83R18493 KEK-D
By: Naishtat H.R. No. 1159
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Between 1933 and 1945, Nazi Germany carried out the
systematic persecution and annihilation of six million European
Jews, as well as millions of other people, and this mass slaughter,
known as the Holocaust, will forever signify the potential for
unchecked intolerance, racism, and cruelty to achieve devastating
results; and
WHEREAS, Although it is a painful and wrenching experience to
reflect on the tragic events that occurred during those dark years,
it is only through remembrance that we can rightfully acknowledge
and honor the men, women, and children whose lives were brutally cut
short; Jews became the primary victims of the state-sponsored
genocide, while Roma, Poles, the handicapped, homosexuals,
Jehovah's Witnesses, Soviet prisoners of war, and political
dissidents were also persecuted; ultimately, all of these groups
were decimated under the tyranny of the Third Reich; and
WHEREAS, This horrific and shameful history is a powerful
reminder of our responsibilities as citizens of a democracy to
remain vigilant against hatred, bigotry, and violence and to defend
the causes of individual freedom, national liberty, and equality
and respect for every human being; moreover, we must reject the
false claims of those who deny the Holocaust; and
WHEREAS, Each year, the United States Holocaust Memorial
Council designates an eight-day period as the Days of Remembrance,
and this year's commemoration extends from Sunday, April 7, 2013,
through Sunday, April 14, 2013; and
WHEREAS, The events of the Holocaust are inextricably linked
to the obligation of people everywhere to uphold the cause of human
rights, and as we, the people of Texas, recall this disturbing time
in history, may we also be mindful of our duty to stand firm against
all forms of injustice; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby recognize April 7-14, 2013, as the Days of
Remembrance, and encourage all Texans to do their part to keep the
stories of Holocaust victims and survivors alive.