Political Quotes

“I rise in support of celebrating March 25, 2002, as Greek Independence Day. The ancient Greeks developed the concept of democracy, in which the supreme power to govern was vested in the people. The Founding Fathers of the United States drew heavily on the political experience and philosophy of ancient Greece in forming our representative democracy. Greece is one of only three nations in the world, beyond the former British Empire, that has been allied with the United States in every major international conflict in the twentieth century. 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 Greece presenting the Axis land war with its first major setback, which set off a chain of events that significantly affected the outcome of World War II. Greece and the United States are at the forefront of the effort for freedom, democracy, peace, stability, and human rights. Those and other ideals have forged a close bond between our two nations and their peoples. March 25, 2001, marks the 180th anniversary of the beginning of the revolution that freed the Greek people from the Ottoman Empire and it is proper and desirable to celebrate with the Greek people and to reaffirm the democratic principles from which our two great nations were born.”