Howard Berman: “I rise to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Armenian genocide of 1915 to 1923. Today, we are marking the…”

“I rise to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Armenian genocide of 1915 to 1923. Today, we are marking the anniversary of a terrible time for the Armenian people, a time of tragic oppression and horrific suffering. April 24, 1915, marks the date when many Armenians were uprooted and deported from Turkish Armenia, dying of starvation, disease, and massacres. An estimated one and a half million people died during the period 1915-1923, the victims of the last years of the Ottoman Empire. In recalling those awful days, we are also commemorating the strength of the Armenian people whose fortitude of character and culture gave them the will to triumph over their tragedy. In our own country, Armenian-Americans have flourished. Their individual accomplishments have contributed greatly to the wealth of our Nation. Their achievements are a moving testimony to the truth that tyranny cannot extinguish the human spirit. In remembering this tragedy, we are remembering as well other acts of savagery and genocide in human history. Murder and destruction have not been eliminated from this Earth. In Bosnia today evil men and women still seek to exterminate a people and eliminate their culture. We end this century as we began it: with the death of innocents on the altar of tyranny. By marking this day the Armenian genocide, we, the American people, are renewing our commitment to oppose the persecution of any people.”