Lynn C. Woolsey: “Today marks the 81st anniversary of the Armenian genocide, the first genocide of the 20th century. I have come to the…”

“Today marks the 81st anniversary of the Armenian genocide, the first genocide of the 20th century. I have come to the floor of the House today to acknowledge the atrocities suffered by the Armenian people at the hands of the Ottoman Turks. On April 23, 1915, over 200 Armenian religious, political and intellectual leaders were massacred in Turkey. Little did anyone know that April 23, 1915, would signify the beginning of a Turkish campaign to remove the Armenian people from the face of the earth. Over the following 8 years, 1.5 million Armenians perished, and more than 500,000 were exiled from their homes. Armenian civilization, one of the oldest civilizations, virtually ceased to exist, which, of course, was the Turkish plan. But despite the brutality, Armenian civilization lives on today. It lives on in the new independent republic of Armenia, and it lives on in communities throughout America, particularly in my home State of California. Today we honor the innocent Armenians who barely got a chance to see the 20th century. Today we acknowledge that the Ottoman Turks committed genocide against the Armenian people and we demand that this undeniable fact be acknowledged by the current leaders in Istanbul.”