[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5417]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                           ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Gutknecht). Under a previous order of 
the House, the gentleman from California (Mr. Rogan) is recognized for 
5 minutes.
  Mr. ROGAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join so many of my colleagues 
on both sides of the aisle tonight to rise in support of House 
Resolution 398 commemorating the Armenian Genocide. House Resolution 
398 is a necessary step for our government to take, a recognition of 
the historical truth of one of history's cruelest acts against a great 
and good people.
  Between 1915 and 1923, over 1 million Armenians whose ancestors had 
inhabited their homeland since the time of Christ were displaced, 
deported, tortured and killed at the hands of the Ottoman Empire. 
Families were slaughtered. Homes were burned. Villages were destroyed 
and lives were torn apart.
  Regrettably in the years since, officials from what is now Turkey 
have denied this history and failed to recognize the truth, the 
historical truth of the Armenian Genocide.
  Mr. Speaker, as their loved ones were killed, many right before their 
very eyes, more than 1 million Armenians managed to escape and 
establish a new life here in the United States. I am honored to have a 
large portion of the Armenian American community residing in my 
district in and around Glendale, California.
  The Armenian people suffered a horrific tragedy in the first part of 
the 20th century. Today, our government can work to ensure that the 
21st century is a century free both from genocide, and also free from 
lies.
  We must not stray from our work to embrace democracy and build a 
world that is free from suffering on this immense scale, but that 
building can never happen as long as we allow one of the worst 
slaughters in world history to continue to go being unrecognized.
  Mr. Speaker, I went through 4 years of college and never once heard 
about the Armenian Genocide in public schools. We have whole 
generations of people that have been raised not knowing anything about 
it because it is not politically correct to teach it in our schools, 
because we are afraid it might offend an oil-producing Nation with whom 
we have commercial or military ties.
  I just think that that is a wrong-headed approach. It is a disgrace 
for our Congress. And the purpose of House Resolution 398 is to take a 
major step toward right and toward morality and recognizing this 
historical truth.
  Today on the eve of the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, I ask 
my colleagues to join with our bipartisan group that you have already 
heard from tonight and will hear from again in support of House 
Resolution 398 to commemorate the Armenian Genocide.
  Having visited the Republic of Armenian and also Nagorno-Karabakh 
just a few short months ago, I can attest that the Armenian people have 
triumphed over tragedy and are building a prosperous democracy. It is a 
nation that we should be proud to lock arms with and stand with in the 
greater cause of good, and it is for that reason that I urge my 
colleagues to join us and support this important resolution.

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