April 24, 2002

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 02-022 BY SENATOR(S) Takis, Phillips, Chlouber, Andrews, Dyer, Entz, Epps, FitzGerald, Hagedorn, Hanna, Hillman, Matsunaka, Musgrave, Nichol, Pascoe, Perlmutter, Tupa, Windels, Anderson, Arnold, Cairns, Evans, Gordon, Hernandez, Isgar, Lamborn, Linkhart, May, McElhany, Reeves, Tate, Taylor and Thiebaut;also REPRESENTATIVE(S) Tochtrop, Borodkin, Coleman, Groff, Grossman, Hodge, Johnson, Marshall, Plant, Romanoff, Saliman, Sanchez, Stafford, Tapia, Vigil, Alexander, Bacon, Berry, Boyd, Cadman, Chavez, Clapp, Cloer, Crane, Jameson, Kester, King, Larson, Lawrence, Lee, Mace, Madden, Miller, Mitchell, Paschall, Ragsdale, Rhodes, Rippy, Schultheis, Scott, Sinclair, Smith, Snook, Spence, Spradley, Stengel, Swenson, Veiga, Webster, Weddig, White, Williams S., Williams T., Witwer, and Young.

CONCERNING THE DESIGNATION OF APRIL 24 AS "COLORADO DAY OF REMEMBRANCE OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE" IN COMMEMORATION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE FROM 1915 TO 1923 AND HONORING ARMENIAN AMERICANS.

WHEREAS, 1.5 million men, women, and children of Armenian descent were victims of the genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire in 1915 and thereafter; and

WHEREAS, The United States Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Henry Morgenthau, Sr., stated, "Whatever crimes the most perverted instincts of the human mind can devise, and whatever refinements of persecutions and injustice the most debased imagination can conceive, became the daily misfortunes of this devoted people. I am confident that the whole history of the human race contains no such horrible episode as this. The great massacres and persecutions of the past seem almost insignificant when compared to the suffering of the Armenian race in 1915. The killing of the Armenian people was accomplished by the systematic destruction of churches, schools, libraries, treasures of art, and cultural monuments in an attempt to eliminate all traces of a noble civilization with a history of more than 3,000 years"; and

WHEREAS, Contemporary newspapers, such as the New York Times,carried headlines including "Tales of Armenian Horrors Confirmed" and "Million Armenians Killed or in Exile"; and

WHEREAS, The Armenian Genocide has been acknowledged by the countries and international bodies such as Argentina, Belgium, Canada, the council of Europe, Cyprus, the European Parliament, France, Great Britain, Greece, Lebanon, Russia, the United Nations, and Uruguay; and

WHEREAS, Each year Armenians throughout the world honor those who perished from 1915-1923, and all the world's people should commemorate the Armenian Genocide because it stands as an ugly testament to man's inhumanity to man; and

WHEREAS, We must all do our best to raise awareness about the Armenian Genocide not only because it is an undeniable chapter of world history, but also because learning more about this unconscionable tragedy will help people better understand the necessity of eliminating hatred from our own communities; and

WHEREAS, Residents of Colorado are highly sensitive to the need for consistently remembering and openly condemning the crimes committed against any culture or people to prevent similar atrocities in the future; and

WHEREAS, Armenian-Americans living in Colorado have greatly enriched our State through their leadership in business, agriculture, academia, government, and the arts; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Sixty-third General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the House of Representatives concurring herein:

That the General Assembly of the State of Colorado hereby designates April 24 as "Colorado Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide."

That the State of Colorado respectfully urges the Congress of the United States to likewise commemorate the Armenian Genocide.

Be It Further Resolved. That copies of this Joint Resolution be transmitted to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States, the members of the Colorado Congressional Delegation, the Honorable Bill Owens, Governor of Colorado, the Armenian Assembly of America in Washington, and the Armenian National Committee in Washington.

(Signed)
Stan Matsunaka
PRESIDENT OF
THE SENATE

(Signed)
Doug Dean
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES

(Signed)
Karen Goldman
SECRETARY OF
THE SENATE

(Signed)
Judith Rodrigue
CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES