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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
3 | Representatives have learned, with deep sadness, of the deaths | ||||||
4 | on June 17, 2015 of the Rev. Senator Clementa C. Pinckney, | ||||||
5 | Cynthia Hurd, Susie Jackson, Ethel Lance, DePayne Middleton | ||||||
6 | Doctor, Tywanza Sanders, Daniel L. Simmons, Sr., Sharonda | ||||||
7 | Singleton, and Myra Thompson, the 9 people who were murdered | ||||||
8 | while engaged in a session of Christian Bible studies at the | ||||||
9 | Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, | ||||||
10 | South Carolina; and
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11 | WHEREAS, These 9 community and church leaders are deeply | ||||||
12 | mourned by their families and friends; as a result of this | ||||||
13 | tragedy, their skills at work and life have become familiar to | ||||||
14 | their South Carolina neighbors and the people of the United | ||||||
15 | States; and
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16 | WHEREAS, As State legislators, we are especially aware of | ||||||
17 | the hard work and statesmanship of the late Rev. Senator | ||||||
18 | Clementa C. Pinckney, as he was a leader for his state on | ||||||
19 | lawmaking efforts concerning issues, such as body cameras for | ||||||
20 | police officers, which we know are exceptionally complex and | ||||||
21 | demand courageous, careful handling; and
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22 | WHEREAS, Events connected with this tragedy have raised |
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1 | questions about the so-called "Battle Flag of the Confederacy" | ||||||
2 | as a suitable element in public displays of honor; although | ||||||
3 | this flag was raised for reasons familiar to everyone, many | ||||||
4 | feel that this flag has become offensive and should no longer | ||||||
5 | be a symbol on state property; and
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6 | WHEREAS, A slightly different version of the "Battle Flag" | ||||||
7 | currently flies, by South Carolina statute, on the grounds of | ||||||
8 | the South Carolina State House in Columbia, South Carolina, as | ||||||
9 | an element of a monument honoring fallen South Carolina | ||||||
10 | soldiers; and
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11 | WHEREAS, The members of this body affirm the right and duty | ||||||
12 | of the people of South Carolina to pay tribute to the heritage | ||||||
13 | of their state, including the heritage of the American Civil | ||||||
14 | War; and
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15 | WHEREAS, At times like this we are reminded of the words of | ||||||
16 | Abraham Lincoln, who said that it is the work of all of us | ||||||
17 | "with malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness | ||||||
18 | in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on | ||||||
19 | to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's | ||||||
20 | wounds..."; and
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21 | WHEREAS, The members of this body suggest that the correct | ||||||
22 | flag for the people of South Carolina to fly when honoring |
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1 | their heritage is the flag of the United States of America; | ||||||
2 | South Carolina is one of the 13 original states and there is a | ||||||
3 | stripe and a star on this flag for them, and 13 stripes and 50 | ||||||
4 | stars to stand for one united people; therefore, be it
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5 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
6 | NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | ||||||
7 | call upon the South Carolina General Assembly to take statutory | ||||||
8 | action to remove any examples of the "Battle Flag of the | ||||||
9 | Confederacy" from the grounds of the South Carolina State | ||||||
10 | House, including the Confederate Monument; and be it further
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11 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
12 | delivered to South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, Henry | ||||||
13 | McMaster, President of the South Carolina Senate, and Jay | ||||||
14 | Lucas, Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives.
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