III 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 82 

Recognizing the 188th anniversary of the independence of Greece and 

celebrating Greek and American democracy. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 23, 2009 

Mr. SPECTER (for himself, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. KERRY, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mr. 

CASEY, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. CARDIN, Ms. SNOWE, Mr. BINGAMAN, 

Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. REED, Mr. VOINOVICH, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. 

BEGICH, Mr. MARTINEZ, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. CHAMBLISS, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, 

Mr. COCHRAN, Mr. FEINGOLD, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mr. KENNEDY, Ms. 

LANDRIEU, Mr. DODD, Mr. GREGG, Mr. BENNETT, Mr. CARPER, Ms. 

STABENOW, Mr. GRASSLEY, Mr. KOHL, Mr. RISCH, Mr. INOUYE, Mr. 

ROCKEFELLER, Mr. ISAKSON, Mrs. MURRAY, Ms. MURKOWSKI, Mrs. 

SHAHEEN, Mr. LUGAR, Mr. NELSON of Florida, and Mr. JOHNSON) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the 188th anniversary of the independence of 

Greece and celebrating Greek and American democracy. 

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, many 

of whom read Greek political philosophy in the original 

Greek, drew heavily on the political experience and philosophy of ancient Greece in forming our representative 

democracy; 


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•SRES 82 ATS 

Whereas Greek Commander in Chief Petros Mavromichalis, a 

founder of the modern Greek state, said to the citizens 

of the United States in 1821 that ‘‘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 the Greek national anthem, the ‘‘Hymn to Liberty’’, 

includes the words, ‘‘Most heartily was gladdened George 

Washington’s brave land’’; 

Whereas the people of the United States generously offered 

humanitarian assistance to the Greek people during their 

struggle for independence; 

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, 

which provided 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 hundreds of thousands of Greek civilians were killed 

in Greece during World War II in defense of the values 

of the Allies; 

Whereas, throughout the 20th century, Greece was one of a 

few countries that allied with the United States in every 

major international conflict; 

Whereas Greece is a strategic partner and ally of the United 

States in bringing political stability and economic development to the volatile Balkan region, having invested 

more than $20,000,000,000 in the countries of the region, thereby helping to create more than 200,000 new 

jobs, and having contributed more than $750,000,000 in 

development aid for the region; 


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•SRES 82 ATS 

Whereas Greece actively participates in peacekeeping and 

peace-building operations conducted by international organizations including the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the European Union, and the 

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe; 

Whereas Greece received worldwide praise for its extraordinary handling during the 2004 Olympic Games of more 

than 14,000 athletes and more than 2,000,000 spectators 

and journalists, a feat Greece handled efficiently, securely, and with hospitality; 

Whereas Greece, located in a region where Christianity meets 

Islam and Judaism, maintains excellent relations with 

Muslim nations and Israel; 

Whereas the Government of Greece has taken important 

steps in recent years in furthering cross-cultural understanding and rapprochement with Turkey, as seen with 

the January 2008 visit to Turkey by the Prime Minister 

of Greece, Kostas Karamanlis, the first official visit by a 

Greek Prime Minister in 49 years; 

Whereas Greece and the United States are at the forefront 

of the effort for freedom, democracy, peace, stability, and 

human rights; 

Whereas those and similar ideals have forged a close bond between Greece and the United States; and 

Whereas it is proper and desirable for the United States to 

celebrate March 25, 2009, Greek Independence Day, with 

the Greek people and to reaffirm the democratic principles from which these two great nations were born: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 


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•SRES 82 ATS 

1 (1) extends warm congratulations and best 

2 wishes to the people of Greece as they celebrate the 

3 188th anniversary of the independence of Greece; 

4 (2) expresses support for the principles of 

5 democratic governance to which the people of Greece 

6 are committed; and 

7 (3) notes the important role that Greece has 

8 played in the wider European region and in the com9 munity of nations since gaining its independence 

10 188 years ago. 

Æ 


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