April 24, 1996

RESOLUTION CHAPTER 16
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE APRIL 24, 1996
ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 22, 1996
ADOPTED IN SENATE APRIL 18, 1996
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 18, 1996
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 11, 1996


INTRODUCED BY Assembly Members Poochigian, Kaloogian, Speier, Villaraigosa, Ackerman, Aguiar, Alby, Alpert, Baca, Baldwin, Bates, Battin, Baugh, Boland, Bordonaro, Bowen, Bowler, Brewer, Brown, Brulte, Burton, Bustamante, Caldera, Cannella, Conroy, Cortese, Cunneen, Davis, Ducheny, Escutia, Figueroa, Firestone, Friedman, Frusetta, Gallegos, Goldsmith, Granlund, Harvey, Hauser, Hawkins, Hoge, Isenberg, Katz, Knight, Knowles, Knox, Kuehl, Kuykendall, Lee, Machado, Margett, Mazzoni, McPherson, Migden, Miller, Morrissey, Morrow, Kevin Murray, Napolitano, Olberg, Pringle, Rainey, Richter, Rogan, Setencich, Sweeney, Takasugi, Thompson, Tucker, Vasconcellos, Weggeland, and Woods

(Coauthors: Senators Alquist, Ayala, Costa, Hayden, Kopp, Maddy, Marks, Petris, Polanco, Rosenthal, Russell, Solis, Thompson, and Watson)

APRIL 9, 1996

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 82 — Relative to the California Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

ACR 82, Poochigian. California Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923.

This measure would designate April 24, 1996, as the "California Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923."

WHEREAS, One and one-half million men, women, and children of Armenian descent were victims of the brutal genocide perpetrated by the Turkish Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1923, inclusive; and

WHEREAS, The Armenian genocide and massacres of the Armenian people have been recognized as an attempt to eliminate all traces of a thriving and noble civilization over 3,000 years old; and

WHEREAS, To this day revisionists still inexplicably deny the existence of these horrific events; and

WHEREAS, Before the implementation of the Jewish holocaust, in order to encourage his followers, Hitler asked, "Who remembers the Armenians?"; and

WHEREAS, By consistently remembering and openly condemning the atrocities committed against the Armenians, Californians are highly sensitive to the need for constant vigilance to prevent similar atrocities in the future; and

WHEREAS, Recognition of the eighty-first anniversary of this genocide is crucial to ensuring against the repetition of future genocides and educating people about the atrocities connected to these horrific events; and

WHEREAS, Armenia is now a free and independent republic, having embraced democracy following nearly 70 years of oppressive Soviet domination; and

WHEREAS, California is home to the largest population of people of Armenian descent outside the Republic of Armenia; and

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

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature of the State of California joins the Armenian-American community in honoring the memory of the victims of genocide throughout the world; and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislature of the State of California hereby designates April 24, 1996, as the "California Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923"; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the Governor and the author for appropriate distribution.

Search the web site of the California state legislature for measures on the Armenian Genocide. Select the time period in the "Session" box, type "Armenian Genocide" in the "Author(s) and/or Keyword(s)"