Political Quotes

“Mr. President, last Thursday I had the honor of joining my friends from the Armenian National Committee of Rhode Island in my hometown of Cranston, RI, to raise the flag of Armenia in remembrance of the 102nd anniversary of the Armenian genocide. Over a century ago, the Young Turk leaders of the Ottoman Empire summoned and executed over 200 Armenian community leaders and intellectuals, beginning an 8-year campaign of oppression and massacre. By 1923, an estimated 1 and a half million Armenians were killed, and over a half a million survivors were exiled. These atrocities affected the lives of every Armenian living in Asia Minor and, indeed, throughout the world. The survivors of the Armenian genocide, however, persevered due to their unbreakable spirit and steadfast resolve and went on to greatly contribute to the lands in which they found new homes and communities, including the United States. This genocide has been denied for far too long. That is why I have joined with several of my colleagues on resolutions over the years to encourage the U.S. to officially recognize the Armenian genocide. But as we remember our history, we must also look to the present and to our future. Recent efforts to bring Azerbaijan to the negotiating table have injected new momentum into the push for a lasting agreement in Nogorno Karabakh.…”