[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 47 (Wednesday, April 24, 2002)]
[House]
[Page H1606]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  COMMEMORATING THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Forbes). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Bonior) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, I want to follow on the remarks of my 
distinguished colleague from California.
  The Armenian genocide has been called the most ``colossal crime of 
all ages.'' It has been called a ``campaign of race extermination,'' 
similar to the Holocaust.
  Every year on the 24th of April, the citizens of Armenia gather, as 
they did just this past day in Yerevon on top of a hill, to remember 
all of the people that perished, the 1.5 million. And although we are 
halfway around the world away, we remember with them today. Today we 
pause and we say, ``never again.'' We do so in order to prevent history 
from repeating itself as it has often done in our lifetime.
  It happened in Armenia between 1915 and 1923. Ambassador Morgenthau 
told our government what was happening, and not a very good response 
was received. It happened during the Holocaust, and not a very good 
response in reaction to what was happening was received. It happened in 
Bosnia and Rwanda and Cambodia. The world did not learn the harsh 
lessons of the past.
  Today we stand up and we speak because silence betrays our principle 
as a freedom-loving people. One and a half million Armenian men, women, 
and children were victims of a brutal genocide at the hands of the 
Turkish Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1923. The intent of the genocide 
was to destroy all traces of a thriving and cultured civilization over 
3,000 years old.
  On the 24th of April 1915, 300 Armenian leaders and intellectuals and 
professionals were rounded up, deported, and killed. Also on that day 
5,000 of the poorest Armenians were slaughtered in the street. And the 
names that were read by my colleague, the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Schiff), they were real people with families. We must never 
forget.
  Some think of the genocide in abstract terms, but it is not. We are 
here today speaking out on the House floor, Democrats and Republicans, 
because we know that 1.5 million men, women, and children killed in the 
genocide were husbands and wives and mothers and fathers and sons and 
daughters and friends. Those who survive them know this: They were 
innocent individuals. They were robbed of their dignity, of their 
humanity, and ultimately their lives.
  A professor once observed that the denial of genocide strives to 
reshape history in order to demonize the victims and rehabilitate the 
perpetrators. Because of the work of historians, advocates, the 
Armenian American community, lawmakers and other people of conscience, 
this is not possible in the case of the Armenian genocide. It will 
never be possible because we will always be here, every April 24 and 
the week preceding it, speaking to the country, speaking to the world 
community about what happened. And make no mistake about it, those who 
are responsible, those who fight against recognizing this for what it 
was, a genocide, hear our voices.
  While the attempts of denial continue to strengthen our resolve to 
remember and speak out, we recognize the anniversary of this massacre 
and condemn these crimes against an entire people in order to ensure 
that similar atrocities are not committed against any people or any 
civilization again. We must never forget. We recognize the anniversary 
in order to show our support for all Armenian Americans and the 
horrific suffering they or their families endured.
  We recognize the anniversary in order to stand up for freedom and 
condemn injustice across the world. I have recently joined with 161 of 
my colleagues in asking President Bush to recognize the Armenian 
genocide for what it is: a genocide. And we will continue our 
collective efforts to achieve proper commemoration of the Armenian 
genocide because we must never forget.

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