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Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.aaainc.org
PRESS RELEASE
June 3, 2009
Contact: Michael A Zachariades
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (202) 393-3434
CALIFORNIA STATE SENATE APPROVES GENOCIDE AWARENESS ACT
Sacramento, CA - Earlier today, the California State Senate passed
Senate Bill 234, the "Genocide Awareness Act," reported the Armenian
Assembly of America (Assembly). The Assembly, an early proponent of the
measure introduced by State Senator Mark Wyland (R), activated its
ARAMAC grassroots network in California to encourage support and passage
of the bill.
On April 29, the Senate Education Committee voted unanimously in favor
of SB 234. During the public witness hearing, Armenian Genocide denier
Bruce Fein and the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA)
testified against treating the Armenian example and parallel cases in
Cambodia and Darfur as genocide. In response to the opposition's
testimony, State Senator Joe Simitian (D), a member of the Education
Committee, expressed his disappointment, especially given the
incontestable historical fact of the Armenian Genocide and asked, "Why
is it that genocide happens over and over and over again?...It happens
because we are unwilling to step back and confront man's inhumanity to
man." The truth of the Armenian Genocide, Simitian stated, "has long
been settled."
State Senator Christine Kehoe (D), Chair of the Senate Appropriations
Committee, moved the bill directly to the Senate floor for a vote,
stating, "The continuing events in Darfur remind me of the words of
philosopher George Santayana who wrote: 'Those who do not learn from
history are doomed to repeat it.' Those horrific events only serve to
raise the importance of acknowledging and learning from past events like
the Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust. Making sure that Senate Bill
234 becomes law will help make sure that the Armenian Genocide is not
forgotten for this and future generations."
"The Armenian Assembly applauds Senator Kehoe for promptly bringing this
legislation to the floor for a vote," stated Yeghig Keshishian, the
Assembly's Western Region Director. "The Assembly would also like to
commend Senator Wyland for introducing this legislation and thereby once
again placing California in the forefront of national politics as it
pertains to human rights education and genocide prevention."
Upon successful passage in the California State Assembly, State Senator
Wyland's "Genocide Awareness Act" would then be signed into law by
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The bill requires the California
Curriculum Commission to vote on the inclusion of an oral history
component related to genocides as part of its high school curriculum,
including the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923. California pioneered new
education standards by adopting the Model Curriculum for Human Rights
and Genocide, which includes the Armenian Genocide.
Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding
and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
membership organization.
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NR#2009-051
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.aaainc.org
PRESS RELEASE
June 3, 2009
Contact: Michael A Zachariades
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (202) 393-3434
CALIFORNIA STATE SENATE APPROVES GENOCIDE AWARENESS ACT
Sacramento, CA - Earlier today, the California State Senate passed
Senate Bill 234, the "Genocide Awareness Act," reported the Armenian
Assembly of America (Assembly). The Assembly, an early proponent of the
measure introduced by State Senator Mark Wyland (R), activated its
ARAMAC grassroots network in California to encourage support and passage
of the bill.
On April 29, the Senate Education Committee voted unanimously in favor
of SB 234. During the public witness hearing, Armenian Genocide denier
Bruce Fein and the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA)
testified against treating the Armenian example and parallel cases in
Cambodia and Darfur as genocide. In response to the opposition's
testimony, State Senator Joe Simitian (D), a member of the Education
Committee, expressed his disappointment, especially given the
incontestable historical fact of the Armenian Genocide and asked, "Why
is it that genocide happens over and over and over again?...It happens
because we are unwilling to step back and confront man's inhumanity to
man." The truth of the Armenian Genocide, Simitian stated, "has long
been settled."
State Senator Christine Kehoe (D), Chair of the Senate Appropriations
Committee, moved the bill directly to the Senate floor for a vote,
stating, "The continuing events in Darfur remind me of the words of
philosopher George Santayana who wrote: 'Those who do not learn from
history are doomed to repeat it.' Those horrific events only serve to
raise the importance of acknowledging and learning from past events like
the Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust. Making sure that Senate Bill
234 becomes law will help make sure that the Armenian Genocide is not
forgotten for this and future generations."
"The Armenian Assembly applauds Senator Kehoe for promptly bringing this
legislation to the floor for a vote," stated Yeghig Keshishian, the
Assembly's Western Region Director. "The Assembly would also like to
commend Senator Wyland for introducing this legislation and thereby once
again placing California in the forefront of national politics as it
pertains to human rights education and genocide prevention."
Upon successful passage in the California State Assembly, State Senator
Wyland's "Genocide Awareness Act" would then be signed into law by
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The bill requires the California
Curriculum Commission to vote on the inclusion of an oral history
component related to genocides as part of its high school curriculum,
including the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923. California pioneered new
education standards by adopting the Model Curriculum for Human Rights
and Genocide, which includes the Armenian Genocide.
Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding
and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
membership organization.
###
NR#2009-051