Armenian Americans are offended that President Obama is going to launch his reelection campaign in Los Angeles this week, on the eve of April 24, having failed to honor his solemn promise to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide.
A special task force has been set up to organize a community-wide protest to remind the president of his many unkept promises. All major Armenian American organizations have been notified. Press releases have been written, the airwaves flooded with interviews and ads regarding the demonstration, thousands of flyers printed and distributed, protest signs and banners prepared, and buses chartered to transport the public to the site of the president’s fundraiser on April 21.
The news of the planned Armenian protest must not have been well received by the White House. Neither the president nor his staff would want to come to a major city to launch his reelection campaign, in the face of disenchanted voters who question his credibility in front of TV cameras.
Until this week, White House officials had paid little attention to a March 28 letter from Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Chairman Ken Hachikian, inviting the president or a Cabinet member to participate in the annual commemoration by laying a wreath at the Armenian Genocide Monument in Montebello, Calif., on April 24. Given the prospect of a major protest rally on the occasion of the president’s visit on April 21, Democratic officials asked the ANCA Western Region to send a follow-up letter, inviting the President to stop by the Genocide Monument in Montebello, situated minutes away from his appearance in Culver City.
It is highly unlikely that the president would make such a gesture to respect the memory of genocide victims on April 21, particularly since three days later he will be issuing a statement on the 96th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, in which once again he will shy away from using the word “genocide.”
The dangled carrot of a presidential visit to Montebello should not deter the Armenian community’s resolve from showing up in large numbers outside the president’s fundraiser in Culver City. In fact, whatever interest the White House may be showing the Armenian community at this time may be due to the planned protest.
It is not realistic to expect that the president will acknowledge the Armenian Genocide in the next two years, nor do so if reelected for a second term. Under these circumstances, rather than begging him to use those two “forbidden” words, at every campaign stop Armenian Americans should raise serious questions about Obama’s credibility and suitability to lead the nation for another four years. Should Armenian Americans continue to remain silent, they would be encouraging all other elected officials to deceive the community with empty promises.
The Armenian Genocide Community Task Force, the organizing body of the April 21 rally, has issued an urgent call to action, asking Los Angeles Armenians to participate in large numbers in order to let Obama hear the community’s “profound disappointment at his failure to honor his campaign promise” and “deliver justice to the Armenian people.” In its announcement, the task force pointed out that a large turnout would not only send a loud and clear message to the White House, but also publicize Armenian political demands to millions of people around the world who would be watching the presidential visit on national and international television.
It is salutary that prominent Armenian American musician Serj Tankian will be participating in the April 21 protest. Moreover, Tankian posted a message to his 570,000 Facebook fans urging them to support the protest. He wrote: “On Thursday, April 21 at 3 p.m., everyone in Southern California is urged to join in a public protest urging President Obama to uphold his promise and recognize the Armenian Genocide. This issue has always been of extreme importance to Serj and his family.”
Special arrangements have been made to provide transportation to the public with buses starting at 1:30 p.m. from St. Mary’s Church in Glendale, the Rose & Alex Pilibos School in Hollywood, and the Ferrahian High School in Encino. Those planning to drive to the rally should arrive by 3 p.m. at Sony Studios, 10202 W. Washington Boulevard in Culver City, Calif.
The larger the number of participants, the more visible their presence and the more audible their voices will be at the rally.
Harut Sassounian
Hire airplanes to tow banners or do sky-writing during the LA visit.
Suggestions for what they could say?
God Bless Serj–he is the best. The Kardashians should follow his lead.
Hire planes to tow banners or do sky-writing during the president’s visit to LA.
If arrangements could be made during this demonstration to play an audio of pres. Obama making his campaign promise to recognize the genocide over a loud speaker , over and over, to remind him of his promise and, intermittently, with Pres. Reagan’s speech of 1980 recognizing the genocide, showing his courage. I think our message, as Armenians will speak volume!
How ironic, candidate Obama supported the recognition of the Armenian Genocide; then President Obama would not honor and up hold his campaign statements. Now we hear that America has a moral responsibility.
“To brush aside America’s responsibility as a leader and -– more profoundly -– our responsibilities to our fellow human beings under such circumstances would have been a betrayal of who we are. Some nations may be able to turn a blind eye to atrocities in other countries. The United States of America is different. And as President, I refused to wait for the images of slaughter and mass graves before taking action.” – President Obama
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT IN ADDRESS TO THE NATION ON LIBYA
National Defense University
Washington, D.C.
March 28, 2011
Poor Armenia, you have no oil, you are located in the wrong place of the earth, and America’s President has turned a blind eye to your atrocities. What injustice, what hypocrisy, its politics as usual. But fear not, as my father used to tell me, “someday the truth will come out, and honest people will prevail”.
President Obama needs to be honest with himself, Armenians, and all nations.
John Daghlian
God bless Ronald Reagan. Now he was a real president unlike this joke. He fooled all of you.
President Obama will only listen to the Oil and Gas Industry, the Wall Street Crooks, the big Bankers, that are too big to fail. Yes Armenia does not have oil or gas. You really don’t care about the Armenian Genocide , Do you? if you did you would have recognized it two years ago. Mr. Obama you are a in a nutshell a hypocrite, and the biggest liar in the whole world. All the words that comes out of your mouth is all lies, you are not credible to the whole world. You do not deserve the Nobel Peace Prize, period. YOU MUST RETURN IT BACK,AND ALSO DO NOT FORGET TO RETURN THAT ONE MILLION DOLLAR PRIZE.
Ardemis, Obama also listens to the Bilderberg Group, Trilateral Commission, Council on
Foreign Relations, and all those one-world government paranoids for whom
empathy as a virtue is simply non-existent…