquered 
the region in 1453, bringing an end to over a thousand years of rule by 
the Orthodox-Christian Byzantine Empire and its resurgence of Greek 
culture. After a bloody eleven-year war, Greece was finally free once 
again.
  In the modern era, one of the most important reminders of Greek 
heritage is the Olympic Games, which are finally returning to their 
origins in Athens in 2004 for the 25th Summer Olympic Games. For more 
than a century, the Olympics have symbolized peace and excellence for 
people the world over, reassuring us that even the smallest nation can 
compete on an equal ground with the largest.
  With their intertwined histories, Greece and the United States stand 
as natural allies with a fine record of cooperation at the global 
level. The roots of this strong relationship are fixed in the two 
nations' shared views on independence, freedom, and democracy. These 
principles still flourish millennia after their creation, and the 
United States and Greece continue to uphold the promise of democratic 
ideals.
  Mr. Speaker, it is this feeling that I believe is the greatest 
contribution Greece has given to our world: We are all equal, whether 
it is in our democratic government or in friendly competition, and we 
can come together in friendship even during the most difficult of 
times. With that, I would like to thank my colleagues for holding this 
special order and once again congratulate Greece on the anniversary of 
its independence and all of the gifts it has given us.

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