[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 53 (Thursday, April 22, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E642-E643]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 22, 2004

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the 6 
million Jews who perished at the hands of the Nazis during the 
Holocaust. Today in the nation's Capitol, we gather to pay our respects 
with our Days of Remembrance ceremony. My district, the 9th 
Congressional District of Illinois, is home to a large number of 
survivors of the Nazi death camps, and this day holds deep meaning for 
those individuals and the entire Jewish community.
  Recent events in the Middle East and around the world underscore the 
importance of this day. Anti-Semitic and anti-Israel rhetoric and 
demonstrations continue in numerous countries. And while we respect the 
right of every person to be heard, the hateful displays throughout the 
world that are directed at the Jewish people remind us that ``Never 
Again'' is not a guarantee, but a promise that we must uphold through 
education, dialogue, and determination. It reminds us that we must 
continue

[[Page E643]]

to strengthen the U.S. commitment to the security of Israel. Moreover, 
we must redouble our efforts to bring lasting peace to the Middle East.
  ``Never Again'' also means that we must combat hate and genocide 
wherever it exists. We must never turn a blind eye to terror or 
discrimination. We must demand that our government hold those who carry 
out acts of needless brutality accountable and that it take action to 
prevent unwarranted human misery.
  We recently marked the ten year anniversary of the Genocide in 
Rwanda, a horrific period in recent history. The world, including the 
United States, allowed for the brutal murder of 800,000 Tutsis in just 
100 days of barbaric killings. President Clinton has cited the Rwandan 
genocide as one of his worst regrets.
  In my Congressional district last weekend, the Cambodian Association 
of Illinois held a groundbreaking ceremony for the first Killing Fields 
Memorial Museum in the United States.
  While we must honor those who were lost during the Holocaust and 
other past genocides by carrying on and living honorable and productive 
lives, the most important thing we can do to honor lives lost in the 
past is to refuse to repeat the same mistakes today that allowed for 
those atrocities to occur in the past.
  Today, as we mark the Holocaust and honor the lives that were lost in 
the world's worst murder case, and, as we reflect on other past 
genocides, history appears, shamefully, to be repeating itself.
  Today, in the Sudan, civilians are being systematically murdered, 
raped and brutalized by the government and other forces. We will likely 
witness the loss of hundreds of thousands of innocent lives in the 
coming weeks if the world stands idly by and does nothing to intervene.
  Some in this body may feel some comfort in pointing to the fact that 
a hearing has been held or that they were willing to sign a letter or 
cosponsor a non-binding resolution expressing concern. Those are 
important steps to take to put the Congress on record, but 
unfortunately, they will not save lives. The situation in Sudan is a 
human rights emergency, one that demands immediate action, not just 
words from the United States and the international community. ``Never 
Again'' means making tough decisions to preserve human life.
  While President Bush has acknowledged the situation in Sudan and has 
expressed concern, he has not taken action to address it. Phone calls 
and press statements do not constitute action. Today, I call on 
President Bush in the name of human dignity and compassion to honor 
those who were lost in years past while the world watched in silence, 
to exert true leadership and take action to stop the killing in the 
Sudan.
  Each one of us has a responsibility to condemn the senseless killing 
that is taking place and to demand that our great nation lead the world 
in bringing the bloodshed to an end.

                          ____________________