US Presidential Contender John Kerry Uses Word "Genocide" (Armenian)

[mobuto]

A presidential hopeful of the USA, Democrat John Kerry made a statement regarding the 89-th anniversary of the Armenian genocide. The statement of the Democrat Senator erads as follows, issued generously by the ANCA

"April 24th marks the 89th anniversary of the beginning of the Armenian Genocide. Between 1915 and 1923 the rulers of the old Ottoman Empire killed or deported over 1.5 million Armenian men, women and children in a systematic policy of ethnic determination."

"I thank Armenian Americans for their persistence in the struggle to gain international recognition of this atrocity. By keeping the memory of this tragedy alive, Armenian Americans remind us all of our collective responsibility to insure that such horrors are not repeated. I am proud of my work with the Armenian American community to gain broader recognition of the Armenian Genocide, including fighting alongside Senator Robert Dole in 1990 for designation of April 24 as a national day of remembrance for this tragedy."

--continued--

http://www.azg.am/start.pl?lang=EN&num=2004042403

John Kerry continues to enjoy support everywhere in the world.

[goforit]

1. Wow Kerry!!!.....Thanks for bringing this topic up.

Hmmmmm...........I wonder how much the Bush junta agrees with you.

[DAGDA56]

2. This is a New England thing.....

...many Armenians who escaped the Turkish pogroms of 1915 consider it as much of a genocide as the holocaust of the World War II era, and many of them settled in Massachusetts. A Senator from that state would be as familiar with the Armenian genocide as a Senator from California would be familier with Cinco de Mayo.

[kskiska]

4. Not just New England – California has even more Armenians

My grandfather settled in Connecticut back in 1909 after his family was massacred by the Turks (obviously, the genocide began well before 1915). About 10 years of so ago I lived in Glendale, CA, which has loads of newer arrivals from Russian Armenia. Fresno is a well-known center of Armenian culture.

[DAGDA56]

5. Sorry, I didn't know...

...I'm just aware of the kids I went to school with in Mass...I guess diaspora means widely scattered. Being Irish, I should have known better.

[kskiska]

7. It's my impression that the earlier arrivals

generally settled in the New England area, but the Soviet Armenians who arrived in the 1980s or so, are living in California.

Funny, but the same thing happened to the Hungarians. My paternal grandparents settled in New England, but the 1956 arrivals (after the revolution) are mostly in the L.A. area.

[DemMother]

12. former Gov. George Deukmajian (R)...

is one of our most well known Armenians.

[shanti]

18. my oldest son is marrying

into an armenian family in august. the summer camps in fresno were often discussed, and you're right about glendale too. my son's future inlaws are pretty much hard core republicans tho...

[kskiska]

3. This will guarantee the Armenian vote

They've waited years to hear those words.

I'm 1/4 Armenian, but have no ties to the community.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Agreed, they have been waiting for thiose words

and they will not go well with Turkey.

And it is about bloody time!

And no I am not Armenian, but one of my college profs was, when we ran a seminar on 20th century genocide, we started in Armenia and ended up in Kosovo, with stops wiht the Holocaust, covering Jews, Gypsies and others, the Argentinian Dirty war and the Killing Fields of Cambodia, as well as the killing fields of Africa...

I ran it, as hte moderator, and as a daughter of the Holocaust it was a heavy thing to do. We even made the news, as in local PBS Station had it on. Sadly most like to forget and not learn from that bloody history...

[shanti]

19. but aren't most armenians

republican?

[russian33]

8. It's really good to hear...

...President, I mean Senator Kerry, use the word genocide. It's very important for us Armenians that countries recognize it for what it is. (don't let my screen name confuse you, I'm Armenian about 75%). I hope he continues to use the term once he becomes President.

As for some later posts, a lot of us Soviet Armenians settled on the East Coast also. We came here in 1991, and settled in CT. There's a big community there of Armenian immigrants from Azerbaijan. We were escaping the civil war that broke out there in the late 80's over Nagorno Karabakh.

[fujiyama]

9. The fact tha Kerry

stated that it was a genocide shows some political courage. IIRC there was some bill in congress when Clinton was in office, which stated that it was a genocide. Clinton tried to kill because of the effect it would have on relations with Turkey.

Hopefully Kerry would show better judgement.

[Muddleoftheroad]

10. Yes, Turkey

While I agree with Kerry on this, clearly Turkey will take offense.

[mobuto]

13. So what?

Turkey has no standing here. Kerry isn't talking about shifting support away from Turkey, he's talking about recognizing a brutal, 85-year-old crime. If the Turks want to be offended, they can go right ahead. But despite their government's historical crime, the United States under a President Kerry will continue to see Turkey as a vital regional ally both within and beyond the scope of NATO. So what's the worry?

[JI7]

14. right

it's not like he is trying to punish the country for it. it's just recognization of something wrong just as we can recognize the holocaust without worrying about offending germany. in fact germany itself recognizes it.

[0007]

17. Turkey will take offense?

At who, Kerry or the truth?

[flaminbats]

11. but this wasn't genocide, it was a good-faith war against terrorism..

anytime a nation declares never ending war against undefined terrorism, the government uses this as an excuse to kill or capture any politically dangerous citizen of any nation without trial. The war against terrorism isn't a war against nations or even terrorists, but against all citizens deemed by the government to be enemies of the state.

[frank frankly]

15. i just forwarded this to my Armenian friend

he will be THRILLED!

he and i were discussing this on wednesday!

[democracy eh]

16. Canadian Parliament recognizes Armenian genocide (from earlier this week)

It is not 'official' government position, but it was still a vote by the Commons, so highly symbolic.

Canadian Parliament recognizes Armenian genocide
http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/04/21/canada/armenia040421

"OTTAWA - The House of Commons has reversed a long-standing policy and passed a resolution denouncing the Turks for committing genocide against Armenians in 1915. The vote passed easily, 153-68.

The motion said: "That this House acknowledges the Armenian genocide of 1915 and condemns this act as a crime against humanity."

[Zynx]

20. I'm impressed.

Very few politicians ever comment on lesser known atrocities(90% of Americans have probably never heard of the Turks' genocide of the Armenians) or simply don't care about them, but Kerry is actually saying something about them. I'm impressed.