Fresno Bee
April 22 2005
Armenians’ memory lives
Rally recognizes state support of genocide remembrance day.
SACRAMENTO – They walked 215 miles in the sun, rain and wind to keep
alive the memory of 1.5 million Armenians killed by rulers of the
Ottoman Turkish Empire between 1915 and 1923.
The 20-day journey for 15 Armenian-Americans – including four Fresnans
– ended Thursday at the state Capitol, where about 1,200 people
gathered to thank the state Legislature for supporting a bill to
permanently recognize the Armenian genocide on April 24 of each year.
“The younger generation still hasn’t forgotten,” said Vahan Aramian,
20, of Fresno, who took a three-week break from his construction job
to join the March for Humanity from Fresno to Sacramento.
Gov. Schwarzenegger on Thursday signed Senate Bill 424 by Sen. Chuck
Poochigian, R-Fresno, which cements the remembrance date into state
law. Until now, the Legislature’s recognition had been inconsistent.
“We must recognize crimes against humanity if we are to prevent them,”
Schwarzenegger said in his signing message. “Silence in the face of
genocide effectively encourages those who would commit such atrocities
in the future.” March organizers said 36 other state legislatures
officially recognize the Armenian genocide. Armenian-Americans hope
the Bush administration will follow in California’s footsteps.
The Turkish government – 90 years after the genocide – doesn’t accept
responsibility for the deaths, Armenian-Americans say.
“Justice begins with truth, and truth is being hidden,” said
Poochigian, whose grandparents lost family members during the
genocide. “We stand up to the deniers. We stand up for truth.”
Assembly Member Greg Aghazarian, R-Stockton, said it’s important
not to forget history: “If we do not learn the lessons of the past,
we are destined to repeat them.”
On April 24, 1915, the Armenian leadership in Istanbul and other
Armenian centers was executed. The surviving women, children and
elderly were sent on death marches in the desert, where many of them
were raped and tortured.
Participants in the March for Humanity educated people they met
along the way. Some knew nothing of the genocide or Armenian culture.
Others had a skewed understanding of history.
Most people were supportive. “We did get a lot of honks and thumbs up,”
said marcher Chris Torossian, 19, of Fresno.
Hundreds of people joined the full-time marchers on parts of the
route. They walked down country roads and slept in churches and
schools.
At the Capitol on Thursday, a crowd cheered for the marchers.
Supporters waved Armenian and American flags and held signs that read,
“We will never forget” and “Remember the Armenian genocide of 1915
R.I.P. 1.5 million.”
“This is a rally in support of all those who seek the truth and
all those who understand that genocide cannot go by with impunity,”
said Steven Dadaian, chairman of the Armenian National Committee of
America’s western region.
About 200 people from Fresno, home to about 60,000 Armenian-Americans,
attended the rally in Sacramento.
“We believe in our roots,” said Avedis Krikorian, 43, of Fresno, who
helped organize the trip. “We think that each person, if he adheres
to his principles and roots, can become a better person.”