10-R196
2010 -- S 2815
Enacted 04/28/10
S E N A T E R E
S O L U T I O N
PROCLAIMING MAY
19TH OF 2010 AS "GREEK PONTIAN GENOCIDE
REMEMBRANCE
DAY" IN THE STATE OF
Introduced By: Senators Raptakis, Gallo, Jabour, Connors, and Algiere
Date Introduced: April 28, 2010
WHEREAS,
many of whom have prospered and enjoyed the freedom and
democracy upon which our nation
was founded; tragically, throughout history, the people
of many countries have not realized the
same autonomy and equality; and
WHEREAS, From 1914 until 1922, in a systematic attempt to exterminate
an entire
population, the Ottoman Turks directed the killing of 353,000 Pontian and Anatolian Greeks and
over a million Armenians and Assyrians living in Pontos, and an equal number who were forced
to flee their homeland in one of the most condemnable
atrocities in the history of the world; and
WHEREAS, The Ottoman and
Kemals Neoturks engaged in
exile, starvation, slaughter,
and murder, using axes and fire to massacre the Pontic Greek population and perpetrate the first
mass genocide of the 20th century; and
WHEREAS, It is vital and proper to remember those who lost their
lives in the Pontian
Genocide, and it is paramount that people of all
nations look at this horrific event in our world’s
not-so-distant history as a way to learn a valuable lesson, so that
such atrocities are not tolerated
and are never committed again; and
WHEREAS, It is likewise important to pay tribute to the survivors of
this atrocious
period, as well as their descendents, who have made
countless contributions to the enrichment of
our culture and our way of life here in the
oppressed people around the world; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED,
That this Senate of the State of
hereby joins the Greek-American community on May 19th of
each year in a solemn
commemoration of the Pontian Genocide of
1914-1922; and be it further
RESOLVED,
That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized
and directed to
transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to Mr. Demetrios S. Kosmidis of the Pontian
Society
of
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LC02418
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