Bill Text: CA AJR1 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Armenian Genocide.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2016-11-30 - Died at Desk. [AJR1 Detail]
Download: California-2015-AJR1-Introduced.html
BILL NUMBER: AJR 1 INTRODUCED
BILL TEXT
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Gatto
DECEMBER 1, 2014
Relative to the Armenian Genocide.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AJR 1, as introduced, Gatto. Armenian Genocide.
This measure would designate the week of April 18 to 24, 2015, as
"California Week of Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide of
1915-1923," commemorate the week of remembrance through the Armenian
Genocide Commemorative Project, call upon Congress and the President
of the United States to recognize the atrocities committed against
the Armenian people, and call upon the Republic of Turkey to
acknowledge the facts of the Armenian Genocide and work toward a just
resolution.
Fiscal committee: no.
WHEREAS, The Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923 was the first genocide
of the 20th century, in which 1.5 million men, women, and children
lost their lives at the hands of the Turkish Ottoman Empire in their
attempt to systematically eliminate the Armenian race; and
WHEREAS, In their 3,000 year historic homeland in Asia Minor,
Armenians were subjected to severe and unjust persecution and
brutality by the Turkish rulers of the Ottoman Empire before and
after the turn of the 20th century, including widespread acts of
destruction and murder during the period from 1894 to 1896,
inclusive, and again in 1909; and
WHEREAS, The massacre of the Armenians constituted one of the most
atrocious violations of human rights in the history of the world;
and
WHEREAS, Adolph Hitler, in persuading his army commanders that the
merciless persecution and killing of Jews, Poles, and other people
would bring no retribution, declared, "Who, after all, speaks today
of the annihilation of the Armenians?"; and
WHEREAS, Unlike other people and governments that have admitted
and denounced the abuses and crimes of predecessor regimes, and
despite the overwhelming proof of genocidal intent, the Republic of
Turkey has inexplicably and adamantly denied the occurrence of the
crimes against humanity committed by the Ottoman and Young Turk
rulers, and those denials compound the grief of the few remaining
survivors of the atrocities, desecrate the memory of the victims, and
cause continuing pain to the descendants of the victims; and
WHEREAS, Leaders of nations with strategic, commercial, and
cultural ties to the Republic of Turkey should be reminded of their
duty to encourage Turkish officials to cease efforts to distort facts
and deny the history of events surrounding the Armenian Genocide;
and
WHEREAS, The determination of those who continue to speak the
truth about the Armenian Genocide is tested to this day with some of
these speakers of truth being silenced by violent means; and
WHEREAS, The accelerated level and scope of denial and
revisionism, coupled with the passage of time and the fact that very
few survivors remain who can serve as reminders of indescribable
brutality and tormented lives, compel a sense of urgency in efforts
to solidify recognition of historical truth; and
WHEREAS, By consistently remembering and forcefully condemning the
atrocities committed against the Armenians, and honoring the
survivors as well as other victims of similar heinous conduct, we
guard against repetition of such acts of genocide and provide the
American public with a greater understanding of its heritage; and
WHEREAS, This measure would provide that the Legislature deplores
the persistent, ongoing efforts by any person in this country or
abroad to deny the historical fact of the Armenian Genocide; and
WHEREAS, California is home to the largest Armenian-American
population in the United States, and Armenians living in California
have enriched our state through their leadership in business,
agriculture, academia, government, and the arts; and
WHEREAS, The State of California has been at the forefront of
encouraging and promoting a curriculum relating to human rights and
genocide in order to empower future generations to prevent recurrence
of the crime of genocide; and
WHEREAS, On this hundred-year anniversary marking the start of
this horrific and shameful chapter in human history, we stop to
reflect on the time that has passed and pledge not to become
complacent in our vigilance against those entities who would commit
such horrible acts against their fellow men and women; now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of
California, jointly, That the State of California commends its
conscientious educators who teach about human rights and genocide;
and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature of the State of California hereby
designates the week of April 18 to 24, 2015, as "California Week of
Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923"; and be it
further
Resolved, That California commemorates California Week of
Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide through the Armenian Genocide
Commemorative Project; and be it further
Resolved, That the State of California respectfully calls upon the
Congress and the President of the United States to act likewise and
to formally and consistently recognize and reaffirm the historical
truth that the atrocities committed against the Armenian people
constituted genocide; and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature calls upon the Republic of Turkey
to acknowledge the facts of the Armenian Genocide and to work toward
a just resolution; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United
States, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the House of
Representatives, the Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the
Senate, each member of the California delegation to the United States
Congress, the Governor, and the Turkish Ambassador to the United
States.
