Bob Menendez: “today, I join my friends and colleagues around the world in commemorating the horrors inflicted during the Holocaust.…”

“today, I join my friends and colleagues around the world in commemorating the horrors inflicted during the Holocaust. Today, we bear witness to the millions of Jews and countless other innocent people who were brutally murdered in Nazi concentration camps. We bear witness to the horrors of genocide that shocked the world, and ask ourselves if we have truly upheld the promise of ``never again,'' when we hear the echoes of the Holocaust in the rising threat of anti-Semitism today. We bear witness to the millions of people who were persecuted and enslaved for their political or religious beliefs, or their mental handicaps in the name of social cleansing. But we also remember amazing acts of courage and kindness, when those with everything to lose risked their lives and freedom to help those most in need, and the bravery of those who would not go willingly to a certain death. There is a reason why we call this day not an anniversary, but a remembrance. Every day, but especially today, we must remember not only the horrible acts committed by the Nazis but also the actions, and the lack of action, that led to those horrors. In remembering, we honor those who suffered--but our memories must also serve as a constant reminder of the vigilance required from each of us to prevent it from happening again, or to take action if we see it happening. Never again should the innocent be left to languish.…”