Or maybe you're just being overly sensitive and trying to derail the discussion. One thing I appreciate about this forum is how everyone says what they really think rather than worry about whether or not each statement is politically correct. Besides, Turkish citizens might well regard your own statements as a slap in their face...Scuzz wrote:Regardless.....the statement was at best a slap in the face to all Armenians.....at worst a possible racist remark...
By sheer coincidence I just finished reading Lord Kinross's "The Ottoman Centuries" a couple of weeks ago and while he pulls no punches in telling the history of the Ottoman Empire, and describes earlier violence against Armenians (in the late 19th century) in detail, he devotes only two sentences to the genocide of Armenians during the first World War: "The British failure at Gallipoli gave a breathing space to the Young Turk triumvirate, leaving it free to pursue, without external interference, a premeditated internal policy for the final elimination of the Armenian race. Their proximity to the Russians on the Caucasus front furnished a convenient pretext for their persecution, on a scale far exceeding the atrocities of Abdul Hamid, through the deportation and massacre of one million Armenians, more than half of whom perished."
It seemed to me that he was definitely tip-toeing around the issue while still including it in his book. Why this has become such a big deal to the people of Turkey (many of whom probably honestly believe it to be the work of Armenian propagandists) is beyond me but it seems that a resolution could have been passed that named only the Ottoman Empire and had no mention of Turkey, though I'm sure the Turks would still be pissed.
But the overriding fact is that Turkey, if for no other reason than it's location, is a very important ally to the US and I can certainly understand the argument of those who say "Why pull the scab off such an old wound and why now?" We've allowed the Japanese to be unrepentant about their role in WWII in order to appease them so why couldn't we do the same with the Turks? Every Armenian and all those familiar with Turkey's history already knows they are guilty as hell. Why pass an "official resolution" that is only going to seem like a poke in the eye to an important ally?
P.S. My boss is Armenian (a rarity here in Alabama) and while he's a staunch conservative who nornally hates everything the Democrats do, he strongly backed this resolution. It was weird for both of us to hear him compliment Democrats...