And on and on and on and on and on....

There is a bill, or resolution in Congress to get the Turks to admit to the genocide. They claim it was a civil war and revolution by the Armenians. That's like putting the football in my hands and telling me to run for the goal, but look out for the tacklers. Congress probably will not pass it because they want to remain friends with the Turks (air bases and such). It has failed before.

The Armenians claim to be the first to adopt Christianity as a national religion, somewhere in the 4th or 5th century. Many people think we are muslim because of the country's location. At present, the country is surronded by muslim countries.

My parents came over in the late 1890's and early 1900's, before the genocide. My aunt who lived north of Boston(she passed away a few years ago) told stories of how my mother, who lived in the US at the time, raised money and bribed some foreign officials to help smuggle her and her mother out and get them to the US. This was at the time of the genocide. My aunt told of how the Turks--and the Kurds, came and took her father away and that was the end of that. I have a book written by my first cousin(on my father's side) telling of how they got away.

And now I read that the Turks and Kurds are fighting and killing each other. Ain't that a f---ing shame??

Thanks for the email.

The above email was sent to me in response to the blog I wrote about the Armenians from Turkey and the genocide practiced against them by the Turks that occurred at the turn of the 20th century. I thought I would include this as somewhat of an addendum to my earlier blog. It seems that the emnity of previous years continues on far past the time when we remember what we were fighting about. And it seems to spread beyond its original borders.

Today, the Kurds and Iraqis are trying to press influence in Turkey, which has been one of the more moderate voices in the Middle East for several decades. Meanwhile, the Armenians, who were originally from Turkey but now live in the West, press for some recognition of this devastation one hundred years ago. Meanwhile the Kurds and the Iraqis fight each other for control of the northern part of Iraq.

An impartial observer might be pressed to throw up his hands and go on to other things. Again, it is very sad that we are all spiritually connected and yet can't get along together.

As the progeny of Ulster Irish, I suppose I have no room to lecture.