Ottoman Turks

Thank God Bill Clinton is no longer in office. As president for the past eight years, his tenure proved you can fool most of the people most of the time. His disgraceful conduct reduced the character of the presidency to a new low. His rhetoric was a far cry from his actions and decisions. When Congress was about to recognize the Armenian Genocide of 1915 by the Ottoman Turks, then-President Clinton talked Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert into dismissing the resolution.

Claudia Peschiutta GLENDALE -- The fight to gain official U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide has taken a step forward. As it has in the past, the California Democratic Party recently endorsed a resolution calling for official recognition of the Armenian Genocide, officials said. Approved at the party's annual convention on April 1, the resolution calls on Congress and the president to recognize the killings that occurred when Armenians were exiled by the Ottoman Turks in 1915 as a genocide.

Alecia Foster It was about 85 years ago when the Ottoman Turks went through a small Armenian village where Mikael Kourinian's great-uncle lived. "All of them were rounded up and shot," Kourinian said. The story, passed down through his family, was one the Glendale Community College student will never forget. Kourinian, also president of the Armenian Student Assn. at GCC, asked fellow students Thursday to share their knowledge of the Armenian genocide with others.

"If we modify the agenda we could achieve two things. One would be to have more time for presentations and acknowledgments. Two would be to end at a reasonable hour of the night. Sometimes you go to sleep and you don't realize you're still meeting." ? Chuck Sambar, Glendale Unified School District Board president who believes meetings often run longer than they need to. "In order for a student to grow and be successful in our society it is absolutely imperative and important that they command and become proficient and skilled in the English language.

Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday signed legislation that extends the deadline in California for victims of the Armenian genocide and their descendents to file claims on unpaid policies from European and Asian insurers. The measure, which extends the deadline through Dec. 31, 2016, was introduced by Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Silver Lake). “This is the culmination of a lot of hard work by me and my staff,” Gatto said. “It’s nice to see this come to fruition.” Gatto went into the community to get input before introducing the bill.

Dear Mr. Carney: As a granddaughter of a genocide survivor, I find your comments about the genocide to be appalling and outrageous and demonstrate your deep-seated ignorance, in that you in fact do not understand the values and traditions of our country. You and the 280 million people that inhabit this country are descendants of immigrants, excluding the Native Americans, who are the only true "Americans." Most people have come to this country fleeing persecution.

Mother's Day is Sunday. A day that all of us, young and old, honor our mothers. This Mother's Day I reflect on memories of my mother and the early days of my youth. My thoughts go back to when, during summer vacations from school, childhood friends would go to their grandparents homes. I would ask my mother, where my grandparents were. She would break down and cry. When my Dad came home, he would tell me to not ask such questions, because it brought back sad memories.

Gary Moskowitz To Sarkis Asatryan, remembering the Armenian Genocide today is not enough. Asatryan, a Hoover High School senior of Armenian descent, believes people need to work hard to make sure that the 1.5 million Armenians killed between 1915 and 1923 did not die in vain. Since the Armenian Genocide began on the night of April 24, 1915, today marks its 89th anniversary. "My grandfather's brother was killed because he wanted to buy bread and the government would not let him, and he was beheaded," said Asatryan, 18. "I think the first step is to educate people not just about the Armenian Genocide, but the genocide of Native Americans, Cambodians, Serbs and Jews, and what an inhumane thing genocide is. "I think we are truly making an effort to make the Armenian Genocide known to the world.

There are a number of disputes tied to the protocols under which long-estranged Armenia and Turkey are expected to open official talks. There’s the future of Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed enclave within the borders of Azerbaijan that is home to many ethnic Armenians but that also has close ties to Turkey. There’s the land disputes between the two countries on the eastern front. But above all, there’s the condition for a historical commission to investigate the veracity of the Armenian Genocide perpetrated under Turkey’s forbearer, the Ottoman Empire.

The issue of recall is over, but the issue of lowering of the American flag is still unresolved. I have written in the past in support of actions taken by Mayor Gus Gomez in lowering of the American flag. I believe that at the time, it was the right decision. However, now that the recall issue is settled, I request that the City Council take an immediate action on the lowering of the American flag so we may put this issue to rest. I have seen the division in the community due to lowering of the American flag for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

The killing of more than a million Armenians by Ottoman Turks in 1915 was an act of genocide. The Holocaust was a fact. Yet Americans are free to deny the reality of either - or make outlandish assertions of all kinds - without facing punishment by the state. Residents of France will be denied that privilege if its parliament adopts a wrong-headed bill to criminalize denial of the Armenian genocide. On Thursday the lower house of France's parliament will debate a bill that would punish those who deny the genocide with a year in prison and a $58,000 fine.

A planned parade for an Ottoman military marching band in Hollywood has been canceled amid uproar from Armenian groups who said the event was an affront to them because of the genocide that began in 1915. Ottoman Turks killed roughly 1.5 million Armenians from 1915 to 1923, resulting in the first modern-day genocide. Turkey has refused to acknowledge the massacre as genocide. The permit for the parade, scheduled for Oct. 3 on Hollywood Boulevard between Highland and La Brea avenues, was pulled Wednesday, an official at the Los Angeles Police Commission said.

Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday signed legislation that extends the deadline in California for victims of the Armenian genocide and their descendents to file claims on unpaid policies from European and Asian insurers. The measure, which extends the deadline through Dec. 31, 2016, was introduced by Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Silver Lake). “This is the culmination of a lot of hard work by me and my staff,” Gatto said. “It’s nice to see this come to fruition.” Gatto went into the community to get input before introducing the bill.

I was engaged in a very interesting discussion last night about the nature of compassion and its ability to positively shift the energetic force of our world. I, for one, believe our thoughts are extremely powerful — even more so when a group of people gathers a single collective thought in their mind, especially a positive one. This isn’t to say I believe thought alone does all the work. Positive thought or intent leads to positive action, which leads to positive change. So what’s with this week’s “new-age philosophical rant,” you ask?

For the Armenian American community, presidential candidate Barack Obama was full of promise and hope. His position on the Armenian Genocide of 1915, in which 1.5 million Armenian were massacred at the hands of Ottoman Turks, had been well documented. It was genocide, he said. He even called on the federal government to officially recognize it as such. But in the years since winning the presidency, the pull of geo-political complications has so far muted his pledge to officially recognize the genocide.

Armenian American voters have become a key focus for the two candidates running in the June 8 special runoff election for state Assembly, with both attending major community events and winning over key representatives for endorsements. With Glendale school board member Nayiri Nahabedian — the top Armenian American candidate in the April 13 primary — out of the contest, Republican Sunder Ramani, a small-business owner and past president of the Burbank Chamber of Commerce, and Democrat Mike Gatto, an attorney and former district director for Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks)

I remember when I was little boy I was taught to never forget that Ottoman Turks massacred more than 1.5 million Armenians in 1915. I have been a true believer that if we forget and do not recognize the Armenian Genocide, that more will follow as it has since 1915. My kids always remember the genocide and understand the substantial implications of the day. Furthermore, I support any effort to have the Turkish government accept Armenian Genocide as a historical fact. However, I refuse to teach my children to hate or disrespect anyone of Turkish decent.

On Oct. 11, The Los Angeles Times reported that Turkey and Armenia “signed a landmark agreement Saturday to establish diplomatic relations and open their sealed borders after a century of enmity.” The Times article reported that the agreement would need to be ratified by both nations’ parliaments before it would become final. That sounded like progress to me. However, the day before the article appeared, the Glendale News-Press carried an editorial (“State officials are failing to hold the line,” Oct. 10)

There are a number of disputes tied to the protocols under which long-estranged Armenia and Turkey are expected to open official talks. There’s the future of Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed enclave within the borders of Azerbaijan that is home to many ethnic Armenians but that also has close ties to Turkey. There’s the land disputes between the two countries on the eastern front. But above all, there’s the condition for a historical commission to investigate the veracity of the Armenian Genocide perpetrated under Turkey’s forbearer, the Ottoman Empire.

Celebrating Armenian Independence Day is a little tricky. There is more than one Fourth of July equivalent for a nation that was ruled or invaded by Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Mongols, Persians, Ottoman Turks and Russians. More than 8,000 people of varying ethnicities were estimated to have danced, picnicked and celebrated the most recent declaration of independence when Armenia became the first non-Baltic republic to break away from the Soviet Union in 1991.