"NO PLACE FOR HATE" THROWN OUT OF WATERTOWN
by Chris Helms
Watertown TAB & Press, MA
For comments
Aug 15 2007
Before a packed house in the council chambers tonight, the Town Council
voted unanimously to rescind all ties between Watertown and the "No
Place for Hate" program, because of the stance toward the Armenian
Genocide of its co-sponsor, the Anti-Defamation League.
The regional director for the ADL, Andy Tarsy, spoke at the meeting
to hisses and boos and cat calls of "liar!" from the largely
Armenian-American crowd. Tarsy reiterated the ADL’s public position
that the issue of whether there was a genocide against the Armenians
perpetrated by the Ottoman government during and after World War I
is a matter for Turkey and Armenia to solve.
Town Council Marilyn Devaney urged that the town’s "No Place for Hate"
sign be taken down tomorrow.
This move is bound to have national repercussions. Were you at the
hearing tonight? Comment below and share your thoughts. We’ve also
got an online poll going here.