[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 45 (Wednesday, April 22, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S3460]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              THE 83D ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

 Mr. TORRICELLI. Mr. President, I rise today to commemorate the 
83d anniversary of the Armenian genocide. On this sad occasion, my 
thoughts and sympathies are with the Armenian people as they remember 
the horrors of the events 83 years ago.
  It is with a great sense of sorrow that we mark the 83d year since 
the tragic genocide and exile of the Armenian people. The senseless 
murder and expulsion of 1.5 million Armenians through a staged campaign 
of the Turkish Ottoman Empire has been one of the most sobering events 
in modern history. The Armenian Genocide has the uneviable distinction 
of being the first genocide in the 20th century. This fact alone 
underscores the seriousness of the events between 1915 and 1918, and it 
should remind us of the need to keep all those who perished during the 
Genocide alive in our memory.
  We pause now to ensure that the Armenian Genocide will never slip 
into the recesses of history. While humankind has the ability to 
sponsor acts of great kindness and sacrifice, we also have the capacity 
for great evil. Along with the Holocaust, the Armenian Genocide 
signifies our ability to promote evil, but if we close our eyes to the 
tragedies of the past, we risk the chance of repeating them in the 
future.
  Sadly, the Armenian American community has its roots in the Armenian 
Genocide. Many individuals living here in the United States either lost 
family members at the hands of the Ottomans, or are survivors 
themselves. They have risen above adversity to become prominent and 
successful citizens despite a tragic past. The Armenian American 
community has been vocal in expressing its anguish about the Genocide. 
It is my hope that their perseverance in marking this event each year, 
as well as our own efforts here in the United States Senate, will be 
enough to allow us to remember the lessons of the Genocide. We are 
constantly forced to relearn the effects of evil unchecked, but I hope, 
in this case, we will be guided to a better future.




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