quote
“Who remembers now the destruction of the Armenians?”
Now, you may be asking why I have a quote by Hitler on my blog. Well, maybe not. But it's all in good reason. Hell, that quote is even engraved on the wall of the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC! Anywho, today is Armenian Genocide Memorial Day. Didn't know? I'm not surprised. Not many people outside of the Armenian diaspora really know, and even then, that number isn't very big. Honestly though, how many people actually even know about the Armenian Genocide? Again, small numbers. This day, waaaayyy back in 1915, the Ottoman Turks began their quest for the complete annihilation of the Armenians. By the time they were done in 1923, over 1.5 million Armenians died, about 60 percent of the population. Disgusting, isn't it? The worse part(s)? 1. The U.S. refuses to recognize the genocide in fears of pissing off the Turks, and 2. the Turks still deny the whole thing happened! How can you look an old, decrepit Armenian woman in the face as she tells her story of running from the Turks in 1915, and tell her she's lying as the tears well up in her eyes? Seriously Turks, WTF?
I was browsing through old Polys Tuesday night, looking for interesting things to have featured in the Poly's Past spread for next week, and I accidentally came across a very interesting letter to the editor. I was mostly interested in what someone had to complain about during a music concert back in the 1970's, but it wasn't the performance the person was upset about, but rather the theme behind it. One of the pieces played by the percussion group (I think?) was called "Requiem for the Massacred". Looking back through the archives, I couldn't find out what the actual meaning behind the song was, but was able to deduct that it was a tribute to those who died in the Armenian genocide based on the letter. The writer, (with a very typical Turkish name), was insulted that the Institute would allow a group on campus to spread "such lies and untruths", and went on to say that the Armenians slaughtered many more Turks during the war (World War I at the time), and that no Armenians were killed. He even insisted throughout the article that the genocide never happened, and continued to make known disgust with RPI for letting the percussion ensemble play the piece. If I'm not mistaken, that issue was even published on Armenian Genocide Memorial Day too. Needless to say, I was pretty apoplectic about that.
So, as you happen to go about your day, just stop and think for a bit about the Armenians. I'm sure I'm not the only one who would appreciate it.
Now, you may be asking why I have a quote by Hitler on my blog. Well, maybe not. But it's all in good reason. Hell, that quote is even engraved on the wall of the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC! Anywho, today is Armenian Genocide Memorial Day. Didn't know? I'm not surprised. Not many people outside of the Armenian diaspora really know, and even then, that number isn't very big. Honestly though, how many people actually even know about the Armenian Genocide? Again, small numbers. This day, waaaayyy back in 1915, the Ottoman Turks began their quest for the complete annihilation of the Armenians. By the time they were done in 1923, over 1.5 million Armenians died, about 60 percent of the population. Disgusting, isn't it? The worse part(s)? 1. The U.S. refuses to recognize the genocide in fears of pissing off the Turks, and 2. the Turks still deny the whole thing happened! How can you look an old, decrepit Armenian woman in the face as she tells her story of running from the Turks in 1915, and tell her she's lying as the tears well up in her eyes? Seriously Turks, WTF?
I was browsing through old Polys Tuesday night, looking for interesting things to have featured in the Poly's Past spread for next week, and I accidentally came across a very interesting letter to the editor. I was mostly interested in what someone had to complain about during a music concert back in the 1970's, but it wasn't the performance the person was upset about, but rather the theme behind it. One of the pieces played by the percussion group (I think?) was called "Requiem for the Massacred". Looking back through the archives, I couldn't find out what the actual meaning behind the song was, but was able to deduct that it was a tribute to those who died in the Armenian genocide based on the letter. The writer, (with a very typical Turkish name), was insulted that the Institute would allow a group on campus to spread "such lies and untruths", and went on to say that the Armenians slaughtered many more Turks during the war (World War I at the time), and that no Armenians were killed. He even insisted throughout the article that the genocide never happened, and continued to make known disgust with RPI for letting the percussion ensemble play the piece. If I'm not mistaken, that issue was even published on Armenian Genocide Memorial Day too. Needless to say, I was pretty apoplectic about that.
So, as you happen to go about your day, just stop and think for a bit about the Armenians. I'm sure I'm not the only one who would appreciate it.