Gus Bilirakis: “Today, I rise to honor and commemorate Greek Independence Day. On March 25, 1821, Archbishop Germanos of Patras raised…”

“Today, I rise to honor and commemorate Greek Independence Day. On March 25, 1821, Archbishop Germanos of Patras raised the flag of revolution over the Monastery of Agia Lavra in the Peloponnese, and ``Eleftheria i Thanatos,'' which means ``Liberty or Death,'' Mr. Speaker, became the battle cry. This day to start the Greek War of Independence was not chosen by chance because it coincides with the Greek Orthodox Church's celebration of the Annunciation to the Mother of God. Again, this was not a coincidence because to the Greeks of 1821, Mr. Speaker, the Mother of God was their champion and their protector. As we all know, the price of liberty can be very high. Socrates, Plato, Pericles, and many other great minds throughout history warned that we must maintain democracy only at great cost. Our Greek brothers earned their liberty with blood, as did our American forefathers. The freedom we enjoy today is due to the sacrifices made by men and women in the past. Like the American revolutionaries who fought for independence and established this great Republic, Greek freedom fighters began an arduous struggle to win independence for Greece and her people. After four centuries of Ottoman oppression, they faced what appeared to be insurmountable odds. This was the 19th century David versus Goliath. The revolution of 1821 brought independence to Greece and emboldened those who still sought freedom across the world.…”