Points about what is appropriate for an Armenian to do on the Armenian genocide remembrance day – April 24th, started earlier this week by the Armenia blog were picked up by the Ahousekeeper in his post: “Dress code? Yes, dress code!”, followed by a lively discussion:
One day out of the entire year motivates Armenians to get off their butts and do something for their people: April 24th. On the 24th of every April, Armenians the world over – but especially in the Los Angeles area – take to the streets to protest the Turkish embassy for recognition of the Genocide. The younger generation especially goes out to protest.
If you’re planning on doing the same, I have some tips for you:
1. April 24th is not a happy day. In fact, it marks the tortures and deaths of over 1,500,000 of our ancestors. Understand this thoroughly.
2. Don’t wear your latest hot pink top or fluffy mini skirt to the protest. This isn’t your bachelorette party, it’s a solemn occasion. Ask yourself, “Can I wear this to a funeral?” If the answer is no, then pick something else. You will have 364 other days in that year to wear what you want.
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If I sound a little bitter, it’s because I am. Every year I see this and every year it seems to get worse. I understand: you’re too young and not very bright. Kudos to you for deciding to dedicate one day out of your life to a cause greater than your own, but don’t use it as an excuse to make a mockery out of everything we’re fighting for. (Armenia blog)
Teaktak has an interesting observation at Ahousekeeper’s journal:
the saddest part is… … that the beamer driving music blasting punks don’t usually log into the net to read blogs, How to’s or informational sources for that matter. Besides, people have different understandings of the word “scream”, which is becoming mainstream for the cause.
Bekaisa(ru) brings in a whole new dimension to the Genocide discussion with her post, which has sparked a wave of comments too:
At yesterday’s meeting with the director of the film Screamers, I said, that if I were to go for a march on 24 April with some sort of symbolics, I would have gone with a banner saying “I forgive”.
The point is “not to forget, but to forgive”, Bekaisa(ru) speculates further, although she will most likely refrain from attending the traditional march to Tsitsernakaberd [the Armenian genocide memorial in Yerevan], but that’s a whole different issue, the blogger says.
The replies to the post are mostly highly critical (Orientalian(ru), Dmboshka(ru)), calling the post “cynical” and contesting various other points of view – all in the same spirit.
Narjan(ru) has taken the discussion over to his blog with the question:
Dear people, why don’t you tell me something, hah? What does it mean to forgive turks in general? Who alone, or which group of people can claim that they represent one and a half millions of genocide victims, to have the authority of forgiving or not forgiving?
However all the mentioned posts and comments to them prove an important point – we need a lot more discussion here in Armenia about the Armenian genocide, the quest for its recognition and our attitudes towards Genocides in general.