[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 3]
[House]
[Pages 4123-4124]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         GREEK INDEPENDENCE DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Curbelo of Florida). The Chair 
recognizes the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 195th 
anniversary of Greek independence.
  Citizens of Greece have always been a proud people in body, mind, and 
spirit. From Pericles, Greek statesman and general, dubbed ``the first 
citizen of Athens''; to Plato, who laid a groundwork in philosophy so 
vast that the entirety of European philosophical tradition is said to 
simply be a footnote to his work; to Count Ioannis Kapodistrias, the 
first head of state of an independent Greece, Greeks have been 
exceptional and continue to be exceptional, Mr. Speaker.
  I am almost certain that Thomas Jefferson cast an eye across the 
Atlantic towards Greece when he uttered these words in 1821: ``The 
flames kindled on the Fourth of July 1776 have spread over too much of 
the globe to be extinguished by the feeble engines of despotism. On the 
contrary, they will consume these engines and all who work them.''
  I am blessed to be of two cultures, Mr. Speaker, that have been 
beacons of liberty for all of civilization: the place of my birth, the 
land of the free and the home of the brave, the United States of 
America; and the land of my ancestors, the birthplace of democracy, the 
Hellenic Republic.

[[Page 4124]]

  Many Greeks fought for years, holding on to their heritage, their 
culture, their faith. Bishop Germanos of Patras raised the emblem of 
freedom for Hellenes, the flag bearing a white cross and nine blue and 
white stripes representing the nine letters, ``Eleftheria,'' which 
means freedom.
  Eight years of bloodshed and battle led to the Treaty of Adrianople, 
the formal declaration of a free and independent Greece.
  Greece was the world's first advanced civilization, one that provided 
a cultural heritage that has influenced the world. Firsts in 
philosophy, mathematics, politics, sports, and art all stemmed from a 
free Greece.
  Liberty and justice, freedom to determine the path of one's own life, 
these are human desires and were embodied by Greece throughout their 
fight for independence. Those unyielding Hellenes paid life and limb 
for those desires, and generations of Greeks for decades to come owe 
their ancestors thanks.
  As George Washington once said: ``Liberty, when it begins to take 
root, is a plant of rapid growth.'' This held true in Greece in 1821, 
as it did in America in 1776.
  ``Freedom or Death,'' Eleftheria i thanatos, was the battle cry of 
the revolutionaries nearly 200 years ago. It rings true today.
  Freedom is a powerful and beautiful notion. The Greek people achieved 
that for themselves 195 years ago, and I am proud to celebrate in 
memory of those who fought bravely to shed the shackles of the Ottoman 
Empire.
  Greece has its own unique challenges today but, also, a history of 
resilience and ability to climb its way out of turmoil. As centuries-
long allies, we must continue to creatively come up with solutions to 
help Greece control the flow of refugees arriving on its shores.
  I am encouraged by the growing cooperation and collaboration that our 
closest allies in the Eastern Mediterranean are proving this year. The 
trilateral agreements between Greece, Cyprus, and Israel are a 
refreshing reminder that we stand united with our allies in the fight 
for security, stability, and prosperity in a volatile region.
  We celebrate Greek independence to reaffirm the common democratic 
heritage we share, and, as Americans, we must continue to pursue this 
spirit of freedom and liberty which characterizes both of our great 
nations.
  Zito I Ellas. God bless America.

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