04/23/09 - Remarks submitted for the Congressional Record - Madam Speaker, April is Genocide Prevention Month. Tuesday, April 21st, marked Holocaust Remembrance Day. Tomorrow, April 24th, is the 94th anniversary of the onset of the Armenian genocide . These times of commemoration are sobering, but I firmly believe that it is important to pause and recall the unnecessary deaths of millions of people which occurred in the last century. By reminding ourselves of past atrocities, we are encouraged to uphold the value of human life today.

During World War I, the Turkish government began an assault on the Armenian people by arresting and killing religious, political, and intellectual leaders in Istanbul. Then, groups of Armenian men, women, and children were rounded up and forced to march through the desert. Along the way, the victims were tortured, raped, and starved.

Before and during World War H, Adolph Hitler attempted to eliminate the Jewish people and others whom he considered a threat. He initiated boycotts of Jewish businesses, prohibited social contact with Jews, and excluded Jews from participation in government, the arts, and education. Then, Hitler began deporting Jews to internment camps, essentially forcing them to complete slave labor. Some were marched to remote areas and murdered. Eventually, the Germans began a campaign of mass extermination by gassing Jews and other ``undesirable'' ethnic, religious, and political groups.

Monday, April 20th, marked another historic event. It happened to be the anniversary of Adolph Hitler's birth. When justifying his persecution of the Polish people, Hitler declared ``Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?'' I, for one, am still speaking about the annihilation of Armenians. I am also speaking about the annihilation of Jews. I encourage my colleagues to join me in speaking out against genocide.

6/4/2009 - Allison Shulman of the Dickstein Shapiro, LLP emailed Amy D. Smith regarding an invitation to a July 16th event with the Turkish Ambassador..

6/15/2009 - Allison Shulman of the Dickstein Shapiro, LLP emailed Amy D. Smith regarding an invitation to a July 16th event with the Turkish Ambassador..

7/6/2009 - Allison Shulman of the Dickstein Shapiro, LLP emailed Amy D. Smith regarding an invitation to a July 16th event with the Turkish Ambassador..

7/10/2009 - Allison Shulman of the Dickstein Shapiro, LLP emailed Amy D. Smith regarding an invitation to a July 16th event with the Turkish Ambassador..