Tom Vartabedian
A Toast to the President of Armenia
What would you do if you received an invitation to toast the president of Armenia during his recent visit to Boston?
You’d probably do what I did—fall off your chair!
Yet, that’s precisely what happened during a casual moment one recent evening. I was engaged in a movie when the telephone rang. The call came from a member of the committee welcoming President Serge Sarkisian
Or, subscribe now for unlimited access
By submitting your email address you agree for Hairenik Association, Inc. to send you communication by email.
Already a subscriber?Log in here
This story is FREE for you...
Create a free account to access this and four more articles, and get more sent to you with our e-newsletter.By submitting your email address you agree for Hairenik Association, Inc. to send you communication by email.
Tom, you’ve gathered many wonderful memories in your lifetime, but I’m sure the one you just described in this article will also hold a very special spot for you—and perhaps your toast will be a special memory for the President of Armenia as well!
I really don’t understand the point of this article. It embodies how the diaspora is out of touch with the realities of what is going on on the ground in Armenia. The fact that he had a chance to speak to the President who was not elected by its people and had no questions to him on the matters of what is really going on in Armenia, what was the point of the whole thing? I don’t like to bash or criticize, but really this is exactly the type of thing that local Armenians criticize the diaspora for. It all comes from a lack of information and communication.
{It embodies how the diaspora is out of touch with the realities of what is going on on the ground in Armenia. The fact that he had a chance to speak to the President who was not elected by its people…}
Actually, it appears that you, Tania, are out of touch with realities…
Whether you like it or not, President Sargsian was re-elected in a landslide in 2013:
Sargsian 58.64%
Hovannisian 36.75%
And the point of the article, I presume, is that Armenian-American diaspora gives due respect to the elected president of the Republic of Armenia. Not the person, but the Office, as is appropriate.
US Presidents have done some very vile things in the White House. E.g. the ‘Blue dress’, ‘the cigar’, etc.
But US Presidents are given the due respect the Office of US President. When former POTUS attend functions, they are addressed as ‘Mr. President’, and men and women in uniform salute.
And that is one of the reasons why America is a great country: there is respect for institutions. Even the most common man can differentiate the person from the office.
While some Armenians continue spewing petty hatred towards a decent man, who has served the people of Artsakh and Armenia for a couple of decades.
What has the BarevaLoser done ?