Political Quotes

“Hitler rationalized his final solution for the Jews when he asked, ``Who today speaks of the extermination of the Armenians.'' Well, today Mr. Speaker I want to take that opportunity. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the anniversary of the Armenian genocide. During the second half of the 19th century, the Armenian population of the Ottoman Turkish Empire became the target of increasing persecution by the Ottoman government. These persecutions culminated in a three decade period during which millions of Armenians were systematically uprooted from their homeland of 3,000 years and eliminated through massacres and exile. Between the years of 1894 and 1896, 300,000 Armenians were massacred during the reign of the Ottoman Sultan Adbul-Hamid II. In 1909, 30,000 Armenians were massacred in the area of Adana. And beginning on April 24, 1915, the Armenian people were subjected to the worst display of death and dehumanization in its history. An estimated 1.5 million, a third of its population, were persecuted under this organized genocide. Today we join all Armenians and people all around the world in observing the 79th anniversary of this unforgettable event in history. I commemorate not only the victims, but the resiliency and determination of the survivors, who to this day have kept the faith and traditions of the Armenian people alive.”