Honor Clifford Ryan's Heroism

Senate Resolution No. 2171 BY: Senator MAY COMMENDING Clifford Ryan upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of a Liberty Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the New York State Senate WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize and pay tribute to those individuals within the Empire State who have made strong contributions to their communities and who inspire others through their model citizenry; and WHEREAS, Clifford Ryan has given not only of his time and energies but also of his competence, intelligence and leadership and consequently has been designated for special honor; and WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to commend Clifford Ryan upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of a Liberty Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the New York State Senate; and WHEREAS, The New York State Senate Liberty Medal was established by Resolution and is awarded to individuals who have merited special commendation for exceptional, heroic, or humanitarian acts on behalf of their fellow New Yorkers; and WHEREAS, A father, grandfather, and United States Army veteran, Clifford Ryan has demonstrated countless feats of heroism and is a true pillar in his community of Syracuse, New York; and WHEREAS, After the untimely death of his 17-year-old son, Duriel, to gun violence in 1999, Clifford Ryan responded to this tragedy with hope; he immediately began to speak out against violence to prevent others from losing a child as he did; and WHEREAS, In 2015, Clifford Ryan created OG's Against Violence, an organization dedicated to supporting other anti-violence and anti-poverty organizations in the community, as well as reaching out to those perpetuating the violence; and WHEREAS, Driven by love and optimism, Clifford Ryan spends 10-12 hours each day walking through neighborhoods where violence has occurred and speaking to members of the community to develop conflict resolution strategies; and WHEREAS, In addition, he attends vigils and memorials for victims of violence and speaks at schools and youth programs to tell his story; and WHEREAS, Since the inception of this vital organization, Clifford Ryan has intervened to prevent 42 shootings and stopped more than 300 fights, putting his own safety at risk each time; and WHEREAS, Through this steadfast and unwavering commitment to his community, Clifford Ryan continues to earn the respect and admiration of the residents of Syracuse and its surrounding communities; and WHEREAS, Rare indeed is the impressive dedication shown by an individual for the benefit of others which Clifford Ryan has displayed throughout his life; and WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when individuals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our attention, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commend Clifford Ryan upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of a Liberty Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the New York State Senate; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Clifford Ryan.