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Armenian Genocide Commemoration

April 24 - June 30, 2012

Curated by David and Barbara Harton.

 
             
 
 

The purpose of this exhibition is twofold.  Our first purpose is to commemorate the Armenian Genocide.  April 24 is the designated date for this commemoration.  This was the date in 1915 on which the Turkish government placed Armenian community leaders under arrest in Constantinople, where they were subsequently slaughtered.  Our second purpose is to provide yet another avenue of information for public education about the horrifying events of 1915-1923. 

We particularly wish to thank The Armenian Film Foundation and The Armenian National Committee of America for their help in making this exhibition possible.  The film series that we are showing during this exhibition, "The Witnesses Trilogy" by J. Michael Hagopian, was provided to us by The Armenian Film Foundation.  This and other films are available directly from that organization. 

   
 

Other organizations from which we sourced information are credited throughout this website.  We urge viewers of our presentation to follow our links to visit these other sites for even more information. 

Thank you for viewing this material.  Please visit the ANCA Action Alerts Page and urge your senators and representatives to cosponsor the Armenian Genocide Resolution.  This issue has long been put to the side, and it is time to recognize that the events of 1915 were genocide. It is time for the U.S. government to do the right thing.

 
     
         
 
 
      Who are the Armenians?  
         
    Armenians are an ancient people who have settled Asia Minor for almost 5000 years.  Armenia was the first nation to accept Christianity as a state religion, in around 301 AD.  By the late 1800's, the Ottoman Empire covered much of the land that once was Armenia.  Before World War I, about 2.5 million Armenians lived in the Ottoman Empire, and by the end of the war only about 200,000 were left.  The Ottoman government, claiming a threat of internal rebellion, had deported, tortured and murdered much of its Armenian population between the years 1915 and 1923.  The present-day country of Armenia is the smallest of the former Soviet Republics.  
         
    Visit Armeniapedia
to learn about
Armenian History
Visit the Armenian Eyecare Project
to learn about
Armenian Geography
 
         
             
 
  What Can We Do?       
         
  We can, finally, fulfill our promise to recognize the Armenian Genocide.  Almost every recent presidential candidate has promised to address this issue, but has not followed through.  Currently there are two bills calling for Affirmation of the United States Record on the Armenian Genocide Resolution before Congress:  S. Res. 399 in the Senate, and H.Res. 304 in the House.  We can visit the ANCA Action Alerts Page and urge our senators and representatives to cosponsor the Armenian Genocide Resolution.  Similar bills have had a dismal record of being left to die.  We can make the current bills the first to succeed!    
 
 
      Promises Made, Promises Broken  
         
   

President Obama is certainly not the only Chief Executive to have failed the Armenian people, but he is the most recent.  George W. Bush and Bill Clinton have also opposed Armenian Genocide Recognition bills.

This is the record of President Obama's changing opinions:

 
         
 
  • On July 28, 2006, Senator Obama wrote to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to criticize the recall of Ambassador John Evans, the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, "after he used the term 'genocide' to describe the Turkish government's slaughter of Armenians in 1915."  Further, Obama went on, "The occurrence of the Armenian genocide in 1915 is not an 'allegation,' a 'personal opinion,' or a 'point of view.'  Supported by an overwhelming amount of historical evidence, it is a widely documented fact."
  • In a January 19, 2008, speech during his first presidential campaign, Senator Obama said, "America deserves a leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian Genocide and responds forcefully to all genocides.  I intend to be that President."
  • Yet on April 24, 2012, Armenian Genocide Commemoration Day, President Obama once again disappointed Armenians by failing to use the term "genocide" to refer to the events of 1915-1923.
  • Worse, just three days later, on April 27, Vice President Biden collected over $500,000 from Turkish and Azeri donors at a campaign fundraiser.
 
 
 
  A History of Failed Resolutions (2010-1972)   
     
 

This list shows the number of times resolutions to recognize the Armenian Genocide have been put before Congress, back to 1972.  These resolutions have all been allowed to die, while genocides in Yugoslavia, Cambodia, Rwanda and Darfur have been recognized....  Why???? 

(All citations are from GovTrack.us)

S.Res. 316 (111th): Affirmation of the United States Record on the Armenian Genocide Resolution

111th Congress, 2009-2010

Introduced:        Oct 21, 2009
Sponsor:            Sen. Robert "Bob" Menéndez [D-NJ]
Status:               Died (Referred to Committee)

H.Res. 252 (111th): Affirmation of the United States Record on the Armenian Genocide Resolution

111th Congress, 2009-2010

Introduced:        Mar 17, 2009
Sponsor:            Rep. Adam Schiff [D-CA29]
Status:               Died (Reported by Committee)

H.Res. 106 (110th): Affirmation of the United States Record on the Armenian Genocide Resolution

110th Congress, 2007-2009

Introduced:        Jan 30, 2007
Sponsor:            Rep. Adam Schiff [D-CA29]
Status:               Died (Reported by Committee)  

S.Res. 106 (110th): A resolution calling on the President to ensure that the foreign policy ...

...reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity to human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documentes in the U.S. record relating to the Armenian Genocide...

110th Congress, 2007-2009

Introduced:        Mar 14, 2007
Sponsor:            Sen. Richard Durbin [D-IL]
Status:               Died (Referred to Committee)

S.Res. 320 (109th): A resolution calling the President to ensure that the foreign policy of ...

...the United States reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the U .S. record relating to the Armenian Genocide….

109th Congress, 2005-2006

Introduced:        Nov 18, 2005
Sponsor:            Sen. John Ensign [R-NV, 2001-2011]
Status:               Died (Referred to Committee)

H.Res. 316 (109th): Affirmation of the United States Record on the Armenian Genocide Resolution

109th Congress, 2005-2006

Introduced:        Jun 14, 2005
Sponsor:            Rep. George Radanovich [R-CA19, 1995-2010]
Status:               Died (Reported by Committee)

H.Con.Res. 195 (109th): Commemorating the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923, urging the Government of the Republic ...

109th Congress, 2005-2006

Introduced:        Jun 29, 2005
Sponsor:            Rep. Adam Schiff [D-CA29]
Status:               Died (Reported by Committee)

H.Res. 625 (106th): Providing for consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 596) calling upon the ...

...President to ensure that the foreign policy of the United States reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to human rights,

106th Congress, 1999-2000

Introduced:        Oct 11, 2000
Sponsor:            Rep. Thomas Reynolds [R-NY26, 2003-2009]
Status:               Died (Reported by Committee)

H.Res. 596 (106th): Affirmation of the United States Record on the Armenian Genocide Resolution

106th Congress, 1999-2000

Introduced:        Sep 27, 2000
Sponsor:            Rep. George Radanovich [R-CA19, 1995-2010]
Status:               Died (Reported by Committee)

H.Res. 398 (106th): United States Training on and Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide Resolution

106th Congress, 1999-2000

Introduced:        Nov 18, 1999
Sponsor:            Rep. George Radanovich [R-CA19, 1995-2010]
Status:               Died (Referred to Committee)

H.Res. 155 (106th): United States Record on the Armenian Genocide Resolution

106th Congress, 1999-2000

Introduced:        Apr 28, 1999
Sponsor:            Rep. George Radanovich [R-CA19, 1995-2010]
Status:               Died (Referred to Committee)

H.Con.Res. 55 (105th): Honoring the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide.

105th Congress, 1997-1998

Introduced:        Mar 21, 1997
Sponsor:            Rep. George Radanovich [R-CA19, 1995-2010]
Status:               Died (Referred to Committee)

H.Con.Res. 47 (104th): Honoring the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide.

104th Congress, 1995-1996

Introduced:        Mar 23, 1995
Sponsor:            Rep. David Bonior [D-MI10, 1993-2002]
Status:               Died (Referred to Committee)

S.J.Res. 212 (101st): A joint resolution designating April 24, 1990, as "National Day of Remembrance ...

...of the Seventy-Fifth Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923".

101st Congress, 1989-1990

Introduced:        Sep 29, 1989
Sponsor:            Sen. Robert Dole [R-KS, 1969-1996]
Status:               Died (Failed Cloture)

H.J.Res. 417 (101st): Designating April 24, 1990 as "National Day of Remembrance of the Seventy-Fifth ...

...Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923".

101st Congress, 1989-1990

Introduced:        Oct 05, 1989
Sponsor:            Rep. David Bonior [D-MI10, 1993-2002]
Status:               Died (Referred to Committee)

H.J.Res. 36 (101st): Designating April 24, 1989, as "National Day of Remembrance of the Armenian ...

...Genocide of 1915-1923".

101st Congress, 1989-1990

Introduced:        Jan 03, 1989
Sponsor:            Rep. Anthony Coelho [D-CA15, 1979-1989]
Status:               Died (Referred to Committee)

H.Res. 238 (100th): A resolution providing for the consideration of a joint resolution (H. J. ...

...Res. 132) designating April 24, 1987, as "National Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923".

100th Congress, 1987-1988

Introduced:        Aug 03, 1987
Sponsor:            Rep. David Bonior [D-MI10, 1993-2002]
Status:               Died (Introduced)

H.J.Res. 132 (100th): A joint resolution designating April 24, 1987, as "National Day of Remembrance ...

...of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923".

100th Congress, 1987-1988

Introduced:        Feb 04, 1987
Sponsor:            Rep. Richard Lehman [D-CA19, 1993-1994]
Status:                Died (Reported by Committee)

S.J.Res. 43 (100th): A joint resolution designating April 24, 1987 as "National Day of Remembrance ...

...for the Victims of the Armenian Genocide".

100th Congress, 1987-1988

Introduced:        Feb 04, 1987
Sponsor:            Sen. Alan Cranston [D-CA, 1969-1992]
Status:               Died (Introduced)

H.Res. 142 (99th): A resolution expressing the sense of the House of Representaives that the ...

...foreign policy of the United States should take account of the genocide of the Armenian people with the objective of preventing any future genocide anywhere in th

99th Congress, 1985-1986

Introduced:        Apr 24, 1985
Sponsor:            Rep. Charles Pashayan [R-CA17, 1979-1990]
Status:               Died (Referred to Committee)

H.Res. 587 (98th): A resolution expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the ...

...foreign policy of the United States should take account of the genocide of the Armenian people with the objective of preventing any future genocide anywhere in t

98th Congress, 1983-1984

Introduced:        Sep 20, 1984
Sponsor:            Rep. Charles Pashayan [R-CA17, 1979-1990]
Status:               Died (Referred to Committee)

S.Res. 241 (98th): A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the foreign policy ...

...of the United States should take account of the genocide of the Armenian people, and for other purposes.

98th Congress, 1983-1984

Introduced:        Oct 07, 1983
Sponsor:            Sen. Carl Levin [D-MI]
Status:               Died (Reported by Committee)

S.Res. 124 (98th): A resolution to affirm the Armenian genocide.

98th Congress, 1983-1984

Introduced:        Apr 27, 1983
Sponsor:            Sen. Carl Levin [D-MI]
Status:               Died (Referred to Committee)

H.Res. 171 (98th): A resolution to affirm the Armenian Genocide.

98th Congress, 1983-1984

Introduced:        Apr 21, 1983
Sponsor:            Rep. Charles Pashayan [R-CA17, 1979-1990]
Status:               Died (Referred to Committee)

 
 

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