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



                IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE ARMENIAN HOLOCAUST

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Fossella). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Tierney) is recognized for 
5 minutes.
  Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to commemorate one of the most 
tragic events in the 20th century and that is, of course, the Armenian 
Genocide of 1915 to 1923. It ranks amongst the most tragic episodes. It 
was the first but unfortunately not the last of the incidents of ethnic 
genocide that the world experienced during the last century. More than 
one and a half million innocent Armenians had their lives ended 
mercilessly.
  It is staggering to even contemplate the idea of one and a half 
million people having their lives ended so arbitrarily, but we must 
remember the victims of this genocide as they were, not numbers but 
mothers and fathers and sons and daughters, brothers, sisters, aunts, 
uncles, cousins and, of course, friends. Each and every victim had 
hopes, dreams, and a life that deserved to be lived to the fullest.
  It is our duty to remember them today and every day. As we stand here 
today at the beginning of a new century and a new millennium, we should 
take a moment to speak about the need that that tragic event serves as 
a constant reminder for us to be on guard against the repression of any 
people, particularly any oppression based on their race or their 
religion.
  Unfortunately, during the genocide, the world turned a blind eye to 
the horrors that were inflicted. Too often during the last century the 
world stood silent while whole races and religions were attacked and 
nearly annihilated. As the saying goes, those who forget history are 
doomed to repeat it. We must never forget the important lessons of the 
Armenian Genocide.
  As a member, Mr. Speaker, of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, I 
join many others in the House of Representatives working hopefully to 
bring peace and stability to Armenia and its neighboring countries. 
Division and hatred can only lead to more division and hatred, as has 
too often been proved. Hopefully the work of the caucus and of others 
committed to the same cause will help ensure that an atrocity such as 
the genocide will never happen again in Armenia or elsewhere.
  While I might not be Armenian, Mr. Speaker, my wife is and many, many 
of our friends, which causes me, of course, to say ``yes odar empaytz 
seerdus high e.''
  I am not Armenian but my heart is, and we all should have our heart 
with them on this particular occasion.

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