Oct. 29, 2019 – In a long awaited move by our Congressional representatives, the US House just voted in a mostly bipartisan fashion to finally acknowledge the gruesome ethnic cleansing “genocide” of over a million Armenians in their homeland in the early 20th century by the Ottoman Turks. This decimation of the Christian Armenian population–known to many people around the world, and acknowledged for many years by European nations as genocide against the Armenian people, finally got its official recognition in the US. Today, this long ignored human-rights atrocity garnered US recognition as a result of a vote by the US House of Representatives–a vote coming more than a century after the systematic slaughter of men, women and children by the Turks, and their subsequent pilfering of land and possessions of the Armenians. Notwithstanding today’s acknowledgement, there have been several legal arguments in court around the world–documenting the atrocities of the Armenian genocide–one in particular was argued by Amal Clooney, actor George Clooney’s wife.
Having lost many relatives at the hands of the Ottoman Turks–some by crucifixion and some by other barbaric means at the beginning of the twentieth century, I had hoped that the lessons of genocide would not have been embraced by a modern day Turkey. Yet, those hopes were dashed when the United States, at the command of President Trump, decided to abandon the Kurdish people to benefit Turkey. Not only did he order American troops to leave their Kurdish comrades, those who fought arm and arm with Americans on the ground against ISIS–Trump’s order left these Kurdish fighters high and dry–to be slaughtered by the Turks, just like the Armenians. No doubt, Trump’s recent “deals” with Erdogan of Turkey–gave the green light, spurring the “ethnic cleansing” a more palatable name for “genocide” to take place. And for what gain?
Not only is this appalling, but it is reprehensible that Vice President Mike Pence, a “self-proclaimed “devout” Christian who routinely avows his Christian family upbringing -would have a brother who would vote “against” the resolution that, would acknowledge the atrocities inflicted on the Armenian people–“the first people to acknowledge Christianity as a national religion” in 301AD.
Equally reprehensible, is Rep. Omar’s refusal to stand up to her platform of acknowledging “human rights” when she voted “present” when she had the opportunity to stand up for a grave injustice and atrocity. Is her stance the product of ignorance, or some other agenda? No matter the cause, she will surely suffer loss of support by those who truly stand up for human rights all around her district, and in the United States at large.
The other names voting against the recognition of the Armenian genocide include:
Reps: Baird, Brady, Brooks, Buschon, Cole, Foxx, Harris, Meadows, Pence, Rogers, Thornberry.
Those voting only “present” include Reps: Gosar, Johnson, Omar.
Not voting at all: Reps: Beatty, Carter, Gabbard, Hice, Hill (recently resigned), Huffman, McEachin, Ratcliffe, Thompson, Timmons, William, Wright, Zeldin.
Sadly, the Republican led senate by Mitch McConnell, has no intentions of taking up the matter for a Senate vote.
The lesson: if you don’t like what you see: know who they are, remember who they are, and vote them out.
UPDATE:
After this Article was Published, the Resolution passed the Senate in December, 2019, by ‘unanimous consent” after Sen. Bob Menendez (D – NJ), who sits as top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, brought the long-awaited Resolution up for consideration on the floor. The Senate rules, provide for legislation to pass by unanimous consent without a roll call vote if no senator objects. The US Senate Resolution ‘DID’ pass – unanimously, but Trump vetoed it, to curry favor with the Turkish government. So much for earning a place in history for the victims of brutal genocide. Recognition, a century in the making–yet no surprise by a president who admires oppressors & favors dictatorial regimes. This is a Vote to Remember.
Copyright 2019, Mary Kay Elloian, MBA, JD, The Legal Edition-Legal, Business & Policy News
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