Originally Posted By ecdc <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/14/us.turkey/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITI CS/10/14/us.turkey/index.html</a> I'm pretty sure we'd all agree genocide is bad. I'm certainly no fan. But how on earth is it a good idea to pass this Congressional resolution when Turkey is getting really upset about it? I understand that Pelosi says many of the survivors are dying off. But isn't that also a wakeup call that this happened a really long time ago (over 90 years ago) and maybe now isn't the best time to revisit it?
Originally Posted By ecdc Let me add, I can certainly understand the frustration Armenian survivors might feel. I can even appreciate the frustration many survivors of genocide must feel since we in the U.S. are woefully ignorant of things like this, or the Rwandan genocide, or what's happening in Darfur today, while we're fixated on the Holocaust. I'm by no means trying to make light of the Holocaust - I'm certainly no denier of it and I'm glad we have so many books, museums, and movies to remind us - seriously. But it does seem like the most "popular" (for lack of a better term) of the genocides. There's the obligatory high school class where we all see the photos and gasp and cringe in horror. We've all seen Schindler's List; how many of us have seen Hotel Rwanda? I think we need resolutions like this to remind us of what happened in Turkey. But it happened 90 years ago and now just doesn't seem like the time. Is it that there's just a big lobby for it from the Armenian community? Or are Democrats just trying to appeal to their base (because they're just making me think they're stupid...)?
Originally Posted By ncnike7 It's almost like the Democrats are just trying to stir up trouble for Bush. (I loved 'Hotel Rwanda' by the way). But on another note, why are we so 'ignorant', as ecdc so honestly puts it, about things like this? Why did it take me until college before I found out the full extent of the atrocities even in the Holocaust let alone Rwanda? I know I'm pretty naive, but I had hardly even heard of Rwanda before I saw the movie.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 IMHO - because the media here would rather cover Jesse Jacksons's latest photo op -- or Lindsay Lohan's latest escapade -- they believe it's what the public wants. I read the BBC on line each day - and amazing what real world news is. Not perfect by any stretch, but really covers events that are important that never make is past the cutting room floor on most news channels - or newspapers.
Originally Posted By jdub <<...the media here would rather cover Jesse Jacksons's latest photo op -- or Lindsay Lohan's latest escapade -- they believe it's what the public wants.>> And it would seem they are right. Well, at least about the Lindsay Lohan part.
Originally Posted By alexbook >>I understand that Pelosi says many of the survivors are dying off. But isn't that also a wakeup call that this happened a really long time ago (over 90 years ago) and maybe now isn't the best time to revisit it?<< So, when would be a good time? Armenian-Americans have been trying to get some sort of recognition for this for decades. Every time they bring it up, they're told that right now isn't a good time and they should wait until the current crisis has passed.
Originally Posted By jonvn It's not like the current government in Turkey even had anything to do with it.
Originally Posted By thenurmis I really do not understand why it would be a point brought up in the US congress. Will the issue effect any thing in America, is a subject of concern to the US? What is she hoping the positive out come will be? I could understand if she wanted the the attacks on the nez perce,(100 years ago) acknowledged as an attempted genocide, by the US, but I guess that would be too close to home. As far as the publics interest in LL and friends goes; The media has become lazy and greedy in what they do for a living. The concern has become to make profit, not report on issues that are of major concern, or will effect our lives in a real way. Welcome to the decade of smoke and mirrors...would like fries with that?
