Despite Armenian Americans’ persistent admonishment of President Obama to refrain from substituting “Meds Yeghern” (Great Calamity) for the Armenian Genocide in his annual April 24 statement, he has continued to do so for three years in a row.
Apparently, henchmen of the denialist Turkish regime and their American cohorts have been able to compel the president of the United States to avoid any reference to the “genocide” or “tseghasbanoutyoun,” its Armenian equivalent. Otherwise, why would the president of the United States address the American public in a foreign language known only to a few? Armenian substitute words such as “Meds Yeghern” are simply meant to fool some gullible Armenian Americans. This is a cheap trick that is beneath the dignity of the presidency.
Over the past three years, rather than mending his ways and discontinuing the use of “Meds Yeghern,” Obama has done the exact opposite. Incredibly, he is using that term in this year’s April 24 statement not once, not twice, but three times. The president shamefully continues the silly and offensive word games of his predecessors—whom he had severely criticized—reducing genocide to “horrific events,” “atrocities,” “massacres,” and “devastating events.”
Earlier this month, Obama declared his candidacy for reelection and asked Americans to reelect him for another four years. In my view, anyone who so blatantly breaks his promises on both Armenian and non-Armenian issues, including acknowledgment of the genocide, does not deserve to be reelected. It is hard to imagine that any self-respecting Armenian would vote for him again.
To show how offended they are by Obama’s broken promises, over a thousand Armenian Americans held a spirited protest at Sony Studios in Culver City, Calif., at the site of his major fundraiser on the eve of April 24. Their anguished message was carried far and wide by the assembled local, national, and international media. Just about every news outlet highlighted the protesters’ mistrust of Obama, casting a shadow on the celebratory atmosphere of his reelection campaign.
Helping to amplify the protesters’ message was vocalist Serj Tankian of the System of a Down whose presence and fiery remarks electrified the crowd, attracting considerable media attention.
Another major boost for the demonstration came from TV celebrity Kim Kardashian who sent a twitter message to her 7.2 million fans around the world, along with a link to her blog: “Today, thousands of Armenians will come together in Los Angeles to protest against the denial of the genocide and urge the United States government to recognize the Armenian Genocide. I hope that I can bring some attention to this today.”
During my recent appearances on ABC-TV and FOX-TV, I explained that the purpose of the protest was not to beg Obama to use the word genocide. It was rather to let him and other politicians know that Armenian Americans would no longer remain silent when an elected official makes lavish campaign promises to get their votes and money, only to ignore them after the election. These officials should be made to pay a political price for their hypocrisy. To make democracy work, citizens should ensure that dishonest politicians are not reelected. It is bad enough to be fooled once, but allowing ourselves to be fooled twice is truly unforgivable.
Using the Culver City rally as a precedent, Armenian Americans throughout the United States should hold protests at every campaign appearance by Obama over the next 18 months.
Furthermore, Armenians do not really need Obama to repeat what President Ronald Reagan stated 30 years ago by referring to the Armenian Genocide in his Presidential Proclamation of April 22, 1981. By breaking his campaign pledge, Obama compromises his moral and political standing as the leader of the free world.
Let us not forget two other major culprits in this deplorable affair. Where is Vice President Joe Biden hiding these days? Does he recall that he delivered dozens of strongly worded speeches on the Armenian Genocide during his long years in the Senate and as presidential candidate? What about Hillary Clinton? How quickly did she transform herself from a champion of genocide recognition as Senator and presidential candidate, into a Secretary of State who hides from the media while placing a “personal” wreath at the Genocide Monument in Yerevan, and lobbies Congressmen to vote against a genocide resolution?
The 2012 elections present an ideal opportunity to settle scores with all those who have betrayed the trust of the Armenian American community.
Harut Sassounian
Don’t play into the hands of Turkish denialists. “Medz Yeghern” DOES NOT MEAN “great calamity” in any dictionary of the Armenian language since the Haigazian Dictionary (1749) to this day.
Harout Jan –I’m sure Obama heard you and went into a deep depression from which he’ll never recover.
If our English-speaking president is now involved in the Armenian linguistic gymnastics, why wouldn’t he use the term “Ceghaspanutyun” (Armenian for ‘Genocide’) in his Annual Proclamation? Especially since as presidential candidate he, I believe, promised to recognize Genocide, not “Metz Yeghern”? If, like Lord Byron, Obama now fell in love with the Armenian language, why not start using the word “Ceghaspanutyun”?
Dear Mr. Sassounian:
You tell me what else a president can do when in congress floor the count of votes is not reaching more than 148, need 218 votes to pass the resolution, not mentioning last 2 years filibuster games blocking every social issues in Senate.
In your opinion if you were the place of Pres. Obama in white house, could you issue executive order to pass the resolution which is not constitutional?
US population is over 300 mil. who don’t give a damn for couple hundred thousand Armenian’s votes, specially when we insult them publicly, instead of gaining more lawmakers sympathy and respect for those who been loyal to our causes for many year.
Playing BLAME games proves nothing but demonstrate our capability of weakness to achieve our goals.
Specially…..It is not wise policy from Armenian politicians, particularly from Armenian media, to spit on a plate today, than turn around in 2012 elections. leak the same plate, when you don’t have other alternatives specially in US.
Michael Tavikian: If I were in place of Pres. Obama in the White House, I wouldn’t issue an executive order to pass the Armenian Genocide resolution. I would simply keep my promise to the voters to recognize it as such in my non-binding Annual Proclamation.
Of the 50 states of the USA 42 states have recognized the Turkish Genocide of the Armenian nation. Seems the Congressmen, who represent our
peoples from all of these states are not listening to their consituents… Obama, too.
Next elections – eliminate these who are not listening/voting what the citizenry of USA want from their representatives in the House and the Senate – who have elected them to their offices – representatives in Congress!
Too, seeing how many of those American former Congress peoples are the lobbyists for the Turkish leaderships… seems Turks pay very well.
Perhaps we should send President Obama Armenian dictionaries. The English/Armenian dictionary (published in 1910) defines the word CRIME as YEGHERN. The Armenian/English defines YEGHERN as CRIME, MURDER.
I think after failing to get re-elected in 2012 due, in part, to the Armenian-American retaliatory efforts, B. Obama will have plenty of time to learn that in the Armenian language, which he came to so be fond of, “Genocide”—coined by Jewish-American lawyer Raphael Lemkin in 1943 based on his study of the Armenian and Jewish cases—is translated as “Ceghaspanutyun” not “Medz Yeghern.”
I find this article interesting because, you have armenians accusing the country of Turkey (Ottoman empire) of genocide during WW1.
What this reminds me of? is how Congressman Adam Schiff is claiming President Donald Trump has strong ties with the russians and possible collusion with the russians that interfeared with our 2016 presidental elections. Yet the only person that has strong ties with the russians and should be investigated for colluding with the russians is congressman Adam Schiff, and everyone knows this.
I strongly agree with Prsident Donald Trumps stance on this issue, this has nothing to do with our country, nor do the vast majority of americans support any recognition, nor their beliefs.
What’s even more interesting is how these armenians protesting backed by democrates, they remind me of an outhouse rat stuck in a mosquito nest, they will say a do anything to get the American people and our country to get behind their cause, even if it means lying about what took place during WW1, inorder to legalize their hate crime.
And remember, the flag they are holding “Communist Flag” represents the same country that was selling weapons to Iran to kill American soldiers, these people are not only nuts, but the greatest threat to our country’s future. It’s time this stops.