Posted on 04/19/2015 1:20:02 PM PDT by SoConPubbie
Cruz: "The Massacre of the Armenian, Assyrian, and other Christian People Should be Called what it is: Genocide"
WASHINGTON--Republican Presidential Candidate, Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on April 18 marked the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide with a statement calling for the proper recognition of the massacre of Armenian, Assyrian, and other Christian peoples as genocide, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
Republican Presidential Candidate, Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas)
Cruz's statement, addressed to the Armenian Church of Austin, was read on the south steps of the Texas State Capitol, during the Austin Peace March and Rally, an observance attended by thousands and organized by the Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee of Texas.
"Senator Cruz got it right," said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "As Americans, we cannot be silent. We must speak the truth. His remarks highlight the Armenian Genocide gag-rule that Ankara continues to enforce on the U.S. government, and spotlight the stark choice facing President [Barack] Obama this April 24: to reject or enforce Turkey's veto on our nation's Armenian Genocide policy."
Prior to his election to the oval office, Obama was clear and unequivocal in his pledge to properly characterize the murder of over 1.5 million Armenian men, women and children from 1915-23 by the Ottoman Turkish government as genocide. "quot;The facts are undeniable. An official policy that calls on diplomats to distort the historical facts is an untenable policy. As a senator, I strongly support passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.106 and S.Res.106), and as President I will recognize the Armenian Genocide," stated then Senator Obama in a Jan. 19, 2008, statement. The full text of that statement is available at here.
Since his election in 2008, Obama has yet to honor that pledge. A complete record of Senator Obama's statements on the Armenian Genocide prior to his election to the White House is availablehere.
The full text of Senator Cruz's statement is provided below.
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Senator Ted Cruz
United States Senate
April 18, 2015
Armenian Church of Austin
In Recognition of the Armenian Genocide
One hundred years ago, the world was too silent as the Armenian people suffered a horrific genocide. Today, we commemorate more than a million souls who were extinguished by the Ottoman Government. Let the terrors of those events awaken in us the courage to always stand for freedom against evil forces. As Pope Francis rightly said, "Concealing or denying evil is like allowing a wound to keep bleeding without bandaging it."
The massacre of the Armenian, Assyrian and other Christian people should be called what it is: genocide.
Sadly, many today are still unaware of this 20th century atrocity. We cannot neglect the brutality carried out on these innocent souls because we cannot leave any room for them to occur again. If we forget the annals of history, we will not honor those who suffered in the death camps of the Holocaust, Soviet Union, Cambodia, and many others. That is a tragedy we can and should prevent.
As the Russian novelist and Soviet prisoner Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn reflected, "In keeping silent about evil, in burying it so deep within us that no sign of it appears on the surface, we are implanting it, and it will rise up a thousand fold in the future."
I commend your efforts to illuminate the past, and to prevent such injustice from occurring again, whether in your homeland or in any country around the globe. Thank you for your commitment to speaking the truth in love.
May God bless the Armenian people, and may he continue to bless America.
Sincerely, Ted Cruz United States Senator
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All in for CRUZ2106!
Make that 2016, D’OH
Well, there goes the Turkish vote.
Next stop will be Paul pandering for the Turk vote now.
Well, there goes the pro-Christian persecution vote
I was stationed in Turkey in the late 80’s. This is a big deal to them because Ataturk was in power then and accusing their George Washington of genocide is fighting words.
The Senate considered a resolution rebuking Turkey for this while I was there. I remember reading the article on page 11 of the NYT. It was front page news there for weeks, and we were warned we’d have 24 hours to evacuate our facility if passed.
Mind you, this was a non-binding resolution that had no force of law at all.
Now keep in mind that 25 years have passed, and Turkey is much less secular a government, and yet, our base in Incirlik is just as important as ever. Is it worth this fight to address a 110 year old wrong? To me it’s like asking for slave reparations. What does that have to do with anybody alive today?
The irony of course is that Ataturk fought for the secularization and modernization of Turkey and it is the fact that they are less so today that will make them overreact to a perceived slight of the man.
Who knew you could slowly assemble a coalition of voters by just doing the right thing?
“Prior to his election to the oval office, Obama was clear and unequivocal...”
In other expect him to do the oposite. It was prior to his election when he says almost anything in order to get elected.
It’s a pretty shrewd move on his part. Just the way I like it. No risk maneuvers with marginal payoffs add up.
” Next stop will be Rand Paul’s pandering to the Turk vote “....
Here Turkey Turkey Turkey ..... Taco Bell dog “ here lizard, lizard, lizard “
The only real difference between the Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust was the state of technology....the Germans were just far more efficient at mass murder.
You would spare Germany hurt feelings by openly discussing what they did?
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Cruz has set himself apart from the crud that has ruled this country in recent years.
That may be why he has risen to the top of the flock for 2016.
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I really like this guy. Cruz To Freedom!
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I suspect that you’ve told us way more about yourself than you wanted to.
Its hard to un-ring a bell, but you might want to give it a try!
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LOL
Semper Fidelis to the Constitution..
Cruz Fidelis to the Constitution..
Ted Truth Cruz!
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