"Who, After All, Speaks Today of the Armenians"; David vs. Goliath Facts Say it All; Vote for Genocide Resolution
of 1
- Extent
- 3 Pages
- File Name
- s-press_032_013_001
- Title
- "Who, After All, Speaks Today of the Armenians"; David vs. Goliath Facts Say it All; Vote for Genocide Resolution
- Description
- Senator Bob Dole's statement from the Senate Floor urging Congress to pass S.J. Res. 212 and formally recognize the Armenian Genocide.
- Date
- 1990-02-22
- Congress
- 101st (1989-1991)
- Policy Area
- International Affairs
- Creator
- Dole, Robert J., 1923-2021
- Record Type
- press releases
- Location representation
- Armenia
- Language
- eng
- Collection Finding Aid
- https://dolearchivecollections.ku.edu/index.php?p=collections/findingaid&id=14&q=
- Physical Location
- Collection 006, Box 32, Folder 13
- Institution
- Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
- Archival Collection
- Robert J. Dole Senate Papers-Press Related Materials, 1961-1996
- Full Text
-
NEWS FROM SENATOR
BOB DOLE
(R-Kansas) SH 141 Hart Building, Washington. D.C. 20510
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 22, 1990
CONTACT: WALT RIKER
(202) 224-5358
"WHO, AFTER ALL, SPEAKS TODAY OF THE ARMENIANS"; DAVID VS. GOLIATH FACTS SAY IT ALL; VOTE FOR GENOCIDE RESOLUTION
WASHINGTON- SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADER BOB DOLE (R-KS) TODAY MADE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT ON THE SENATE FLOOR:
"WHO, AFTER ALL, SPEAKS TODAY OF THE ANNIHILATION OF THE ARMENIANS?"
WORDS SPOKE HALF A CENTURE AGO BY ADOLPH HITLER AS HE UNLEASHED THE HOLOCAUST..
WORDS THAT ECHO STILL TODAY-- IN THIS CHAMBER, AND IN OUR HEARTS.
"WHO, AFTER ALL, SPEAKS TODAY OF THE... ARMENIANS."
I BELIEVE THE SENATE MUST SPEAK. BECAUSE, IF WE DON'T-- THEN WHO WILL?
WHEN WE BEGAN THIS DEBATE THE DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY, I SAID IT WAS DAVID VS GOLIATH.
ARMENIA-- FLAT ON ITS BACK; DEVASTATED BY EARTHQUAKES; 30,000 OF ITS CITIZENS KILLED; A HALF A MILLION HOMELESS.
ARMENIA... DAVID
AND ON THE OTHER SIDE, GOLIATH.
GOLIATH... TURKEY
AN IMPORTANT ALLY. THIS YEAR, WE'LL GIVE TURKEY A HALF BILLION AMERICAN DOLLARS IN AID.
WE HAD TO WORK HALF THE NIGHT IN THE BACK ROOMS OF THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE TO FIND 5 MILLION DOLLARS TO HELP THE VICTIMS OF THE ARMENIAN EARTHQUAKE.
TURKEY GETS 500 MILLION DOLLARS.
TURKEY HAS A VERY ACTIVE AMBASSADOR HERE. HE IS A FINE MAN. I'VE MET HIM; TALKED TO HIM. I HAVE NO QUARREL WITH THE AMBASSADOR DOING HIS JOB.
BUT ARMENIA HAS NO AMBASSADOR, NO EMBASSY.
ARMENIA ALSO DOESN'T HAPPEN TO BE A VERY ATTRACTIVE SITE FOR AMERICAN INVESTMENT, AT LEAST RIGHT NOW.
BUT LOTS OF BIG AMERICAN COMPANIES OPERATE IN TURKEY. THEY PUT IN BILLIONS IN INVESTMENT, AND TAKE OUT MILLIONS IN PROFITS.
SOME OF THOSE INVESTMENT DOLLARS END UP IN THE COFFERS OF THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT-- WHICH SPENS THEM ON HIGH PRICED LOBBYISTS WHO HAVE BEEN ALL OVER US THESE PAST FEW MONTHS.
AND SOME OF THOSE PROFITS ARE PAYING FOR THE AMERICAN INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES WHO HAVE BEEN HAMMERING HOME TO MANY OF US HOW IMPORTANT THEIR PROFT MARGINS IN TURKEY ARE.
TURKEY-- GOLIATH-- HAS ALL THE TROOPS; ALL THE GUNS.
MONEY, AN EMBASSY, AMERICAN BUSINESS, LOBBYISTS-- THE WHOLE NINE YARDS.
THEY CAN ALL SPEAK FOR TURKEY-- MAKE TURKEY'S CASE.
ARMENIA HAS-- NONE OF THE ABOVE.
IF THE SENATE DOESN'T SPEAK FOR ARMENIA THEN -- WHO WILL?
SOME HAVE ARGUED THAT THE SENATE SHOULD NOT "DECIDE" THIS ISSUE.
THE FACT IS: THE SENATE ALREADY ANNOUNCED ITS DECISION-- IN A UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED RESOLUTION PASSED IN 1920. I PUT THE TEXT AND EXPLANATORY INFORMATION ON THAT RESOLUTION IN THE RECORD YESTERDAY.
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THE SENATE HAS HARDLY BEEN ALONE IN MAKING A JUDGEMENT ON THIS ISSUE.
AS I SAID EARLIER:
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECLARED THAT THERE WAS AN ARMENIAN GENOCIDE-- IN THE FACE OF STRONG TURKISH THREATS OF RETALIATION.
THE U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION HAS DECLARED THERE WAS A GEONCIDE. THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION HAS DECLARED THERE WAS A GENOCIDE.
SO HAVE ALL OF THE FOLLOWING DISTINGUISHED CITIZENS OF THE WORLD: WINSTON CHURCHIL. ELIE WIESEL. SAMUEL GOMPERS. THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY. FORMER FRENCH PRESIDENT GISCARD D'ESTAING. RAFAEL LEMKIN-- THE PERSON WHO COINED THE WORD GENOCIDE.
AND SO, TOO, HAVE THESE DISTINGUISHED AMERICANS. TEN AMERICAN PRESIDENTS-- WHOSE NAMES I LISTED YESTERDAY. FORMER SPEAKER TIP O'NEIL. FORMER PRESIDENT GERALD FORD. HENRY CABOT LODGE. CARDINAL CUSHING.
COUNTLESS PRESENT AND FORMER MEMBERS OF THE SENATE. YESTERDAY, I PUT A LIST OF 26 WHO HAVE MADE SPEECHES ON THE GENOCIDE I THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
THE LIST GOES ON, AND ON, AND ON.
ALL OF THESE DISTINGUISHED PEOPLE CARED ENOUGH TO LOOK AT THE FACTS; AND FOUND THOSE FACTS COMPELLING ENOUGH TO MAKE A JUDGEMENT.
I ONLY HOPE THE SENATE WILL CARE ENOUGH, AND HAVE COURAGE ENOUGH TO DO THE SAME.
IN THE FACE OF ALL THIS, SOME STILL QUESTION WHETHER THERE WAS A GENOCIDE. THEY SAY: LET HISTORY JUDGE.
THEY SAY: DON'T JUDGE UNTIL YOU HAVE EVERY LAST DOCUMENT; EVERY LAST SHREAD OF EVIDENCE.
BUT THEN THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT WON'T OPEN ALL THE ARCHIVES, SO WE CAN GET AT EVERY LAST ONE OF THOSE RECORDS.
WE HAVE PLENTY OF EVIDENCE. SOME OF IT SITS ON THOSE EASELS AT THE BACK OF THE CHAMBER. I'VE PUT PAGE AFTER PAGE OF IT IN THAT RECORD. I HAVE VOLUME UPON VOLUME OF IT-- CARTON PILED UPON CARTON OF IT-- BACK IN MY OFFICE. I INVITE MY COLLEAGUES DOWN THERE TO HAVE A LOOK.
WE HAVE TEN TIMES AS MUCH DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE ON THIS GENOCIDE AS WE EVER HAD ON THE "KILLING FIELDS" OF CAMBODIA. BUT NO ONE I KNOW OF STANDS AROUND ON THE FLOOR SAYING-- I DON'T HAVE THE PROOF.
THE PILED UP BODIES WERE PRETTY CONVINCING EVIDENCE OF THAT GENOCIDE. AND IF ANYONE HAS THE STOMACH FOR IT, I CAN SHOW YOU PAGE AFTER PAGE OF THE SAME KIND OF GRUESOME PHOTOGRAPHY OF ARMENIAN MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN-- SLAUGHTERED, DECAPITATED, MUTILATED, BURNED, AND BATTERED.
IT WAS A GENOCIDE.
IT WAS A GENOCIDE.
SEVERAL TIMES IN THIS DEBATE, OPPONENTS OF THE RESOLUTION HAVE SUGGESTED WE NEED MORE TIME TO STUDY THIS ISSUE-- WE NEED HEARINGS.
WELL, AS I HAVE SAID, THE SENATE HAD EXTENSIVE HEARINGS ON THIS ISSUE WAY BACK IN 1920; AND THE CONGRESS HAS HAD HEARING ON IT PERIODICALLY EVER SINCE.
THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE OF HOT DEBATE ON CAPITOL HILL FOR YEARS. MANY SENATORS HAVE STUDIED IT. AS I SAID, MANY HAVE SPOKEN OUT ON IT-- IN ALMOST EVERY CASE CONCLUDING THERE WAS A GENOCIDE.
BUT SOME SENATORS WANT MORE HEARINGS.
WHO WOULD TESTIFY? THE BEST WITNESSES-- A MILLION AND A HALF OF THEM-- THEY CAN'T TESTIFY.
THEY CAN'T SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.
IF WE, IN THE SENATE-- IF WE DON'T SPEAK FOR THEM, THEN WHO WILL?
THE VOTE WE WILL HAVE IN A FEW MOMENTS IS A PROCEDURAL VOTE.
SOME MAY THINK: WELL, I CAN DUCK THIS TOUGH ISSUE ON A PROCEDURAL VOTE. IF WE DON'T EVEN PROCEED TO CONSIDERATION OF S.J. RES. 212-- THEN THEN I WON'T HAVE TO STAND UP AND BE COUNTED ON THIS TOUGH ISSUE.
I WON'T HAVE TO BALANCE ALL OF THOSE VERY LEGITIMATE THINGS THAT EACH OF US BALANCES ON ALMOST EVERY VOTE-- OUR INTELLECTUAL ANALYSIS OF THE ISSUE, OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO OUR CONSTITUENTS, THE PRESSURES BROUGHT TO BEAR BY THE ADMINISTRATION, AND LOBBYISTS AND OTHERS.
WELL, I HATE TO BURST ANY BUBBLES, BUT-- TO PARAPHRASE A COMMENT A CHAMPION BOXER ONCE MADE ABOUT HIS OPPONENT-- YOU CAN RUN, BUT YOU CAN'T HIDE.
THIS ISSUE DESERVES A VOTE-- A STRAIGHT, UP-DOWN VOTE. NOT A PROCEDURAL VOTE. BUT A VOTE ON THE MERITS.
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IF WE DON'T GET CLOTURE TODAY, OR NEXT TUESDAY, OR WHENEVER -- WELL PERHAPS THERE ARE OTHER WAYS. PERHAPS THE HOUSE WILL ACT, AND SEND US SOMETHING THAT WILL BE RIGHT BACK ON THE CALENDAR. PERHAPS CREATIVE MINDS CAN CONCOCT AN AMENDMENT TO SOME UP-COMING BILL-- SOME FAST TRACK ITEM-- THAT COULD GET US RIGHT BACK ON THIS ISSUE.
WE CARE DEEPLY ABOUT THIS ISSUE. WE'VE WORKED HARD, AND ACCORDING TO THE RULES, TO GET WHERE WE ARE NOW.
WE GOT THE 50 COSPONSORS WE NEEDED. WE GOT THE JUDICIARY VOTE WE NEEDED. WE HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH PEOPLE ON EVERY SIDE OF THIS ISSUE-- THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT, THE ADMINISTRATION, AMERICAN CITIZEN GROUPS FROM BOTH SIDES.
WE'VE OFFERED TO COMPROMISE. WE HAVE COMPROMISED. PERHAPS-- GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY-- WE COULD COMPROMISE EVEN MORE.
WE HAVE, CAN, AND WOULD AGAIN COMPROMISE ON LANGUAGE. WE CAN COMPROMISE ON FORM.
BUT WE CANNOT-- WE WILL NOT-- COMPROMISE ON PRINCIPLE.
WE CANNOT-- WE WILL NOT-- COMPROMISE ON OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO SPEAK FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE.
BECAUSE IF WE DO NOT MEET THAT RESPONSIBILITY-- IF WE DO NOT SPEAK FOR THEM-- THEN WHO WILL?
ON OTHER POINT ON THIS QUESTION OF DUCKING THE ISSUE; OF WISHING IT WOULD JUST GO AWAY.
WE ARE HERE TODAY, THIS YEAR, IN PART BECAUSE IT IS THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ON-SET OF THE GENOCIDE. OF THOSE FEW TENS OF THOUSANDS WHO SURVIVED THE GENOCIDE, VERY FEW REMAIN ALIVE.
OUR HOPE WAS THAT WE COULD PROVIDE THEM-- IN THEIR LAST YEARS-- AT LEAST THIS CONCRETE EVIDENCE THAT THE SENATE, THE WORLD, HAS NOT FORGOTTEN THEIR SUFFERING.
I HAVE BEEN TOLD PRIVATELY BY MANY PROMINENT ARMENIAN-AMERICANS-- SOME OF THOSE WITH WHOM I HAVE WORKED CLOSELY ON THIS RESOLUTION-- THAT IF WE COULD ONLY PASS THE RESOLUTION THIS YEAR, THEIR CONCERNS WOULD BE SATISFIED. FOR THEM, HISTORY WOULD BE SET STRAIGHT; THE ISSUE, HAVING BEEN CLEARLY RESOLVED, COULD BE LAID TO REST.
I CAN IMAGINE HOW THEY ARE GOING TO FEEL IF WE NOT ONLY FAIL TO PASS THE RESOLUTION-- BUT CAN'T EVEN GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE CAN VOTE ON IT.
THEY DESERVE BETTER. THE MILLION AND A HALF WHO DIED-- THEY DESERVE BETTER.
I WANT TO CONCLUDE BY REPEATING ONE SMALL EXCERPT FROM SOME OF THE EVIDENCE THAT I DISCUSSED YESTERDAY.
I DON'T CLAIM THESE FEW WORDS-- WHICH I WILL QUOTE IN A MOMENT-- I CAN'T CLAIM THESE WORDS BY THEMSELVES PROVE THERE WAS A GENOCIDE.
BUT THEY DO SPEAK ELOQUENTLY OF WHY I CARE-- OF WHY THE SENATE SHOULD CARE-- ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
THE WORDS ARE FROM A TELEGRAM, SENT FROM THE MINISTER OF INTERIOR OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE, TO THE GOVERNMENT OF ALEPPO. IT IS DATED JANUARY 15, 1916.
"WE HEAR THAT CERTAIN ORPHANAGES WHICH HAVE BEEN OPEN TO RECIEVE ALSO THE CHILDREN OF ARMENIANS. ... THE GOVERNMENT WILL REGARED THE FEEDING OF SUCH CHILDREN OR ANY ATTEMPT TO PROLONG THEIR LIVES AS AN ACT ENTIRELY OPPOSED TO ITS PURPOSE, SINCE IT CONSIDERS THE SURVIVAL OF THSES CHILDREN AS DETRIMENTAL. I RECCOMEND THAT SUCH CHILDREN SHALL NOT BE RECEIVED INTO THE ORPHANAGES."
MR. PRESIDENT, THE WORDS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.
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