Lynn C. Woolsey: “Today marks the 83rd anniversary of the Armenian genocide, the first genocide of the 20th Century. I have come to the…”

“Today marks the 83rd anniversary of the Armenian genocide, the first genocide of the 20th Century. I have come to the floor of the House 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 23rd, 1915, would signify the beginning of a Turkish campaign to eliminate the Armenian people from the face of the earth. Over the following 8 years, 1 million Armenians perished. And more than 500,000 were exiled from their homes. Armenian civilization, one of the oldest civilizations, virtually ceased to exist. Of course, that was the Turkish plan. Unfortunately, the Armenian genocide is not as well known in history today as it should be. Little attention was paid to this tragic episode in history by the victorious allied powers at the end of World War I or by historians since. Thus, ignored by many, the valuable lessons which might have been learned from this Armenian genocide went largely unnoticed. If more attention had been centered on the slaughter of these innocent men, women, and children, perhaps the events of World War II, the Holocaust, might never have taken place. As George Santayana reminds us, those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.”