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A LESSON IN TRYING: ELIZABETH WARREN DISCUSSES VISION, ARMENIAN-AMERICAN CONCERNS WITH THE WEEKLY
by Nanore Barsoumian
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2012/08/27/a-lesson-in-trying/
August 27, 2012
Elizabeth Warren (right) with Nanore Barsoumian BOSTON,
Mass. (A.W.)-Elizabeth Warren, the Democratic candidate for the
U.S. Senate in Massachusetts, prides herself on her middle class
roots. Warren has made it her mission to fight for financial protection
for the middle class against banks and financial institutions, having
herself experienced economic hardship as a young girl: Her father
suffered a heart attack when she was only 12. Soon, he was demoted
to a less-paying job at the store where he worked.
Warren's mother had to find employment to keep up with the bills, and
Elizabeth followed suit, waitressing at her aunt's restaurant at 13.
A Harvard law professor, much of Warren's career has focused on the
effect of bankruptcy on people. Following the 2008 financial crisis,
Warren served as chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel for
Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), working to hold Wall Street
accountable. She proved instrumental in the creation of the Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau. TIME magazine called her the "New Sherriff
of Wall Street."
In this interview with Armenian Weekly assistant editor Nanore
Barsoumian, Warren talks about her guiding principles, and her vision
for the nation. In that context, she also addresses issues that are
important to the Armenian-American community, including justice for
the Armenian Genocide, and freedom for the people of Nagorno-Karabagh.
Nanore Barsoumian-You believe the most important investments are in
research, education, infrastructure, and jobs. You have talked about
women's rights in terms of equal pay at the workplace, the duty to
provide our seniors with social security and Medicare, and overall
accountability in government. In the end, you've argued that our
choices essentially reflect "what kind of a people we are, and what
kind of a country we are trying to build."
What do you believe is the most crucial issue of the day, how would
you address it, and how will it define America?
Elizabeth Warren-The most important issue today is the economic future
of the middle class and working families. And that starts with jobs.
In the short term, we need to get people back to work. We've got
work that needs to be done-especially in rebuilding our roads and
bridges-and we've got people who need work. We should be acting right
now to pass jobs bills to get people working. In the longer term, we
need to create the conditions for economic growth and job creation. We
have to invest in infrastructure, education, and research-the building
blocks for a strong future. And we have to level the playing field
so that the system isn't rigged to work against small businesses.
Ultimately, this election is about whose side you're on and what
kind of country we're going to be in the future. Scott Brown, Mitt
Romney, and the Republican Party want more and more tax cuts for big
corporations and billionaires, while middle class families struggle.
Washington is rigged for the big guys and I think we need a level
playing field so middle class families and small businesses have a
fair shot. Instead of helping the rich and powerful get richer and
more powerful, we need to work to strengthen the middle class and
small businesses.
N.B.-You have spoken about the predatory practices of the financial
giants. You oppose the Keystone oil pipeline. You support the
president's health care law, and raising taxes on upper-income
earners. In turn, the political director of the U.S. Chamber of
Commerce-which has endorsed Sen. Scott Brown-has called you the
greatest "threat to free enterprise." What is your response?
E.W.-I've talked to so many small business owners and entrepreneurs all
across Massachusetts and I think what makes America such an exciting
country to be in is that anybody who is hard-working can get out there
and start a business. But right now, the system is rigged against
small businesses. Small businesses can't afford an army of lobbyists
like the big corporations can, so they don't get to write loopholes
into the law and pay zero in taxes. Think about it: Scott Brown voted
to continue billions in taxpayer subsidies to big oil companies that
make tens of billions in profit. So while the big guys are getting
special deals, small businesses are picking up the tab.
That isn't right. I think we need a level playing field for all
Americans, and part of that is that the biggest corporations have to
pay their fair share.
N.B.-In the upcoming Senate race in Massachusetts, what issues could
sway independent voters?
E.W.-This election is going to be about whose side you stand on. Scott
Brown has made it clear he stands with Wall Street, Big Oil, and the
largest corporations, against the interests of working people here
in Massachusetts. I've fought my whole career to level the playing
field for small businesses and working families. There's a clear
choice in this race, and that's what I'm going to be talking about
each day from now until the election.
N.B.-So far you have focused on a grassroots campaign. How are you
reaching out to minority voters?
E.W.-I'm focused on reaching out every day to communities across the
Commonwealth and hearing from families about the issues important to
them. I have opened campaign offices all across the state, including
in minority communities. I've spent my career fighting to create a
level playing field, and I'll be a strong advocate in the U.S. Senate
for hardworking families throughout Massachusetts.
N.B.-The U.S. House overwhelmingly adopted a resolution in December
2011, calling on the Turkish government to honor the right of their
Christian population to worship freely, and urging them to return
confiscated Christian churches to their rightful owners. Similar
legislation is currently pending in the Senate, introduced by Sen.
Brown. Many of Massachusetts' Armenian community received refuge in
America from the horrors of the Armenian Genocide. Will you support
pressing Turkey to return stolen Christian and other religious church
properties?
E.W.-Yes, I support efforts urging the Turkish government to return
religious sites to their rightful owners. As a country, we believe in
religious freedom, at home and around the world. I also appreciate
the efforts of the Armenian-American community and Senators of both
parties to bring awareness and recognition to this issue and to the
genocide. If we do not recognize the horrors of the past, we risk
repeating those horrors in the future. The genocide of 1.5 million
Armenians from 1915 to 1923 is an atrocity that we must never forget.
N.B.-The Massachusetts legislature recently recognized the democratic,
free-market oriented society of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic. After
overcoming the brutal legacy of Stalin's arbitrary decision to place
Karabagh under Soviet Azerbaijani administration, the population of
Nagorno-Karabagh continues to struggle against Azerbaijan's campaign
of blockades, ethnic cleansing, and outright military aggression. Will
you support the Nagorno Karabagh Republic's right to independence?
E.W.-Yes, I support Nagorno Karabagh's right to self-determination,
and I hope for progress through the efforts of the Minsk Group and
the Armenian government to seek a peaceful outcome. Too many lives
have been lost already.
N.B.-And finally, if I may, a personal question: What is the most
important life lesson you have learned?
E.W.-When I went to Washington to help create the Consumer Financial
Protection Bureau, I learned how important it is to stand up and fight
for what you believe in, even when everyone says it can't be done.
When I first proposed a new consumer agency to protect people from the
tricks and traps of big banks and credit card companies, people said
it would never happen because the Washington lobbyists would stop us.
But we organized and brought together a broad coalition of groups and
people and won. If we hadn't tried, we wouldn't have changed anything,
so this is a lesson in trying-even against all the odds.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
by Nanore Barsoumian
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2012/08/27/a-lesson-in-trying/
August 27, 2012
Elizabeth Warren (right) with Nanore Barsoumian BOSTON,
Mass. (A.W.)-Elizabeth Warren, the Democratic candidate for the
U.S. Senate in Massachusetts, prides herself on her middle class
roots. Warren has made it her mission to fight for financial protection
for the middle class against banks and financial institutions, having
herself experienced economic hardship as a young girl: Her father
suffered a heart attack when she was only 12. Soon, he was demoted
to a less-paying job at the store where he worked.
Warren's mother had to find employment to keep up with the bills, and
Elizabeth followed suit, waitressing at her aunt's restaurant at 13.
A Harvard law professor, much of Warren's career has focused on the
effect of bankruptcy on people. Following the 2008 financial crisis,
Warren served as chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel for
Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), working to hold Wall Street
accountable. She proved instrumental in the creation of the Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau. TIME magazine called her the "New Sherriff
of Wall Street."
In this interview with Armenian Weekly assistant editor Nanore
Barsoumian, Warren talks about her guiding principles, and her vision
for the nation. In that context, she also addresses issues that are
important to the Armenian-American community, including justice for
the Armenian Genocide, and freedom for the people of Nagorno-Karabagh.
Nanore Barsoumian-You believe the most important investments are in
research, education, infrastructure, and jobs. You have talked about
women's rights in terms of equal pay at the workplace, the duty to
provide our seniors with social security and Medicare, and overall
accountability in government. In the end, you've argued that our
choices essentially reflect "what kind of a people we are, and what
kind of a country we are trying to build."
What do you believe is the most crucial issue of the day, how would
you address it, and how will it define America?
Elizabeth Warren-The most important issue today is the economic future
of the middle class and working families. And that starts with jobs.
In the short term, we need to get people back to work. We've got
work that needs to be done-especially in rebuilding our roads and
bridges-and we've got people who need work. We should be acting right
now to pass jobs bills to get people working. In the longer term, we
need to create the conditions for economic growth and job creation. We
have to invest in infrastructure, education, and research-the building
blocks for a strong future. And we have to level the playing field
so that the system isn't rigged to work against small businesses.
Ultimately, this election is about whose side you're on and what
kind of country we're going to be in the future. Scott Brown, Mitt
Romney, and the Republican Party want more and more tax cuts for big
corporations and billionaires, while middle class families struggle.
Washington is rigged for the big guys and I think we need a level
playing field so middle class families and small businesses have a
fair shot. Instead of helping the rich and powerful get richer and
more powerful, we need to work to strengthen the middle class and
small businesses.
N.B.-You have spoken about the predatory practices of the financial
giants. You oppose the Keystone oil pipeline. You support the
president's health care law, and raising taxes on upper-income
earners. In turn, the political director of the U.S. Chamber of
Commerce-which has endorsed Sen. Scott Brown-has called you the
greatest "threat to free enterprise." What is your response?
E.W.-I've talked to so many small business owners and entrepreneurs all
across Massachusetts and I think what makes America such an exciting
country to be in is that anybody who is hard-working can get out there
and start a business. But right now, the system is rigged against
small businesses. Small businesses can't afford an army of lobbyists
like the big corporations can, so they don't get to write loopholes
into the law and pay zero in taxes. Think about it: Scott Brown voted
to continue billions in taxpayer subsidies to big oil companies that
make tens of billions in profit. So while the big guys are getting
special deals, small businesses are picking up the tab.
That isn't right. I think we need a level playing field for all
Americans, and part of that is that the biggest corporations have to
pay their fair share.
N.B.-In the upcoming Senate race in Massachusetts, what issues could
sway independent voters?
E.W.-This election is going to be about whose side you stand on. Scott
Brown has made it clear he stands with Wall Street, Big Oil, and the
largest corporations, against the interests of working people here
in Massachusetts. I've fought my whole career to level the playing
field for small businesses and working families. There's a clear
choice in this race, and that's what I'm going to be talking about
each day from now until the election.
N.B.-So far you have focused on a grassroots campaign. How are you
reaching out to minority voters?
E.W.-I'm focused on reaching out every day to communities across the
Commonwealth and hearing from families about the issues important to
them. I have opened campaign offices all across the state, including
in minority communities. I've spent my career fighting to create a
level playing field, and I'll be a strong advocate in the U.S. Senate
for hardworking families throughout Massachusetts.
N.B.-The U.S. House overwhelmingly adopted a resolution in December
2011, calling on the Turkish government to honor the right of their
Christian population to worship freely, and urging them to return
confiscated Christian churches to their rightful owners. Similar
legislation is currently pending in the Senate, introduced by Sen.
Brown. Many of Massachusetts' Armenian community received refuge in
America from the horrors of the Armenian Genocide. Will you support
pressing Turkey to return stolen Christian and other religious church
properties?
E.W.-Yes, I support efforts urging the Turkish government to return
religious sites to their rightful owners. As a country, we believe in
religious freedom, at home and around the world. I also appreciate
the efforts of the Armenian-American community and Senators of both
parties to bring awareness and recognition to this issue and to the
genocide. If we do not recognize the horrors of the past, we risk
repeating those horrors in the future. The genocide of 1.5 million
Armenians from 1915 to 1923 is an atrocity that we must never forget.
N.B.-The Massachusetts legislature recently recognized the democratic,
free-market oriented society of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic. After
overcoming the brutal legacy of Stalin's arbitrary decision to place
Karabagh under Soviet Azerbaijani administration, the population of
Nagorno-Karabagh continues to struggle against Azerbaijan's campaign
of blockades, ethnic cleansing, and outright military aggression. Will
you support the Nagorno Karabagh Republic's right to independence?
E.W.-Yes, I support Nagorno Karabagh's right to self-determination,
and I hope for progress through the efforts of the Minsk Group and
the Armenian government to seek a peaceful outcome. Too many lives
have been lost already.
N.B.-And finally, if I may, a personal question: What is the most
important life lesson you have learned?
E.W.-When I went to Washington to help create the Consumer Financial
Protection Bureau, I learned how important it is to stand up and fight
for what you believe in, even when everyone says it can't be done.
When I first proposed a new consumer agency to protect people from the
tricks and traps of big banks and credit card companies, people said
it would never happen because the Washington lobbyists would stop us.
But we organized and brought together a broad coalition of groups and
people and won. If we hadn't tried, we wouldn't have changed anything,
so this is a lesson in trying-even against all the odds.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress