[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 47 (Thursday, April 13, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E588]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

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                               speech of

                         HON. MARTIN T. MEEHAN

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 12, 2000

  Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 85th anniversary 
of the Armenian Genocide. The actual date the anniversary will be 
observed is April 24, but I rise today while we are in session to pay 
my solemn respects to the innocent fallen and add my words to history's 
record of one of the most terrible tragedies known to mankind.
  On April 24, 1915, a group of Armenian religious, political, and 
intellectual leaders were arrested in the city then known as 
Constantinople, taken to the interior of Turkey, and murdered. What 
followed from there was nothing less than the systematic deprivation of 
Armenians living under Ottoman rule of their homes, property, freedom, 
and lives. The tragic toll of its dark period in world history includes 
the death of 1.5 million Armenian men, women, and children and the 
deportation of 500,00 others. Before their tragic deaths, countless 
Armenian women were subject to unspeakable cruelties, in the form of 
sexual abuse and slavery.
  History is not condemned to repeat itself. We can prevent future 
tragedies by acknowledging, remembering, and commemorating yesterday's 
tragedies. Unfortunately, the Turkish Government still refuses to admit 
its involvement in the Armenian Genocide, and even the current U.S. 
administration has not fully acknowledged the extent of the wrongdoing 
between 1915 and 1923. That is why we must make our voices heard. 
History's record must reflect the truth of what the Armenians 
experienced: mass murder and genocide. If it does not, only then are we 
condemned to a future littered with more instances of unspeakable 
wickedness and cruelty.
  My congressional district contains a large and vibrant Armenian-
American community, which has contributed so much to the Merrimack 
Valley's economic vitality and culture. When today's Armenian-American 
community commemorates the Armenian Genocide, they convey the message 
to the world that only the continued vigilance of people of good 
conscience stands between peaceful human coexistence and another 
instance of genocide.
  My respect for my Armenian-American constituents and for their 
commitment to remembering past tragedy and preventing future tragedy 
compels me to rise and speak today. It compels me to add my voice to 
those who speak out against hatred and fear. It should compel us all to 
remember past horrors, lest they happen again.

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