Providing for Consideration of H. Res. Affirming the United States Record on the Armenian Genocide

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, after decades of struggle, this House will recognize the Armenian genocide just in time for it to be seen by the last few survivors of the first genocide of the 20th century.

We should have recognized that genocide again and again long ago, but we didn't because we were told that we had a great alliance with Turkey.

Earlier this month, Turkish forces shelled near and deliberately bracketed American bases. Americans fled in unseemly haste. Great ally.

It has been a great alliance for Turkey. We defended them from communism in the 1940s, defended them from the Soviet Union for decades, and provided them with $23 billion in aid.

It is critical that we counteract Turkey's genocide denial, because genocide denial is the last act of a genocide--first you obliterate a people, then you seek to obliterate their memory, and finally you seek to obliterate the memory of the obliteration--and because genocide denial is also the first step in the next genocide.

When Hitler's cadres wondered if they could get away with the Holocaust, he was able to assure them: Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?

We must recognize this genocide to remove the stain on America's honor because, up until now, we have refused to acknowledge truth and we have been silent, all in an effort at appeasement.

The fact is that many other countries have recognized the genocide, including Belgium, Canada, Greece, Italy, Argentina, and Germany. And when France had the courage to pass a genocide recognition resolution, they were threatened with a boycott of all their exports. In fact, what happened was a fourfold increase in French exports to Turkey.

The only thing worse than unnecessary appeasement is appeasing a power that will not actually respond.

Today, Germany is a great and prosperous democracy, a great ally of the United States. Where would Germany be if, to this day, they denied the Holocaust?

Turkey will be a great ally of the United States and a prosperous and modern nation only when Turkey recognizes the first genocide of the 20th century.

Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman for bringing up this rule and for answering the question why this is so important to do this today.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source