[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 60 (Thursday, April 23, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E961]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CAROLYN McCARTHY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 23, 2009

  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Madam Speaker. Today, I wish to join with 
my friends, family, and colleagues as we remember the murder of more 
than 6 million Jews and others killed during the Holocaust. Their 
memory must be preserved and the atrocities committed by the Nazis and 
their accomplices must be noted in order to ensure that such crimes 
against humanity will never be repeated
  We should also take time to remember the millions of others 
systematically murdered by the Nazis, including Gypsies, Poles, the 
handicapped, homosexuals, Jehovah's witnesses, political dissidents and 
prisoners of war.
  This year, we recognize in particular the one and a half million 
children who perished during the Holocaust. It is estimated that mere 
thousands survived. Many of the survivors still with us today were 
children during the Second World War and lost many friends and 
relatives. Decades later, the horrors of the Holocaust are still etched 
in their memory and they serve as a reminder of the vulnerability of 
children in times of war. We must ensure that we protect those in every 
corner of the world that cannot defend themselves.
  More than 60 years have passed since the Holocaust, yet racism and 
anti-Semitism still exist in the world. The troubling events from this 
past week's United Nations Summit on Racism in Geneva reinforce even 
more the need to mark this day. Iranian President Ahmadinejad's remarks 
remind us that we need to remain vigilant about hate and 
misinformation. He has repeatedly distorted facts and denied that the 
Holocaust even existed. As citizens of the world, we remain alert and 
ensure that dictators and despots are never again able to commit 
genocide against any people in any corner of the globe.
  In honor of their memory and to protect generations to come, we must 
never forget.

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