Join my phone campaign to demand your representative recognize the Armenian Genocide

[stevenleser]

http://phonebank.org/campaign/armenian_genocide

As a followup to my recent show on Genocide, this is one of what will be many efforts to raise awareness of genocide and put direct pressure to have genocides recognized and the perpetrators brought to justice.

Thank you

Join this calling campaign to the White House and Congress urging them to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

From 1915-1923, 1.5 million Armenian men, women and children were killed by the Ottoman Turkish Government. Since then, Turkey has made it ILLEGAL to talk about the Armenian genocide -- and to make matters worse, the Turkish government has used threats and intimidation -- an internation gag rule-- on speaking out on the genocide.

While a Senator and Presidential candidate, Barack Obama pledged to recognize the Armenian genocide -- but he has since failed to live up to his promise.

Take a look at this short segment from ABC World about the Armenian Genocide, then join our calling campaign to the White House and members of Congress.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

1. That would piss off Erodgan the Righteous

The same leader who maintains the illegal occupation in Cyprus

[stevenleser]

2. That is true. Turkey is going to have to eventually just get over it. Their position is untenable.

This is one of those things that is coming no matter how much they fight against it. Our job is to hasten that eventuality.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Laudable, but as long as Turkey is considered a strong NATO

Ally...it ain't gonna happen.

Yup, this came from a former state dept critters in 1992 when this was brought to discussion when I ran an event on Genocide in College. We did skip the well known one and concentrated on the less known ones.

One of the presenters was a former state dept analyst who went into all the politics behind it, and why the US cannot afford to...no matter how many campaigns are run by citizens.

Oh and we had in the paperwork that we were going to not cover the Holocaust, a member of the community, and survivor herself, went after me for being..you guessed it, into holocaust denial...which given the intro based on my dad's experience in Poland had the rest of us shaking heads. But I made that decision since you can't swing a dead cat without finding references to the Holocaust...Armenia, not so much.

We decided instead to cover in depth the Armenian holocaust, Cambodia, the little we knew of Bosnia, the Central American Wars and the Maya genocide, as well as both Chile's and Argentina's dirty wars, that skirt the definition of it. We also went into the African mess, which admittedly we knew precious little.

Just bringing this note, not as cold water, but a reality check. At the end of that we did send letters and all that...hey at least Mont is facing the music over the Maya genocide, but Guatemala is almost a non player in international affairs.

[stevenleser]

4. We have a couple of dozen votes in congress so far. 20+ countries including France have

recognized the Genocide, it's getting there. There is work to be done, but it's getting there.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. And it should

Will send a letter to mine, with documentation. I just don't expect it.

From that seminar, it left me cold. We concentrated on the 20th century, but we have at least four major genocides a century. We considered including the American Indians...but we only had a day...not a month.

[LeftInTX]

9. Thank you :)

Us Armenians have been involved with these resolutions with congress for over 30 years.

It may not pass, but it keeps the conservation going. I think these resolutions have kept congress aware. Otherwise, I'm afraid we would be forgotten

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. I know...I need to search for that documentation

In my mind we need to acknowledge all of em, not just the ones with good press.

[stevenleser]

6. Kick nt

[stevenleser]

7. Kick nt

[Recursion]

8. Jimmy Carter opposes HR 106 (or whatever it's called this year), which gives me pause (nt)

[LeftInTX]

10. HR 304. It has 92 co-sponsors