John Joseph Moakley: “I rise today to remember the one and one half million Armenians killed in the Armenian Genocide. April 24 marks the…”

“I rise today to remember the one and one half million Armenians killed in the Armenian Genocide. April 24 marks the anniversary of the start of the 1915 genocide which subjected an entire nation to massacres and many other deplorable acts. Over the course of 30 years, one third of the Armenian people were killed as a result of a carefully orchestrated plan devised by the Ottoman Government. Those Armenians fortunate enough to live through the Genocide still lost their homeland. Before World War I, there were more than 2.5 million Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire, but today fewer than 80,000 Armenians remain in Turkey. This systematic effort to eliminate the Armenian people is one of the greatest tragedies in recent history. In remembering those who lost their lives in the Armenian Genocide, we must learn from the lessons this terrible chapter of history can teach us. The lives that were lost and those torn apart must never go unnoticed. Instead, they must be an alarm to awaken the world to the potential effects of inhumanity. The Armenian Genocide was the first genocide of the 20th century and regrettably not the last. Now, we have the lessons of history to help us ensure there is never a first genocide in the next century. Today is an opportunity for us all to reflect on the terrible events the Armenian people have endured. By remembering this horrible event today, we can help prevent the dreadful occurrence of another genocide.”