[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 71 (Tuesday, May 2, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S6003]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                         ARMENIAN COMMEMORATION

  Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I join many of my colleagues today in 
commemorating one of history's greatest tragedies: The slaughter 80 
years ago of more than 1 million Armenians. That brutal assault on the 
Armenian people was an unconscionable effort to deny Armenians basic 
political and social rights of self-determination, independence, 
cultural identity, and community.
  The atrocity could not extinguish the Armenian people's desire for 
freedom and justice. The Armenian community survives in many places 
around the globe, including, thankfully, the United States of America. 
In commemorating the immense tragedy which took place 80 years ago, we 
are honoring the achievements and lives of those who perished. We are 
also paying tribute to the perseverance and vigor of the Armenian 
people, who have maintained their cultural and historical identity 
despite oppression and diaspora. They continue to make positive 
contributions wherever they are, including in the United States and in 
the Republic of Armenia.
  Commemorating these tragic events of 80 years ago, we also recognize 
the need for vigilance and action in the face of ethnic intolerance and 
injustice. Failure to learn the lessons of such events in history will 
unquestionably lead to future tragedies.


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