Obama and 1915

The one thing about history is that it can come back and bite you on the backside, the issue of the Armenians that were massacred in Turkey in 1915 during World War One is not a new thorny issue for the Oval Office, even Reagan had problems with the issue in the 1980s. As Candidate Obama, President Obama called the deaths in 1915 a genocide, but POTUS has to deal with Turkey as a NATO ally, and a close friend in the region. The extreme liberal New York Times takes POTUS to task for his more diplomatic approach to Turkey, the President does not call these deaths a genocide, the NYT writes the following, " once again declined to do so on Saturday as he marked the anniversary of the start of the killings. " President Obama in a written statement states the following, " On this solemn day of remembrance, we pause to recall that ninety-five years ago one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century began. In that dark moment of history, 1.5 million Armenians were massacred or marched to their death in the final days of the Ottoman Empire. Today is a day to reflect upon and draw lessons from these terrible events. I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915, and my view of that history has not changed. ( In other words President Obama still keep to his view that the killings came under the term genocide but does not say that in the statement, for once Obama is right to follow the middle path, it seems to have annoyed the Left in the US and Turkey ) It is in all of our interest to see the achievement of a full, frank and just acknowledgment of the facts. The Meds Yeghern is a devastating chapter in the history of the Armenian people, and we must keep its memory alive in honor of those who were murdered and so that we do not repeat the grave mistakes of the past. I salute the Turks who saved Armenians in 1915 and am encouraged by the dialogue among Turks and Armenians, and within Turkey itself, regarding this painful history. Together, the Turkish and Armenian people will be stronger as they acknowledge their common history and recognize their common humanity. Even as we confront the inhumanity of 1915, we also are inspired by the remarkable spirit of the Armenian people. While nothing can bring back those who were killed in the Meds Yeghern, the contributions that Armenians have made around the world over the last ninety-five years stand as a testament to the strength, tenacity and courage of the Armenian people. The indomitable spirit of the Armenian people is a lasting triumph over those who set out to destroy them. Many Armenians came to the United States as survivors of the horrors of 1915. Over the generations Americans of Armenian descent have richened our communities, spurred our economy, and strengthened our democracy. The strong traditions and culture of Armenians also became the foundation of a new republic which has become a part of the community of nations, partnering with the world community to build a better future. Today, we pause with them and with Armenians everywhere to remember the awful events of 1915 with deep admiration for their contributions which transcend this dark past and give us hope for the future. " As they say in Chicago lets hope Obama has a learned a lesson, it easy on the Campaign trail to make statements about history, more easy if you don't have a clue! Obama is lawyer, he does not have a Degree in International Politics and International History. Thus history has come back to bite Obama on the backside, we have the history from 1915, and also the statements that Obama stated in the Campaign of 08. One doubts Obama has gone beyond his own hubris yet, but lets hope he has learned a lesson from history.