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SORRY APOLOGIES
By: Garen Yegparian
Armenian Weekly
Fri, Aug 19 2011
It seems we're living in a time of apologies-some meaningful, some
irrelevant; some asked or demanded, others received or refused;
some for current and others historical offenses. Everyone seems to
want to get into the act. And, apologies, when given, are often of
questionable worth.
The pundit-ocracy was abuzz with President Clinton's apology for
slavery in 1998. The House of Representatives followed suit, a mere
decade later. What good did this do the descendants of the slaves?
Similarly, the Turkish apology campaign of 2008, while a welcome sign
of (miniscule) progress, didn't get us anything.
But apologies are being demanded more often than given, lately,
it seems.
We have President Sarkissian challenging President Aliyev to issue an
apology for saying that "something is missing from the Armenian brain"
with no remorseful outcome.
We have P.M. Erdogan demanding an apology from Sarkissian over his
comments to a child about the restoration of Western Armenia to its
rightful owners.
We have Turkey demanding apologies from Israel for the flotilla fiasco
of a year ago.
We have Israel wondering when Turkey will apologize for Cyprus.
Of course, the last of these is the closest one to relevance, and
points out Turkey's perfidy. After committing genocide, massacring
people, and occupying others' lands (Armenians, Assyrians, Cypriots,
Greeks, Kurds, Zazas, etc.), anyone in Turkey should be utterly
ashamed, totally cowed, and nowhere near the mindset that currently
exists-that asks others to apologize. Yet, the egomaniacal Erdogan
and his minions go about shamelessly doing just that!
We should be filling the letters pages of newspapers with missives
of ridicule at this situation. Don't wait! The next time some Turkish
leader (of Turkey or Azerbaijan) comes up with one of these ridiculous
demands, let loose with your keyboard, and hound your local newspaper
until they publish your outrage.
By: Garen Yegparian
Armenian Weekly
Fri, Aug 19 2011
It seems we're living in a time of apologies-some meaningful, some
irrelevant; some asked or demanded, others received or refused;
some for current and others historical offenses. Everyone seems to
want to get into the act. And, apologies, when given, are often of
questionable worth.
The pundit-ocracy was abuzz with President Clinton's apology for
slavery in 1998. The House of Representatives followed suit, a mere
decade later. What good did this do the descendants of the slaves?
Similarly, the Turkish apology campaign of 2008, while a welcome sign
of (miniscule) progress, didn't get us anything.
But apologies are being demanded more often than given, lately,
it seems.
We have President Sarkissian challenging President Aliyev to issue an
apology for saying that "something is missing from the Armenian brain"
with no remorseful outcome.
We have P.M. Erdogan demanding an apology from Sarkissian over his
comments to a child about the restoration of Western Armenia to its
rightful owners.
We have Turkey demanding apologies from Israel for the flotilla fiasco
of a year ago.
We have Israel wondering when Turkey will apologize for Cyprus.
Of course, the last of these is the closest one to relevance, and
points out Turkey's perfidy. After committing genocide, massacring
people, and occupying others' lands (Armenians, Assyrians, Cypriots,
Greeks, Kurds, Zazas, etc.), anyone in Turkey should be utterly
ashamed, totally cowed, and nowhere near the mindset that currently
exists-that asks others to apologize. Yet, the egomaniacal Erdogan
and his minions go about shamelessly doing just that!
We should be filling the letters pages of newspapers with missives
of ridicule at this situation. Don't wait! The next time some Turkish
leader (of Turkey or Azerbaijan) comes up with one of these ridiculous
demands, let loose with your keyboard, and hound your local newspaper
until they publish your outrage.