Author: Encourage Congress to pass Armenian Genocide resolution

Community Press, KY
April 21 2007

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland has declared Tuesday, April 24, an Ohio Day
of Remembrance on the occasion of the 92nd anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide of 1915-1923.

The Armenian Genocide was conceived and carried out by the Ottoman
Turks during World War I and resulted in the murder of 1.5 million
Christian Armenians in a brutal form of mass murder that served as
Hitler’s model for the Holocaust.

The Turkish government to this day absurdly denies the Armenian
Genocide occurred, despite the overwhelming body of evidence,
international recognition and independent scholarly research to
the contrary.

This continued denial of the truth by modern Turkey is deeply insulting
and is the foundation for the cycle of genocide that leads to the
current genocide in Darfur.

Armenian-Americans have a rich history in Ohio, first settling in
the Cleveland area during the early 1900s.

Today, vibrant communities exist in Columbus, Cincinnati and
Cleveland. Ohio becomes the 40th state to recognize the Armenian
Genocide.

We salute Gov. Strickland for his courage in giving voice to this
awful truth.

I went to Washington in late March along with activists from around
the country to lobby support for Armenian Genocide resolutions in
both the House and Senate.

I visited the offices of all 16 Ohio representatives over a two-day
span meeting with foreign affairs staffers and several lawmakers
including Congresswoman Jeanne Schmidt; Steve Chabot met with our
group last week in his local office.

The House resolution has 190 bipartisan Co-sponsors. That is an
incredibly high number given that a resolution only needs 218 votes
to pass.

Co-sponsors in effect are voting yes in advance, before the vote.

The Turkish government is brazenly threatening the U.S. to not let
these resolutions come up for vote.

Previous resolutions failed despite broad bi-partisan support because
the leadership lacked the courage to call for a vote.

This time things are different as both Speaker Pelosi and Senate
leader Reid are co-sponsors.

America has a choice to make. On the one hand we can side with a
"fair-weather" ally in Turkey who would not let us use its assets to
assist in the invasion of Iraq…which we know cost American lives
or side with Armenian Americans who serve in the U.S. military and
Armenia which is a member of the Coalition of the Willing with forces
in Iraq today and free use or Armenian airspace and bases.

Currently six Ohio lawmakers from both sides have the courage to
co-sponsor this legislation along with our governor setting an example
of moral leadership.

Unfortunately, Congressman Chabot and Congresswoman Schmidt are not
yet on board.

Please give them a call and urge them to co-sponsor these long
overdue resolutions.

David Krikorian lives on Camargo Woods Court in Madeira.

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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress