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Bush Wants Congress to Deny Armenian Genocide (Updated)

On one hand, I'd be the first one to tell you that mandating the (non)obervance of history is a stupid idea. Freedom of speech and all that.

But now that there are 226 co-sponsors for a House resolution calling on the US to recognize the World War I massacres of Armenians as genocide, well, one can't be faulted for hoping that the White House would come down on the side of the angels.

Apparently, one's hopes were dashed:

President Bush strongly urged Congress on Wednesday to reject legislation that would declare the World War I-era killings of hundreds of thousands of Armenians a genocide, saying it would do “great harm” to relations with Turkey, a key ally in the Iraq war.
Really, you don't have to be Armenian (like me) to be offended by that.

Fact is, Armenians have never demanded reparations, nor have we sued for a right of return. Nor have we even asked for an apology. What we would like is an acknowledgement that it happened. Then maybe we could talk about why. Is that too much to ask?

Bush reiterated his opposition to the bill, saying he recognized the tragedy, but that the determination over whether the events constitute a genocide should be a matter for historical inquiry, not legislation.
Of course. And that "historical inquiry" long ago decided that the genocide did occur and the Turkish government perpetrated it.

Let's get one thing straight -- unlike French law, there are no penalties in this resolution for denying it occured. And unlike Turkish law, there are no penalties for declaring that it did. The resolution simply says that it happened. And it makes this "Declaration of Policy:"

The House of Representatives--

(1) calls upon the President to ensure that the foreign policy of the United States reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the United States record relating to the Armenian Genocide and the consequences of the failure to realize a just resolution; and

(2) calls upon the President in the President's annual message commemorating the Armenian Genocide issued on or about April 24, to accurately characterize the systematic and deliberate annihilation of 1,500,000 Armenians as genocide and to recall the proud history of United States intervention in opposition to the Armenian Genocide.

UPDATE: The resolution passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee 27-21.

I posted a poll on this issue at Daily Kos. Visit, vote and read the comments -- there's over 100 and counting.

Comments

Can he sink any lower? Calling Bush human excrement is an insult to shit.

Kanye West only had it half right. It's not that George Bush doesn't care about black people, he doesn't care about other people.


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