April 8, 2015

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State of Wisconsin

2015 − 2016 LEGISLATURE

2015 ASSEMBLY JOINT RESOLUTION 23

April 8, 2015 − Introduced by Representatives WEATHERSTON, BARCA, BERNIER, BRANDTJEN, GOYKE, JACQUE, KERKMAN, KITCHENS, MASON, MURTHA, OHNSTAD, PETRYK, RIEMER, RIPP, RODRIGUEZ, SCHRAA, SHANKLAND, SKOWRONSKI, SPREITZER, C. TAYLOR, TITTL and ZEPNICK, cosponsored by Senators WANGGAARD, HANSEN, HARRIS DODD, C. LARSON, LAZICH, MARKLEIN, L. TAYLOR and WIRCH. Referred to Committee on Rules.

Relating to: remembrance of April 24, 2015, as the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

Whereas, 2015 marks the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, when the systematic destruction of thousands of Armenian communities in the Ottoman Empire, through massacres and death marches in which some 1,500,000 Armenians perished and hundreds of thousands more were uprooted from their homes and ancient homeland, was carried out from 1915 to 1923; and

Whereas, despite the overwhelming evidence borne out by a wealth of documentation, the Turkish government has never recognized nor accepted responsibility for the genocide of the Armenian people from 1915 to 1923; and

Whereas, by denying, and trying to expunge, the record of their genocide, the Turkish government deprives the Armenian people of their own history; and

Whereas, recognition of this atrocity is crucial to guarding against the recurrence of genocide and provides the Armenian people with a greater understanding of their heritage; and

Whereas, the discrimination against and the hardship of the Armenian people persists in Turkey today and has led to human rights violations and the loss of human life; and

Whereas, in the year 2000 the assembly of the state of Wisconsin and in the year 2002 the senate of the state of Wisconsin adopted resolutions designating April 24 of each year as Wisconsin Day of Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide of 1915 to 1923"; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the assembly, the senate concurring, That the assembly and senate of the state of Wisconsin hereby designate April 24, 2015, as Wisconsin Day of Remembrance for the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide of 1915 to 1923."