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ARMENIAN "GENOCIDE" DEBATE
Rodney Coates Commentary
WMUB, OH
Oct 16 2007
OXFORD, OH (2007-10-16) A recent U-S House of Representatives
resolution, recognizing the deaths of 1-point-5 million Armenians
nearly a century ago as genocide, is drawing criticism from the Bush
Administration. Commentator Rodney Coates says he simply doesn't
understand that line of thinking.
President Bush on Wednesday utilized what little political and moral
clout that remains to encourage Congress not to pass legislation
that would declare the Turkey's killing of millions of Armenians as
genocide. His reason -It would cause great harm' to relations with
Turkey, a key ally in the Iraq War. The problem is that most of the
world powers to date including England, France, and Germany have
concluded that the Armenian Genocide did occur. According to a 2006
PBS documentary Turkey between 1915 and 1920 orchestrated a pogrom
consisting of expulsion, rape, and murder led to the ultimate deaths
of an estimated 1.5 million ethnic Armenians.
Genocide, the willful attempt to exterminate a racial, ethnic,
national, or religious group goes against human, international,
and U.S. law. It would not be only a betrayal to those millions of
ethnic Armenians that died, but immoral to continue to dismiss their
suffering. For several years Armenian Americans have lobbied to have
this crime recognized and Turkey condemned. Last year the House of
Representatives' International Relations Committee endorsed two
separate resolutions declaring the atrocities genocide. In both
instances, a House dominated by Republicans cut off debate and
prevented the bill from coming before the full house.
The reason Mr. Bush seems to want Congress not to pass this bill is
that he is afraid that the U.S. will lose a valuable ally' in the
war on terrorisms. I would have hoped that the President's reason
were more honorable, and that he had concluded that Turkey was not
instrumental in the genocide. But no, he is concerned that his war'
does not get derailed by such a little thing as a genocide' which
may' have happened almost 80 years ago. I guess morality, honor,
and truth are less important, then the reality of today's terrorist.
I really don't get it! In our bid to make the world safe for democracy'
and to cleanse it of the axis of evil' , how can we ignore such
an atrocity as the first act of terrorism and genocide of the
last century? Mr. Bush, you are wrong, we cannot expect for any to
have faith in our stance as a Nation which abhors evil, and fights
for freedom, justice, and equality while hiding behind convenient
historical amnesia, misinformation, or just plain lies. While I know
that war makes strange bedfellows, war must yet be fought on honorable
terms. If, in order to win we must make a deal with the devil, then
we need to find another player or play another game.
Now is the time to take a stand. We as a Nation must stand on the side
of justice, and in that stand we must declare that Turkey practiced
Genocide and should therefore be condemned.
http://publicbroadcasting.net/wmub/new s.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1166830&a mp;sectionID=1
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Rodney Coates Commentary
WMUB, OH
Oct 16 2007
OXFORD, OH (2007-10-16) A recent U-S House of Representatives
resolution, recognizing the deaths of 1-point-5 million Armenians
nearly a century ago as genocide, is drawing criticism from the Bush
Administration. Commentator Rodney Coates says he simply doesn't
understand that line of thinking.
President Bush on Wednesday utilized what little political and moral
clout that remains to encourage Congress not to pass legislation
that would declare the Turkey's killing of millions of Armenians as
genocide. His reason -It would cause great harm' to relations with
Turkey, a key ally in the Iraq War. The problem is that most of the
world powers to date including England, France, and Germany have
concluded that the Armenian Genocide did occur. According to a 2006
PBS documentary Turkey between 1915 and 1920 orchestrated a pogrom
consisting of expulsion, rape, and murder led to the ultimate deaths
of an estimated 1.5 million ethnic Armenians.
Genocide, the willful attempt to exterminate a racial, ethnic,
national, or religious group goes against human, international,
and U.S. law. It would not be only a betrayal to those millions of
ethnic Armenians that died, but immoral to continue to dismiss their
suffering. For several years Armenian Americans have lobbied to have
this crime recognized and Turkey condemned. Last year the House of
Representatives' International Relations Committee endorsed two
separate resolutions declaring the atrocities genocide. In both
instances, a House dominated by Republicans cut off debate and
prevented the bill from coming before the full house.
The reason Mr. Bush seems to want Congress not to pass this bill is
that he is afraid that the U.S. will lose a valuable ally' in the
war on terrorisms. I would have hoped that the President's reason
were more honorable, and that he had concluded that Turkey was not
instrumental in the genocide. But no, he is concerned that his war'
does not get derailed by such a little thing as a genocide' which
may' have happened almost 80 years ago. I guess morality, honor,
and truth are less important, then the reality of today's terrorist.
I really don't get it! In our bid to make the world safe for democracy'
and to cleanse it of the axis of evil' , how can we ignore such
an atrocity as the first act of terrorism and genocide of the
last century? Mr. Bush, you are wrong, we cannot expect for any to
have faith in our stance as a Nation which abhors evil, and fights
for freedom, justice, and equality while hiding behind convenient
historical amnesia, misinformation, or just plain lies. While I know
that war makes strange bedfellows, war must yet be fought on honorable
terms. If, in order to win we must make a deal with the devil, then
we need to find another player or play another game.
Now is the time to take a stand. We as a Nation must stand on the side
of justice, and in that stand we must declare that Turkey practiced
Genocide and should therefore be condemned.
http://publicbroadcasting.net/wmub/new s.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1166830&a mp;sectionID=1
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress