1915

Barev Dzez (hello)

This past week has been very educational for me. I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't know anything about the Armenian Genocide until my friend, Anahit invited me to march with her at a peaceful demonstration in Salt Lake. I didn't want to appear to be a complete doof- so I did a little research before I went and Ana filled me in on a lot more as we spent the day together. We wore all black and were bedecked in the colors of the Armenian flag.

Ana carried with her a photograph of her great-grandparents.

Because I'm assuming there are more like me who don't know much about this black mark in history, watch this video. Seriously- it explains a lot in a very short time.

 

Anyway, these are Ana's Great grandparents on their wedding day (doesn't Ana look just like her great-grandmother?). They were among the 1.5 million Armenians killed in that campaign. Brutally beheaded.

Turkey says because it was in times of war that it doesn't count as genocide. Ummm... I"m sorry, when you purposefully go after that many people... ugh. Even Adolf Hitler (who also used Genghis Khan as an example of positive leadership) used this event to justify his own motives against the Jewish community. He said, "Who, after all, speaks of the annihilation of the Armenians?"

All they want is for Turkey to admit what they did. They're not asking compensation, they're not asking for anything other than global recognition for the atrocities which occurred.  I'm not even going to pretend that I even know what the war was about- but I think that this little country deserves the dignity of being recognized in the history books.

Every country has embarrassing pasts. Heck, America isn't even 250 years old and we've already had more uncomfortable social and political issues (treatment of the American Indians, Extermination Order and expulsion of Mormons, Slavery, Sexism and Japanese internment camps, to name a very few) than we know what to do with. Come on, Turkey, join the ranks of the ashamed. Those who deny history are doomed to repeat it.

Anyway, it was an absolute privilege to march with these fine people yesterday. I stood out like a sore thumb, and I felt like I'd entered a foreign country because everyone was speaking Armenian and I only know three words in Armenian and two of them are not relevant to any conversation (unless it's Christmas time). It's amazing how interconnected this little community is. As we walked, Ana would point out people, "that's my husband's cousin's son.... that's my sister-in-law's nephews wife..." I don't know. I lost track of all the relationships. hahaha! but it was a really fun day. They are beautiful people with a rich and tragic history and it's time the world recognized it.

I will never forget, Armenia. I'm very proud of my own heritage and ancestry, but thank you for letting me be Armenian for a day.

I post this picture because it was so funny what the one on the left said- "I want a picture with the American!" Hahahaha!