Katie Porter: “we mark the 81st anniversary of the Armenian genocide, which did not occur in 1 year, 1915, but lasted over an 8-year…”

“we mark the 81st anniversary of the Armenian genocide, which did not occur in 1 year, 1915, but lasted over an 8-year period from 1915 to 1923, during which time the Turks of the Ottoman Empire carried out a systematic policy of eliminating its Christian Armenian minority. This was the first example of genocide in the 20th century, a precursor to the Nazi Holocaust and other cases of ethnic cleansing and mass extermination in our own time; and we must never forget it, for forgetting history not only dishonors the victims and survivors, it encourages other tyrants to believe that they can kill with impunity. Mr. Speaker, today's occasion is, of course, a time for solemn reflection, but it is also an occasion that affords us the opportunity to celebrate the human capacity of resilience, the ability even of people faced with the most horrendous disasters and challenges to rebuild their shattered lives. We can see this determination to overcome such an atrocious past in those of Armenian descent. On a national level, the struggle for survival and the sense of a hope for a better future can be seen by the very existence of the young, independent, democratic Republic of Armenia. Despite the preponderance of evidence about the historic fact of the genocide against the Armenian people, which is strong and undeniable, modern Turkey continues to deny that the Armenian genocide took place.”