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2013 -- S 0874 | |
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LC02454 | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
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IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
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JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2013 | |
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S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N | |
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PROCLAIMING MAY 19TH OF 2013 AS "GREEK PONTIAN GENOCIDE | |
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REMEMBRANCE DAY" IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
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Introduced By: Senators Raptakis, Lombardi, Algiere, Gallo, and Doyle | |
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Date Introduced: April 24, 2013 | |
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Referred To: Recommended for Immediate Consideration | |
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WHEREAS, Rhode Island is proud to be the home of numerous ethnic communities, |
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many of whom have prospered and enjoyed the freedom and democracy upon which our nation |
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was founded; tragically, throughout history, the people of many countries have not realized the |
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same autonomy and equality; and |
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WHEREAS, From 1914 until 1922, in a systematic attempt to exterminate an entire |
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population, the Ottoman Turks directed the killing of 353,000 Pontian and Anatolian Greeks and |
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over a million Armenians and Assyrians living in Pontos, and an equal number who were forced |
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to flee their homeland in one of the most condemnable atrocities in the history of the world; and |
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WHEREAS, The Ottoman and Kemals Neoturks engaged in exile, starvation, slaughter, |
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and murder, using axes and fire to massacre the Pontic Greek population and perpetrate the first |
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mass genocide of the 20th century; and |
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WHEREAS, It is vital and proper to remember those who lost their lives in the Pontian |
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Genocide, and it is paramount that people of all nations look at this horrific event in our world’s |
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not-so-distant history as a way to learn a valuable lesson, so that such atrocities are not tolerated |
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and are never committed again; and |
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WHEREAS, It is likewise important to pay tribute to the survivors of this atrocious |
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period, as well as their descendents, who have made countless contributions to the enrichment of |
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our culture and our way of life here in the Ocean State and who stand as an inspiration to |
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oppressed people around the world; now, therefore be it |
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RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations |
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hereby joins the Greek-American community on May 19th of each year in a solemn |
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commemoration of the Pontian Genocide of 1914-1922; and be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to |
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transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Mr. Demetrios S. Kosmidis of the Pontian |
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Society of Boston. |
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LC02454 | |
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