April 15, 1997

MECKLENBURG COUNTY

NORTH CAROLINA

WHEREAS, 1.5 million Armenian lives were taken in the massacre of the Ottoman Turkish Government between 1915-1923; and

WHEREAS, the Armenian Genocide was the first genocide of this century; and

WHEREAS, the lack of penitence and reproach for these murderous crimes has made it easier for other governments around the world to commit similar crimes; and

WHEREAS, civilization's failure to uphold each human life as sacred and precious deadens consciences and makes acceptable what is in fact reprehensible, thereby removing the barrier that should prevent a society from perpetrating the evils of genocide; and

WHEREAS, as a community we must stand against the individual and mass taking of human life; and

WHEREAS, the official, internationally recognized anniversary of the commencement of the Armenian Genocide atrocities is April 24, now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED that the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners does hereby formally acknowledge the 82nd Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and expresses in the strongest terms possible the conviction that such an evil as the Armenian Genocide should never be tolerated again, and hereby urges each member of our community to speak out against the blatant disregard for the value of human life occurring throughout the world even today.

This the fifteenth day of April, 1997.

(signed)
H. Parks Helms, Chairman
Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners