December 12, 2019 will go down in the annals of the history of the United States as a day of victory of human rights and a step towards the restoration of justice to the memory of the 1.5 million Armenians who perished during the waning days of the Ottoman Empire.
This resolution adopted by the US Senate, S. Res.150, underscores the universality of human rights, which are neither apportioned through geographical demarcations nor the privilege of particular nations.
As the leader of the free world, the United States has adopted and upheld the values of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide unanimously adopted by the United Nations.
The Senate’s courageous act will in the first place vindicate Ambassador Henry Morgenthau, who was one of the first humanitarians to appeal to the conscience of the world and to politicians of all stripes concerning the tragic plight of the Armenian people under Ottoman Turkish rule.
Over the years, key statesmen of both major American political parties stood tall in seeking recognition of the fate of a martyred nation. Senator Bob Dole and William Proxmire continued the battle for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide valiantly against the challenges of political expediency. Their honorable stand is enshrined in the current resolution.
The Armenian Democratic Liberal organization, with its advocacy arm, the Armenian Rights Council of America, has been at the forefront of the struggle to restore justice since its inception in 1921 and in particular spearheaded the 1947 World Armenian Congress in New York to raise awareness of this issue among statesmen in the US, the media and academic circles.
