[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Pages 5521-5522]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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     SENATE RESOLUTION 78--DESIGNATING MARCH 25, 2003, AS ``GREEK 
 INDEPENDENCE DAY: A NATIONAL DAY OF CELEBRATION OF GREEK AND AMERICAN 
                              DEMOCRACY''

  Mr. SPECTER (for himself, Mr. Bennett, Mr. Biden, Mr. Bingaman, Mrs. 
Boxer, Mr. Carper, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Coleman, Ms. Collins, 
Mr. Corzine, Mr. Daschle, Mr. DeWine, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Domenici, Mr. 
Dorgan, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Edwards, Mr. Feingold, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. 
Fitzgerald, Mr. Graham of South Carolina, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Gregg, Mr. 
Hagel, Mr. Hollings, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Kennedy, 
Mr. Kerry, Mr. Kohl, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Levin, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. 
Lott, Ms. Mikulski, Ms. Murkowski, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Nelson of Florida, 
Mr. Reed, Mr. Reid, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Santorum, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. 
Sessions, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Smith, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Sununu, 
Mr. Thomas, Mr. Voinovich, Mr. Warner, and Mr. Wyden) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
Judiciary:

                               S. Res. 78

       Whereas the ancient Greeks developed the concept of 
     democracy, in which the supreme power to govern was vested in 
     the people;
       Whereas the Founding Fathers of the United States drew 
     heavily on the political experience and philosophy of ancient 
     Greece in forming our representative democracy;
       Whereas Greek Commander in Chief Petros Mavromichalis, a 
     founder of the modern Greek state, said to the citizens of 
     the United States in 1821, ``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'';
       Whereas Greece is 1 of only 3 nations in the world, beyond 
     the former British Empire, that has been allied with the 
     United States in every major international conflict for more 
     than 100 years;
       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 and in 
     presenting the Axis land war with its first major setback, 
     setting off a chain of events that significantly affected the 
     outcome of World War II;
       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 the World War II 
     period;
       Whereas President George W. Bush, in recognizing Greek 
     Independence Day on March 25, 2002, said, ``Greece and 
     America have been firm allies in the great struggles for 
     liberty. Americans will always remember Greek heroism and 
     Greek sacrifice for the sake of freedom . . . [and] as the 
     21st Century dawns, Greece and America once again stand 
     united; this time in the fight against terrorism. The United 
     States deeply appreciates the role Greece is playing in the 
     war against terror. . . . America and Greece are strong 
     allies, and we're strategic partners.'';

[[Page 5522]]

       Whereas Greece is a stabilizing force by virtue of its 
     political and economic power in the volatile Balkan region 
     and is one of the fastest growing economies in Europe;
       Whereas on January 1, 2003, Greece took over the Presidency 
     of the European Union for the fourth time since it joined the 
     Union in 1981 with the message of ``Our Europe: Sharing the 
     Future in a Community of Values'';
       Whereas Greece, through excellent work and cooperation with 
     United States and international law enforcement agencies, 
     recently arrested key members of the November 17 terrorist 
     organization;
       Whereas President Bush stated that Greece's ``successful 
     law enforcement operations against a terrorist organization 
     [November 17] responsible for three decades of terrorist 
     attacks underscore the important contributions Greece is 
     making to the global war on terrorism'';
       Whereas Greece's unprecedented Olympic security effort, 
     including a record-setting expenditure of over $600,000,000 
     and the utilization of a 7-member Olympic Security Advisory 
     Group which includes the United States, will contribute to a 
     safe and secure environment for staging the 2004 Olympic 
     Games in Athens, Greece;
       Whereas Greece, geographically located in a region where 
     Christianity meets Islam and Judaism, maintains excellent 
     relations with Muslim nations and Israel;
       Whereas Greece has had extraordinary success in recent 
     years in furthering cross-cultural understanding and reducing 
     tensions between Greece and Turkey;
       Whereas Greece and the United States are at the forefront 
     of the effort for freedom, democracy, peace, stability, and 
     human rights;
       Whereas those and other ideals have forged a close bond 
     between our 2 nations and their peoples;
       Whereas March 25, 2003, marks the 182nd anniversary of the 
     beginning of the revolution that freed the Greek people from 
     the Ottoman Empire; and
       Whereas it is proper and desirable to celebrate with the 
     Greek people and to reaffirm the democratic principles from 
     which our 2 great nations were born: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates March 25, 2003, as ``Greek Independence Day: 
     A National Day of Celebration of Greek and American 
     Democracy''; and
       (2) requests that the President issue a proclamation 
     calling on the people of the United States to observe the day 
     with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, today I am pleased to submit a resolution 
along with 52 of my colleagues to designate March 25, 2003, as ``Greek 
Independence Day: A Celebration of Greek and American Democracy.''
  One hundred and eighty two years ago, the Greek people began the 
revolution that would free them from the Ottoman Empire and return 
Greece to its democratic heritage. It was, of course, the ancient 
Greeks who developed the concept of democracy in which the supreme 
power to govern was vested in the people. Our Founding Fathers drew 
heavily upon the political and philosophical experience of ancient 
Greece in forming our representative democracy. Thomas Jefferson 
proclaimed that, ``to the ancient Greeks . . . we are all indebted for 
the light which led ourselves out of Gothic darkness.'' It is fitting, 
then, that we should recognize the anniversary of the beginning of 
their efforts to return to that democratic tradition.
  The democratic form of government is only one of the most obvious of 
the many benefits we have gained from the Greek people. The ancient 
Greeks contributed a great deal to the modern world, particularly to 
the United States of America, in the areas of art, philosophy, science 
and law. Today, Greek-Americans continue to enrich our culture and make 
valuable contributions to American society, business, and government.
  It is my hope that strong support for this resolution in the Senate 
will serve as a clear goodwill gesture to the people of Greece with 
whom we have enjoyed such a close bond throughout history. Similar 
resolutions have been passed by the Senate since 1984 with overwhelming 
support. Accordingly, I urge my Senate colleagues to join me in 
supporting this important resolution.
  I ask unanimous consent that the bill be printed in the Record.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today I rise before the Senate in support 
of a Senate Resolution submitted today by my colleague Senator Specter. 
This resolution designates March 25 of this year as ``Greek 
Independence Day: A day of celebration for Greek and American 
democracy.''
  The people of ancient Greece made important, lasting contributions to 
humanity in the fields of literature, philosophy, mathematics, and the 
physical sciences. The greatest part of their legacy, though, is a 
simple yet powerful idea that was born over 2,000 years ago. It is the 
idea that citizens should possess the power to determine the course of 
their Nation.
  The bonds that join the United States and Greece are deep and long 
lasting. In 1821, Greek Commander in Chief Petros Mavromichalis said to 
the citizens of the United States: ``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.'' Since modern Greece's struggle for independence 182 years ago, 
our countries have stood to together as allies and friends. We have 
peacefully worked together in every major international conflict.
  Today, Greece continues to embrace the ideals of freedom, democracy, 
and peace. The past few years have witnessed hopeful new steps toward 
the resolution of a number of the world's longstanding conflicts and 
animosities. With its strategic location at the nexus of Europe, Asia 
and Africa, Greece has been a key participant in many of these efforts. 
In particular, it has played a pivotal role in promoting 
democratization, economic development and, above all, peace in the 
Balkans.
  In honoring Greek Independence Day, we pay special tribute to those 
Greek men and women who gave their lives for the common cause of 
freedom. Greek-Americans can especially take pride in their ancestors' 
sacrifice. The many Greek sons and daughters who have come to the 
United States have worked honorably in all areas of American life, 
including public service. Greek culture flourishes in American cities, 
adding to our country's rich diversity.
  It is with great honor that I join my colleagues in recognizing this 
anniversary of Greek independence. Our two great nations have fought to 
maintain freedom and established democracy throughout the world. In 
designating March 25 of this year as ``Greek Independence Day'', we 
celebrate the freedom that these two great nations represent.
  Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak to my colleagues 
about this important date.

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