Joe Biden: “I rise to pay tribute to the victims of the Armenian genocide, the first such crime against a people in the 20th…”

“I rise to pay tribute to the victims of the Armenian genocide, the first such crime against a people in the 20th century. On April 24, 1915, 81 years ago today, the Ottoman Turkish Empire began the systematic rounding up and slaughter of Armenian intellectuals, clergy, businessmen, and other leaders of the community. Ultimately the horror claimed 1 million lives and resulted in the exile of Armenians from much of their historic homeland in Asia Minor. I like to think that some good can come from even the most horrifying evil. In this case a large segment of the Armenian diaspora, banished from its ancestral home, reached these shores. They and their descendents have immeasurably enriched the United States of America. In remembering the martyrdom of their fellow Armenians eight decades ago, we are also paying tribute to Armenian-Americans--to their patriotism, and to their many contributions to this land of freedom. Mr. President, unfortunately there are some who would trivialize the Armenian genocide or even attempt to deny that it ever took place, just as there remain a twisted few who continue to deny the Holocaust that claimed 6 million Jews. But, Mr. President, there is no denying the undeniable.”