Patrick Kennedy: “Today, we commemorate the Armenian Genocide of April 24th 1915, and in so doing honor the memories of those who survived…”

“Today, we commemorate the Armenian Genocide of April 24th 1915, and in so doing honor the memories of those who survived and those who were killed on that tragic night. It is hard to talk about that date and many would prefer not to, but if we cannot recognize the tragedies of the past, how can we avoid them in the future? Ethnic violence and genocide have marred our collective history from its earliest days, challenging generations throughout time. Yet we cannot forget these events; we cannot cover up, ignore, or rewrite history so that these crimes against humanity disappear. Our Nation's connection to the Armenian people is great, as has been their contribution to the United States. In my home state of Rhode Island, we have one of the largest populations of Armenians in the country and the State is blessed with the gifts of the Armenian community. To truly honor those gifts, we must take time every year to understand what that community has been through, and the part of their history that is the Armenian Genocide. That is why on this day we remember the unjustifiable, unprovoked, and undeniable massacre of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire. What the Ottoman Empire began that night 85 years ago was a policy of ethnic cleansing. It can be called nothing else.”