Full Text of SR0050 096th General Assembly
SR0050 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| SENATE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, February 12, 2009 is the two-hundredth | 3 |
| anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln's birth; and
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| WHEREAS, President Abraham Lincoln's family made Illinois | 5 |
| their home; his history of public service is rich and diverse | 6 |
| and includes being a representative in the lower house in | 7 |
| Illinois government, a successful lawyer, and a member of the | 8 |
| U.S. House of Representatives wherein he advocated that "any | 9 |
| people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the | 10 |
| right to rise up, and shake off the existing government, and | 11 |
| form a new one that suits them better"; and
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| WHEREAS, During President Abraham Lincoln's legendary run | 13 |
| for the United States Senate against Stephen A. Douglas, he | 14 |
| displayed the importance of being educated, articulate, and | 15 |
| tenacious in advocating for his point of view; and
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| WHEREAS, President Abraham Lincoln, in his famous address | 17 |
| at Gettysburg, asked citizens to devote themselves to the cause | 18 |
| of government of the people, by the people, and for the people, | 19 |
| and espoused that such a government will not prosper without an | 20 |
| informed and involved citizenry; and
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| WHEREAS, President Abraham Lincoln valued education; he |
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| governed during a tumultuous time in United States history | 2 |
| wherein fervent debate existed regarding the balance of | 3 |
| security versus liberty; and
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| WHEREAS, Responsible citizenship and effective community | 5 |
| participation, wherein citizens are informed and actively | 6 |
| engaged, are learned behaviors and necessary in order to have a | 7 |
| healthy democratic society; and
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| WHEREAS, The promotion of civic engagement is a diverse | 9 |
| endeavor that includes, but is not limited to, voting, | 10 |
| monitoring local government agencies, voicing points of view | 11 |
| through exercising first amendment rights, and petitioning | 12 |
| government bodies on issues of public significance; and
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| WHEREAS, Illinois supports the efforts of diverse | 14 |
| organizations to increase public involvement in government | 15 |
| affairs and other civic institutions for the purpose of | 16 |
| fostering citizen-initiated democratic communities where | 17 |
| members of the public are civically engaged and understand and | 18 |
| practice their rights and responsibilities; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL | 20 |
| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare February of | 21 |
| 2009 as a month of civic engagement in the spirit of Abraham | 22 |
| Lincoln, our most famous citizen and sixteenth president.
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