Robert Weygand: “on behalf of the Armenian community in Rhode Island, I would like to recognize and commemorate the observance of the…”

“on behalf of the Armenian community in Rhode Island, I would like to recognize and commemorate the observance of the 83rd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, a solemn, yet historically significant event. On April 24, 1915, 200 intellectuals, political and religious leaders from Constantinople were executed by Turkish officials. Over the next 8 years, 1.5 million Armenians were driven from their homes, forced to endure death marches, starved, forced into slavery, deported, tortured and executed in mass numbers. The period of 1915-23 marks one of the darkest periods of modern times--the first example of genocide in the 20th century. Today, we honor the victims, who suffered at the hands of the Ottoman Turks, and express our condolences to their descendants. The world has chosen to ignore this tragedy and because we must ensure that history does not repeat itself, we need to properly acknowledge the horrors of the Armenian Genocide. I join with my colleagues and the Armenian community to proclaim that the genocide did indeed happen, despite the protests from the Turkish Government. Unfortunately, we cannot change the past, but by honoring the victims of the Armenian Genocide and sharing the grief of their families, we can begin to heal the many wounds and work together to ensure that these injustices never occur again.”