Bill Text: CA AJR7 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Armenian Genocide.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 54-23)

Status: (Passed) 2011-06-21 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Res. Chapter 36, Statutes of 2011. [AJR7 Detail]

Download: California-2011-AJR7-Amended.html

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BILL NUMBER: AJR 7	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 12, 2011
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 7, 2011

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Members Charles Calderon, Achadjian,
 and Gatto   Gatto,   and Portantino

    (   Principal   coauthors:  
Assembly Members   Conway,   Halderman,  
and John A. Pérez   ) 
    (   Principal   coauthors:  
Senators   Berryhill,   De León,   Liu,
  Simitian,   Wyland,   and Yee  
) 
    (   Coauthors:   Assembly Members 
 Ammiano,   Bill Berryhill,   Block,  
Cook,   Garrick,   Gordon,   Hagman,
  Harkey,   Huffman,   Bonnie Lowenthal,
  Ma,   Monning,  Nielsen,  
Olsen,   Swanson,   and Williams   ) 

    (   Coauthors:   Senators 
Cannella,   Dutton,   and Rubio   ) 

                        MARCH 3, 2011

   Relative to the Armenian Genocide.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AJR 7, as amended, Charles Calderon. Armenian Genocide.
   This measure would designate the week of April 18 to 24, 2011, as
"California Week of Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide of
1915-1923," and would memorialize the Congress and the President of
the United States to observe the California Week of Remembrance for
the Armenian Genocide by participating in the Armenian Genocide
Commemorative Project.
   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; 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  1894-1896
  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 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; 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, 2011, 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, Members of the United States Congress, the Governor, and the
Turkish Ambassador to the United States.