[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 20, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H2720]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       COMMEMORATING THE 186TH ANNIVERSARY OF GREEK INDEPENDENCE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. Speaker, I rise in observance of the 186th 
anniversary of Greek independence.
  In 1821 when Greek patriots revolted against their Ottoman 
oppressors, they sounded a clarion call for liberty that was heard by 
freedom-loving men and women all over Europe and around the world.
  On March 25 we celebrate a courageous struggle for independence that 
spanned 8 long and hard-fought years, creating a foundation for the 
modern Greek state.
  Americans and Greeks have long shared a profound commitment to the 
principles of democracy, and both peoples have worked to create 
societies built upon these values. Throughout history each nation has 
taken inspiration from the other's experience.
  In 1823 Greek patriot, intellectual, and physician Adamantios Koraes 
wrote one of many letters to his friend Thomas Jefferson seeking 
counsel on how to draw up a constitution for Greece to use upon its 
liberation. Jefferson wrote extensively in response, expounding the 
virtues and the fundamentals of the freedoms we cherish today: freedom 
of religion; freedom of person, habeas corpus; trial by jury; the 
exclusive right of legislation and taxation reserved to the 
representatives of the people; and freedom of the press. Greek 
Independence Day marks the moment the people of Greece realized these 
freedoms.
  A shared commitment to liberty has been the hallmark of our 
collective histories. In the two world wars, Greece fought heroically 
in the allied campaign to maintain liberty and democracy. Similarly, 
during the Cold War, Greece fought against totalitarian aggression and 
emerged as a democratic nation with a vigorous economy, a strong 
partner in the United States, and a full member of both NATO and the 
European Union. Most recently, Greece's tremendous performance as host 
to the 2004 Olympic Games has shone a light on what this longstanding 
commitment to democratic values and institutions can yield.
  Mr. Speaker, this occasion also offers us an opportunity to reflect 
on the enormous and distinctive contributions that Greek Americans have 
made to every aspect of life in our Nation, including the arts, 
business, science, public service, and scholarship. As Greek Americans 
have made this remarkable progress, they have also preserved important 
traditional values of hard work, education, and commitment to family 
and church, principles that strengthen and invigorate our communities.
  In one of his letters to Koraes, Jefferson wrote this: ``Possessing 
ourselves the combined blessings of liberty and order, we wish the same 
to other countries and to none more than yours, which, the first of 
civilizations, provided examples of what man should be.''
  In America and Greece we choose this day to celebrate the courage, 
the liberty, and democracy that is the foundation of every civilized 
society.

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