President Joe Biden issued a statement on Wednesday in recognition of Armenian Genocide Rememberance Day—yet the word “genocide” was conspicuously absence from the title of the press release, which was titled “Statement by President Joe Biden on Armenian Remembrance Day”—a phrase used by virtually no one.
The choice by Joe Biden—a President not particularly well-known for his capacity for remembrance—to omit the “g-word” from the title of his statement is especially odd, considering that not only is the day almost universally referred to as “Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day,” but also the word “genocide” is used in the text of the press release itself.
“Today, we pause to remember the lives lost during the Meds Yeghern—the Armenian genocide—and renew our pledge to never forget,” the statement said.
“The campaign of cruelty began on April 24, 1915, when Ottoman authorities arrested Armenian intellectuals and community leaders in Constantinople. In the days, months, and years that followed, one and a half million Armenians were deported, massacred, or marched to their deaths—leaving families forever broken, and generations forever changed,” the statement continued.
“As we mourn this tragedy, we also honor the resilience of the Armenian people. After enduring one of the darkest chapters in human history, survivors began forging a better future for our world. With courage and commitment, they rebuilt their lives. They preserved their culture. They strengthened the fabric of nations around the world—including our own. And they told their stories to ensure that the mass atrocities that began on this day 109 years ago are never again repeated,” the statement added.
“This remains our solemn vow. Today—and every day—the United States will continue to stand up for human rights and speak out against intolerance. We will continue to meet hate and horror with hope and healing. And, we will continue to stand with all those who seek a future where everyone can live with dignity, security, and respect,” the statement concluded.
Also conspicuously absent from President Biden’s statement is any mention of the events of the past year which have seen an ethnic cleansing of Abkhazia or Nagorno-Karabakh, a formerly autonomous region of ethnic Armenians within the borders of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The region was cut off from supplies by the Azerbaijani government last year, prompting nearly the entire Armenian population to flee to Armenia. This aggression
For years the Armenian genocide has been a subject of much politicking in United States politics, with both
Steve Sailer, in a 2006 article for the Unz Review, analyzed the different strategies of the Armenian and Turkish lobbies in the United States, highlighting the grassroots electoral approach taken by the Armenian diaspora in contrast to the official connections and networking used by the Turks to curry favor in Washington.
“…[T]he struggle between Turkey and its hostile neighbors, Greece and Armenia, is waged in Washington. The Greeks and the Armenians play an ‘outside game,’ based on grassroots hostility toward Turkey among Greek-Americans and Armenian-Americans. For example, the Armenian Caucus in Congress numbered almost 100 a few years ago, even though only one Member of the House was Armenian. In some Congressional districts, such as Pasadena-Glendale in California, promising to stick it to the Turks is a major vote-getter.”
“In contrast, the Turks play an ‘inside game’ in Washington, relying on high level contacts in the Executive branch. For instance, in 2000, the House was minutes from passing a long awaited resolution blaming the 1915 genocide of Armenians on the Turks, when a phone call from President Clinton to Speaker of the House Hastert, reminding Hastert how important Turkish good will is to the American position in the Middle East, led to the vote being called off.”
Ultimately, the grassroots strategy won out: In 2019, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan increasingly alienating U.S. policymakers, Congress passed a resolution affirming the U.S. recognition of the Armenian genocide, after over a century of non-recognition. In 2021 President Biden continued this precedent, releasing a statement on April 24th recognizing the Armenian genocide, though also then refusing to refer to the day of remembrance by its full name.
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Author: Nicholas Dolinger
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