06R- 204

2006 -- S 3011

Enacted 04/12/06

 

 

S E N A T E  R E S O L U T I O N

PROCLAIMING APRIL 24, 2006 AS "ARMENIAN GENOCIDE REMEMBRANCE DAY" TO COMMEMORATE THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE OF 1915 TO 1923 AND IN HONOR OF ARMENIAN-AMERICANS

          

     Introduced By: Senators Gallo, Issa, Raptakis, Walaska, and P Fogarty

     Date Introduced: April 12, 2006

 

 

     WHEREAS, One and one half million men, women, and children of Armenian descent

were victims of the genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire in 1915 and thereafter; and

     WHEREAS, The United States Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Henry Morgenthau,

Sr., stated, "Whatever crimes the most perverted instincts of the human mind can devise, and

whatever refinements of persecutions and injustice the most debased imagination can conceive,

became the daily misfortunes of these devoted people." The genocide of the Armenian people

was accomplished by the systematic destruction of churches, schools, libraries, works of art, and

cultural monuments in an attempt to eliminate all traces of a noble civilization with a history of

more than 3,000 years; and

     WHEREAS, Contemporary newspaper accounts, in the New York Times, and other

publications, carried headlines such as "Tales of Armenian Horrors Confirmed" and "Million

Armenians Killed or in Exile"; and

     WHEREAS, The Armenian genocide has been acknowledged by countries and

international bodies such as Argentina, Belgium, Canada, the Council of Europe, Cyprus, the

European Parliament, France, Great Britain, Greece, Lebanon, Russia, the United Nations, and

Uruguay; and

     WHEREAS, Each year, Armenians throughout the world honor those who perished in the

period 1915 to 1923, and all the world's people should commemorate the Armenian genocide

because it stands as testament to man's inhumanity to man; and

     WHEREAS, We must all do our best to raise awareness about the Armenian genocide not

only because it is an undeniable chapter of world history, but also because learning more about

this unconscionable tragedy will help all peoples understand the necessity of eliminating hatred

from our communities; and

     WHEREAS, In order to prevent similar atrocities in the future, residents of Rhode Island

must be highly sensitive to the need for remembrance and open condemnation of the crimes

committed against any culture or people; and

     WHEREAS, Armenian-Americans living in Rhode Island have greatly enriched our state

through their leadership in business, agriculture, academia, government, and the arts; now,

therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

hereby recognizes April 24, 2006 as "Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day" in the State of

Rhode Island; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That this Senate respectfully urges the Congress of the United States to

likewise commemorate the Armenian genocide and acknowledge that genocide is relevant to and

affects all nations; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of

the United States, the Rhode Island Congressional Delegation, the Honorable Donald Carcieri,

Governor of the State of Rhode Island, the Armenian Assembly of America in Washington, and

the Armenian National Committee in Washington.

     

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LC02927

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