[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6103]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                           ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to once again reflect 
on the atrocities suffered by the Armenian people at the hands of the 
Ottoman Turks 86 years ago.
  Little did anyone know that, on this very day, April 24, 1915, that 
day would forever signify the beginning of a Turkish campaign to 
eliminate the Armenian people from the face of this Earth.
  Over the following 8 years, 1.5 million Armenians perished. Hundreds 
of Armenian religious, political, and intellectual leaders were 
massacred. More than 500,000 were exiled from their homes. Armenian 
civilization, one of the oldest civilizations, virtually ceased to 
exist.
  Sadly, little attention is paid to this tragic episode of 20th 
century history. But that is why I join my colleagues, as I have each 
year since I was elected to Congress, to remember one of the most 
tragic events that humankind has ever witnessed.
  But, unfortunately, as time wears on, so much of it has faded into 
memory, and people begin to forget what occurred during that horrific 
time. Even worse, as time passes, and people are distracted from the 
atrocities, naysayers and revisionists have the opportunity to change 
this generation's understanding of the Armenian genocide.
  Just as outrageous is that this genocide has gone unpunished, and an 
international court has yet to condemn the massacre of an entire 
nation. In part, this is because the current leaders in Istanbul will 
not acknowledge the crime committed.
  That is why it is imperative that the United States House of 
Representatives becomes a voice in the campaign to recognize and 
acknowledge the Armenian genocide. That is why we must support the 
Bonior-Radanovich resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, despite the unspeakable tragedy, Armenians remain a 
compassionate, proud, and dignified people. An Armenian civilization 
lives on and thrives. In fact, every proud Armenian that walks the 
Earth worldwide is the product of generations of perseverance, courage 
and hope. Thankfully, this Armenian spirit lives on within our own 
borders, especially in my home State of California.
  On behalf of Armenia and on behalf of all of our Armenian friends, 
neighbors, and colleagues, I urge the House of Representatives to 
recognize our responsibility to learn from the past and to speak out in 
order to prevent similar atrocities in the future.
  This could well be the most important lesson each of us takes away 
from such an atrocious global experience.

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