Benjamin Gilman: “I am grateful for having been invited to join in this special order today honoring the memory of the hundreds of…”

“I am grateful for having been invited to join in this special order today honoring the memory of the hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women, and children who suffered a horrible death of the genocidal actions carried out by the former Ottoman Empire starting 80 years ago. The genocide perpetrated against the Armenian people of the former Ottoman Empire during the First World War was merely a portent of things to come. Only a few years later, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians were to die in the artificial famine created by the Communist dictator of the former Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin. A few years after that, millions of Jews and others were to fall victim to the genocide perpetrated by the former Nazi regime of Adolph Hitler. It has always been my honor and privilege to participate in congressional ceremonies and special orders commemorating the Armenian genocide during the time that I have served as a Representative to the Congress. I am indeed pleased to be a part of such ceremonies again this year, which carry on with an important tradition. Just as the unfortunate victims of the Holocaust and of the Ukrainian famine should be remembered, so must the victims of the genocidal action against Armenians be in our thoughts at this time.”