[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 57 (Tuesday, May 1, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E691]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   REMEMBERING THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BOB FILNER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 1, 2001

  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise with my colleagues in observance of 
the 86th anniversary of the Armenian genocide and to celebrate the 
victory of the Armenian spirit over an oppressor bent on their 
extinction. But, Mr. Speaker, I also rise to remind my colleagues of 
our obligation to the Armenian people.
  Before this House will be a bill to recognize the Armenian genocide, 
a bill that we, as Americans, as a people whose predecessors fought 
their own battle against an oppressive rule, have a responsibility to 
support.
  Can we claim to have earned our passage into the 21st century if we 
fail to recognize the atrocities of the last century? Progress is not 
earned by merely flipping the pages of a calendar. Progress is achieved 
when we are unafraid of the truth--of seeing the past for what it was, 
and to stand guard: ensuring that this hate-filled violence will not 
happen again on our watch.
  We owe this to the Armenians, but not just to the Armenians. We owe 
this to ourselves--and to our children. The generations that come after 
us will learn from us and use our actions as an example.
  If the 21st century marks anything, it should be that the echoes of 
past tragedies will not dissolve into obscurity. That we recognize the 
earlier failures of mankind and strive against their repetition.
  The Armenian people are no longer victims, but victors. It is our 
responsibility to see that their triumph is awarded its rightful place 
in our collective memory.
  And it is in this spirit that I stand here and celebrate the enduring 
legacy of the Armenians. But only in recognizing the Armenian genocide 
do we earn the right to stand here and share in their triumph.

                          ____________________