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LA COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY PASSES GENOCIDE RESOLUTION
asbarez
Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012
Southern California Armenian Democrats
LOS ANGELES-The Los Angeles County Democratic Party voted and
passed a resolution on the Armenian Genocide authored by the Southern
California Armenian Democrats - an LACDP Chartered club. The resolution
received widespread support from various organizations and clubs
on its way to final consideration by the LA County Democratic Party
executive committee and a copy of it will be sent to the White House,
Representatives Adam Schiff, Brad Sherman, Howard Barman, Henry Waxman,
and the California Democratic Party.
The vote came on the eve of the 97th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide - the World War 1 massacre and deportation of over 1.5
million Armenians from their ancestral homelands in present day
Eastern Turkey. Despite numerous official reports, eye witness
testimony and scholarly research, the Turkish government renounces
culpability regarding the genocide and engages in an active worldwide
campaign of denial.
The Resolution passed by the LACDP primarily calls for members of
the Democratic Party State Central Committee to be educated and made
aware of the Armenian Genocide and its subsequent denial by Turkish
authorities. The resolution was authored by the Southern California
Armenian Democrats - the first ever LA County chartered Armenian
Democratic organization. Earlier in the year, members of SCAD had
traveled to San Diego to participate in and attend the California
State Democratic Party's annual convention. At the convention, they
organized and carried out a peaceful protest at an event organized by
the California Democratic Party's Progressive Caucus who had invited
commentator and host of the Young Turks program, Cenk Uygur. Mr. Uygur
is founder and host of the ill-named program and has made denialist
statements about the Genocide on his program website.
Many democrats in attendance were not aware of Mr. Uygur's comments.
The Chair of the Caucus reaffirmed the Caucus's support of the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide but allowed Mr. Uygur to take
the stage despite protests.
"We have to educate members of the Democratic Party about the Armenian
Genocide and not assume that everyone knows about this issue as well
as we do," said SCAD Chair Armond Aghakhanian. "We will work on this
issue and see it through. We owe it to all Armenians regardless
of party affiliation. It's an issue of basic human rights and the
Democratic Party will reaffirm its moral stance."
The Resolution will next be considered at the Party's quarterly
Executive Board meeting in July.
Southern California Armenian Democrats (SCAD) is the largest
regional Armenian-American Democratic Club in Southern California,
working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters and
supporters throughout California. For more information please visit
www.socalarmenians.com or on face book or call 866-609-4999.
Below is the text of resolution passed by LACDP
AWARENESS OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE Whereas, between 1915 and 1923, the
government of Turkey and the Young Turk Party launched a premeditated
campaign of extermination against the indigenous Armenian population
of Asia Minor by massacres, death marches, rapes, and looting, causing
the death of one and a half million persons and scattering survivors
around the world in a global Diaspora; and
Whereas, the California Democratic Party is on record joining
Armenian-Americans, the international community and all people who
care about justice, in their remembrance of the Armenian Genocide
and their desire to ensure that the crime of genocide must never be
legitimized or forgotten, wherever and whenever it occurs; and
Whereas, the California Democratic Party has called upon the United
States Congress and the President of the United States to recognize
that the horrific crimes against humanity committed by the Ottoman
government from 1915 to 1923 must accurately and unequivocally be
characterized as genocide.
Therefore Be It Resolved, that the Los Angeles County Democratic Party,
on this ninety-seventh anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, commend
the Armenian community for bringing awareness to the genocide and
crimes against humanity and to ask the California Democratic Party to
publicly endorse efforts to educate DSCC members about the Armenian
Genocide and reject efforts to deny this crime; and,
Be It Further Resolved, that the Los Angeles County Democratic
Party send a copy of this resolution to President Barack Obama,
to Congressmembers Adam Schiff, Brad Sherman, Howard Barman, Henry
Waxman, and the California Democratic Party.
asbarez
Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012
Southern California Armenian Democrats
LOS ANGELES-The Los Angeles County Democratic Party voted and
passed a resolution on the Armenian Genocide authored by the Southern
California Armenian Democrats - an LACDP Chartered club. The resolution
received widespread support from various organizations and clubs
on its way to final consideration by the LA County Democratic Party
executive committee and a copy of it will be sent to the White House,
Representatives Adam Schiff, Brad Sherman, Howard Barman, Henry Waxman,
and the California Democratic Party.
The vote came on the eve of the 97th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide - the World War 1 massacre and deportation of over 1.5
million Armenians from their ancestral homelands in present day
Eastern Turkey. Despite numerous official reports, eye witness
testimony and scholarly research, the Turkish government renounces
culpability regarding the genocide and engages in an active worldwide
campaign of denial.
The Resolution passed by the LACDP primarily calls for members of
the Democratic Party State Central Committee to be educated and made
aware of the Armenian Genocide and its subsequent denial by Turkish
authorities. The resolution was authored by the Southern California
Armenian Democrats - the first ever LA County chartered Armenian
Democratic organization. Earlier in the year, members of SCAD had
traveled to San Diego to participate in and attend the California
State Democratic Party's annual convention. At the convention, they
organized and carried out a peaceful protest at an event organized by
the California Democratic Party's Progressive Caucus who had invited
commentator and host of the Young Turks program, Cenk Uygur. Mr. Uygur
is founder and host of the ill-named program and has made denialist
statements about the Genocide on his program website.
Many democrats in attendance were not aware of Mr. Uygur's comments.
The Chair of the Caucus reaffirmed the Caucus's support of the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide but allowed Mr. Uygur to take
the stage despite protests.
"We have to educate members of the Democratic Party about the Armenian
Genocide and not assume that everyone knows about this issue as well
as we do," said SCAD Chair Armond Aghakhanian. "We will work on this
issue and see it through. We owe it to all Armenians regardless
of party affiliation. It's an issue of basic human rights and the
Democratic Party will reaffirm its moral stance."
The Resolution will next be considered at the Party's quarterly
Executive Board meeting in July.
Southern California Armenian Democrats (SCAD) is the largest
regional Armenian-American Democratic Club in Southern California,
working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters and
supporters throughout California. For more information please visit
www.socalarmenians.com or on face book or call 866-609-4999.
Below is the text of resolution passed by LACDP
AWARENESS OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE Whereas, between 1915 and 1923, the
government of Turkey and the Young Turk Party launched a premeditated
campaign of extermination against the indigenous Armenian population
of Asia Minor by massacres, death marches, rapes, and looting, causing
the death of one and a half million persons and scattering survivors
around the world in a global Diaspora; and
Whereas, the California Democratic Party is on record joining
Armenian-Americans, the international community and all people who
care about justice, in their remembrance of the Armenian Genocide
and their desire to ensure that the crime of genocide must never be
legitimized or forgotten, wherever and whenever it occurs; and
Whereas, the California Democratic Party has called upon the United
States Congress and the President of the United States to recognize
that the horrific crimes against humanity committed by the Ottoman
government from 1915 to 1923 must accurately and unequivocally be
characterized as genocide.
Therefore Be It Resolved, that the Los Angeles County Democratic Party,
on this ninety-seventh anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, commend
the Armenian community for bringing awareness to the genocide and
crimes against humanity and to ask the California Democratic Party to
publicly endorse efforts to educate DSCC members about the Armenian
Genocide and reject efforts to deny this crime; and,
Be It Further Resolved, that the Los Angeles County Democratic
Party send a copy of this resolution to President Barack Obama,
to Congressmembers Adam Schiff, Brad Sherman, Howard Barman, Henry
Waxman, and the California Democratic Party.