WILL TRAGEDY ALWAYS BE OUR TEACHER?
By Hakob Avetikian

AZG Armenian Daily
05/05/2006

The morning hours of May 3 plunged our country into alarming grief. The
news of the tragedy has already spread when starting from 10.00 am
all local TV channels suddenly began airing details of the crash as
though receiving an order from a common headquarters.

Though today we have modern European jets and safety equipments and
services at the airport, the slovenliness that becomes a distinctive
feature of Armenian identity and is incompatible with air navigation
and our dislike for order were a serious concern for aviation
employees.

Planes of the best international air carriers also crash due to weather
conditions, flight controllers’ mistakes, technical failure or the
crew’s mistake. No air carrier is safeguarded against this. Neither
is Armavia.

Yet, air navigation is a sphere where all kinds of defects should be
excluded. Otherwise we will such tragedies.

Another bad trait in our identity – careless attitude towards the
others’ pain – came out again on May 3 when starting from the noon
TV channels aired the names of the perished passengers. The names
were also hung at the airport. No middle names were put in. No one,
fortunately, can guarantee that all passengers are dead. No one could
be 100 percent sure that Armavia roll was correct. Who can measure
the sorrow that numerous citizens went through while approaching the
rolls and reading the names of relatives or friends?

Once again we had to learn from our tragedies.