DEARBORN, MI — Michigan Governor, John Engler (R) signed a bill yesterday, permanently designating April 24th of each year as "Michigan Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923," reported the Armenian National Committee (ANC) of Michigan.
Public Act 558 of 2002 further proclaims that “the period beginning on the Sunday before [April 24th] through the following Sunday shall be the days of remembrance in this state, in memory of the victims of the genocide, and in honor of the survivors.”
“The Armenian National Committee of Michigan and the entire Armenian American community in the Great Lake state are very proud that Michigan will honor the victims of the Armenian Genocide by commemorating this great tragedy each year,” stated Armen Derderian, co-chairman of the ANC of Michigan. “We want to thank Governor Engler, Lt. Governor Dick Posthumus, and the entire State Senate and House of Representatives for properly remembering the Armenian Genocide,” concluded Derderian.
Introduced and sponsored by Michigan State Senators Thaddeus G. McCotter (R) and George Z. Hart (D) and State Representative Marc Shulman (R-39) in 2001, the bill passed through the Michigan State Senate in 2001 and was then approved by the Michigan State House of Representatives earlier this year. The bill was presented to the Governor earlier this month.
Upon introduction of the measure, Sen. McCotter stated, “the 1.5 million men, women, and children massacred during the Armenian genocide represented more than one half of all Armenian people. This permanent remembrance will help to ensure our vigilance and serve as a tribute to the victims and their families.”
Sen. Hart concurred, noting, “the suffering and the sacrifice of the victims of the Armenian Genocide and their descendants must not be forgotten. Clearly, all of humanity suffers when such senseless killing is allowed to happen, and all of us must be aware of this evil era so that we will not let it happen again.”
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest and most influential Armenian-American grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the Armenian-American community on a broad range of issues.
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