Governor Gretchen Whitmer is a lifelong Michigander. She is a lawyer, an educator, former prosecutor, State Representative and Senator. She was the first woman to lead a Senate caucus. But the most important title she boasts is MOM. Inspired by her family, she’s devoted her life to building a stronger Michigan for everyone.
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April 24, 2022
WHEREAS, the state of Michigan recognizes that the Armenian Genocide occurred from 1915 to 1923; and,
WHEREAS, Armenians, as well as Greeks, Assyrian-Chaldeans, Syriacs, Arameans, Maronites, and other Christians were subject to torture, starvation, mass murder, lethal human medical experimentation, and exile from their historic homeland, and over 1.5 million lost their lives; and,
WHEREAS, the Armenian Genocide represented a deliberate attempt by the Ottoman Empire to eliminate all traces of an ancient, thriving, and noble civilization that had lived in these regions for millennia; and,
WHEREAS, the majority of the Armenian population was displaced from their homes and forced to escape to neighboring and faraway communities and countries, including the United States; and,
WHEREAS, today, Michigan is honored to be home to a vibrant Armenian American population of more than 17,000 Michiganders. This thriving community is a proud reminder of survival and perseverance in the face of extreme injustice; and,
WHEREAS, both houses of the 116th Congress of the United States voted to commemorate and recognize the atrocities of the Armenian Genocide, reject efforts to associate the United States government with efforts to deny the existence of the Armenian Genocide or any genocide, and encourage education and public understanding about the Armenian Genocide; and,
WHEREAS, by recognizing and consistently remembering the Armenian Genocide, the Holocaust, and all cases of past and ongoing genocide, we help protect historic memory, ensure that similar atrocities do not occur again, and remain vigilant against hatred, persecution, and tyranny; and,
WHEREAS, on this day, we honor the victims and survivors of the Genocide and reaffirm our commitment to preventing future atrocities from being committed against any people;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim April 24, 2022, as a Day of Remembrance in the state of Michigan for the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923.