2003 -- H 6358

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LC03056

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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2003

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H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N

PROCLAIMING APRIL 24TH, 2003 AS "RHODE ISLAND DAY OF REMEMBRANCE OF

THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE" IN COMMEMORATION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

FROM 1915 TO 1923 AND HONORING ARMENIAN-AMERICANS

     Introduced By: Representatives Corvese, and Handy

     Date Introduced: April 23, 2003

     Referred To: House read and passed

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     WHEREAS, 1.5 million men, women, and children of Armenian descent were victims of

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the genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire in 1915 and thereafter; and

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

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

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

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became the daily misfortunes of these devoted people. I am confident that the whole history of

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the human race contains no such horrible episode as this. The great massacres and persecutions of

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the past seem almost insignificant when compared to the sufferings of the Armenian race in 1915.

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The killing of the Armenian people was accomplished by the systematic destruction of churches,

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schools, libraries, treasures of art, and cultural monuments in an attempt to eliminate all traces of

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a noble civilization with a history of more than 3,000 years”; and

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     WHEREAS, Contemporary newspapers, such as the New York Times, carried headlines

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including “Tales of Armenian Horrors Confirmed” and “Million Armenians Killed or in Exile”;

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and

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     WHEREAS, The Armenian genocide has been acknowledged by countries and

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

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

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Uruguay; and

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

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1915 to 1923, and all the world’s people should commemorate the Armenian Genocide because it

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stands as an ugly testament to man’s inhumanity to man; and

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

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

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this unconscionable tragedy will help better understand the necessity of eliminating hatred from

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our own communities; and

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     WHEREAS, Residents of Rhode Island are highly sensitive to the need for consistently

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remembering and openly condemning the crimes committed against any culture or people to

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prevent similar atrocities in the future; and

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

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

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therefore be it

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     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

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Providence Plantations hereby proclaims April 24th, 2003 as “Rhode Island Day of

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Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide”; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

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Providence Plantations respectfully urges the Congress of the United States to likewise

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commemorate the Armenian Genocide; and be it further

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

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

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

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Governor of Rhode Island, and the Armenian National Committee in Rhode Island.

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LC03056

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