John W. Olver: “On this day of remembrance we join together with the Armenian-American community to reflect on a tragic period in…”

“On this day of remembrance we join together with the Armenian-American community to reflect on a tragic period in history when over one million Armenians were killed by the Ottoman Empire. Each year we take time to pause and remember the victims so that the world will never forget. There is no crime more atrocious than the systematic murder of an entire community of people and a culture. These are crimes against humanity and they must be condemned everywhere. The victims must not be allowed to be forgotten in silence. Through the efforts of the survivors who have shared their painful memories with the world, this crime will remain in the conscience of humanity forever. Today we share the grief, horror and tragedy of the Armenian people. I wish that I could say here today that genocide has ended, that it remains only in our collective memory. Has the world community learned nothing in the 79 years since the Armenian genocide? Too often the world has turned a blind eye toward the systematic destruction of communities, cultures and people. Even today, as we pause to remember the horrors committed against the Armenian people, we have another genocide occurring. In Goradze, and throughout Bosnia, we are witnessing the deliberate destruction of another people--in full sight of the world. All of our protestations of 'Never Again!' have been for naught if we fail to relieve the suffering in Bosnia.”