David Thomas: “Today, I join in commemoration of the 81st anniversary of the Armenian genocide. On April 24, 1915, under the direction…”

“Today, I join in commemoration of the 81st anniversary of the Armenian genocide. On April 24, 1915, under the direction of the Turkish Ottoman Empire, a campaign of Armenian extermination began. Armenian religious, political, and intellectual leaders from Istanbul were arrested and exiled--silencing the leading representatives of the Armenian community in the Ottoman Empire. Over the next 8 years, 1.5 million Armenians were murdered, with another 500,000 forced into Russian exile. Today we recognize the struggle of the Armenian people to live peacefully in their historic homeland. Armenians in the United States and elsewhere should know that their history of suffering has not and will not be ignored. Like the Jewish and Cambodian holocausts, the Armenian genocide stands out as one of the world's most morally reprehensible acts. We need to address and trace the causal factors leading to the rise of totalitarian governments, and ensure that the seeds of fascism are never again planted. On this day, we should remember those Armenians who died 81 years ago. I have cosponsored House Concurrent Resolution 47, which would put the House on record honoring the memory of the 1.5 million genocide victims.”