Kobe Bryant is just the tip of the iceberg, or foot in the door, depending on how you want to look at these things. His endorsement contract with Turkish Airlines is just one of many such reprehensible deals. There are probably others of which we’re unaware, and many, many more to come. What’s even more irritating on this front is that even some Armenians are saying, effectively “so what”. Just go read some of the postings under the online versions of the news about Kobe. Whether the argument is “it’s just business” or “we have bigger fish to fry”, it’s clear that these people simply don’t get it. They probably would’ve defended South Africa’s apartheid regime against those who implemented a boycott against it in the 1980s. Wake up! Turkish Airlines is an integral part of the government that continues to deny its legal predecessor’s genocide against us. Anything that helps Turkey’s government— in this case good publicity for Turkish Airlines which enhances that company’s money-making potential which in turn further empowers that outlaw state/government— is and must be in our crosshairs as part of our struggle.
Another irritating development comes to us from Ukraine. Imagine! The same country that was subjected to Stalin’s murderous purges (to the tune of millions dead) is now acting in a way that calls into question whether an Armenian Genocide resolution adopted by Crimea’s regional government was done properly. This is from a Turkish news source, so it may be misreported, but where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Involved is the “head of Crimea’s Azerbaijanis”. It seems to me like a back-door, legalistic way of trying to undermine Armenian Genocide recognition activities. So this whole thing is redolent of the anti-Russian based relationship of Ukraine and Azerbaijan. Shame on Ukrainian authorities for even giving this farce a moment’s legitimacy!
Would you rather eat food, in this case garlic, that’s travelled 6000 miles to get to you, or 300? That’s the boat I’m in. From Burbank to China vs. Gilroy (the “garlic capital of the world”, complete with its garlic festival and garlic ice cream) are the distances I give. And this applies to almost anything we eat wherever we live in the “developed” world. So much of it is now trucked not just a few dozens, or hundreds, of miles, but thousands. Out go freshness, flavor, and (arguably) even some nutrients, as that produce travels. Why? Because it must be picked extremely unripe, otherwise it would be rotten before it got to your grocer’s shelves. Root vegetables like garlic are a little different, true, but that’s not the point. It’s this “factorification” of farming that is. And, that’s not all. By moving around so much food over such great distances, we’re also consuming massive amounts of fuel, further polluting our home and endangering our health. At long last, there’s also the loss of joy. If strawberries are available year round (as they now are—I recall reading in the 1990s about a farmer who boasted to the reporter that soon it would be possible, as if that’s a good thing), they’re not special. You can’t look forward to strawberry season, or peach season, or watermelon, or whatever veggie or fruit used to have its time…
How irritating is that arrogant, now convicted, former House (Republican) Majority Leader Tom “the hammer” DeLay of Texas? He gamed the campaign finance system. Using that money, he gamed congressional redistricting in Texas. That in turn tilted things in Republicans’ favor, causing further harm to the country. Now that he’s busted and a jury has found him guilty, he has the temerity to say, “Hopefully we can get this in front of people who understand the law” when referring to his plans to appeal. Delay faces five to 99 years in prison. I hope he gets hammered for at least 20 years in the hell that is the Texas prison system.
While on the topic of nasty political shenanigans, how about the gamesmanship by the Republicans that has left one in eight U.S. federal judgeships vacant (as of August). The Republicans claim it’s payback for what the Democratic senators did during the Bush years. As usual, the facts contradict their claims as a comparison of the percentage appointees confirmed during the first 18 months of presidencies shows:
Obama 47%
Bush, Jr. 87%
Clinton 84%
Bush, Sr. 79%
Reagan 93%
Remember that in the case of the three Republican presidents above, their first eighteen months were during periods of Democratic control of the Senate. Clearly this is just another example of the Republicans wanting to make government intentionally and artificially dysfunctional so they can parade that as “proof” of their ideologically-based claim that government needs to be shrunken.
Another irritating pool of humans is composed of those who feel compelled to honk their horns when they come upon a bicycle in the road. Please be aware that bicyclists have the right to be in the road. They’re also supposed to the right, but that’s not always safe because of parked cars or dangerous debris. Try to imagine what it’s like to have to weave back and forth, into and out of automobile traffic, squeezing between that and the cars on the side of the road. Plus, think of the way that pointless honking endangers a cyclist who is calmly riding along. And, all this still goes on despite months’ worth of “give them 3” campaigning in the Los Angeles area intended to urge motorists to come no closer than three feet to bicyclists. As someone who commutes on a bicycle, I can tell you that message still hasn’t gotten through.
Let’s wrap up with another Armenian themed irritant. Last week I had my second overt hate-comment-encounter since moving to the LA basin. Some guy in a pickup motioned for me to open my window, under the rain. I did, then, proceeded to listen to his outburst. Claiming I’d cut him off and that I should be more courteous, he closed with “this is not Armenia, it’s the U.S.” There was nothing in or on my car to identify me as Armenian. Also, I’m often told I don’t “look Armenian” by people who are surprised that I am. So what elicited the pickup driver’s slur? If he thought I wasn’t Armenian, and felt “safe” in making that statement, it speaks loudly as to what is currently “acceptable” speech in some non-Armenian circles. There’s another possible explanation, too. He might, given his age, still be laboring under the stereotype that “Armenians drive VW Golfs”. My car is a Golf. I posit this because I’ve been informed that some three decades ago, a hate-flyer was distributed at Glendale Community College focusing on the theme of Armenians driving Golfs.
Don’t put up with BS, expose it, challenge it, remedy it.
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I am one of the posters expressing doubt about the wisdom of the Kobe campaign.
While I do not dispute the right of any individual or organization to express disappointment, I repeat that one needs to pick battles one can win. If an organization wants to educate the public about TA and the government which owns it as a basis for complaint, that’s fine. But demanding that a greedy adulterer give back money is a demand which is sure to fail. We might as well demand in the interest of Christian morality and traditional Armenian family values that the Kardashians behave themselves with dignity, and give up a reality show based upon their embarrassing actions.
The parallel to South Africa may make sense to us, Greeks, Assyrians and Kurds, but it does not yet resonate with Americans who don’t know where France is, or that World War I preceded World War II. All they know is that a group they never heard of is complaining about a deal on grounds they also never heard of.
I think the Kobe campaign has become a fiasco, making us look small and weak. American sportscasters were unsympathetic. We are neither small nor weak, and our many causes are significant, not to be laughed at by the Boise radio sportscaster.
If judges are as stupid as the judge(s) that first claimed
that the Calif. law about the Armenian genocide was against US
policy, then I don’t want any more judges, Garen.
Hye Garin, a Turkey is using another PLOY – Kobe since about two years ago Kobe spoke up against the Sudanese Genocide of the Darfurians…
(a Turkey and Sudanese are muslim allies) thus using a Kobe (as a sports celebrity- also for Darfurians)
is how a Turkey ‘gets back’ and even in your face, to all the world… via a Kobe.
Too, a Turkey pursues this same PLOY to destroy/eliminate the Woodrow Wilson memorial site which was built by American citizens to honor the memory of our president – in Washington DC, USA. Why? Wilson spoke up against the Turks vile elimination of the Armenian nation in the early 20th century. Even though a Turkey denies the Turkish Genocide of the Armenian nation… it does recognize Wilson’s stance of nearly 100 years ago. Today, the bully Turk has attacked/invaded – Washington DC/USA via the memorium to an Armeican president – bully Turks fully funding this destruction. Obviously Turks have
gagged the USA State Department and too, the White House and too, the medias of the USA… for there
has not been any mention of this dishonoring of our own president, in our own lands, by a bully Turkey.
Too, the great grandson of Wilson is pursuing this matter… It appears that the Smithsonian Museums are
being ‘used’ as well. Too, the retirement of the ‘president’ of the Woodrow Wilson foundation retired recently – can’t imagine he didn’t see/know of the Turks actions against Wilson’s memorium… he probably was retired ‘with honors’!! Certainly a Turkey has ‘gagged’ so many areas of USA in their usual mode of spreading monies as needed – Turkey style. I wonder, do the ex-Congressmen lobbyists for a Turkey
been aiding/abetting these PLOYs/actions against Americans Kobe and Wilson? For, possibly, did a Kobe realize he was being ‘used’… just a basketball player… Manooshag
So a Kobe chose to be with the ‘winners’ – Genocide perpetrators muslim Turkey and Sudanese.
But yet, Kobe,
Did you lie to the Darfurians (a few years ago) when you recognized the vile Sudanese Genocide of the peoples of Darfur?
Manooshag
I think going agaist Kobe’s deal is a somewhat good idea, but not an excellent idea.
There are too many people who love Kobe, and this would just piss them off.
Rather, I think we should hold protests in front of the companies that gave $ who fight genocide resolutions.
We can find them here:http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/billsum.php?id=105918&lname=H.RES.252
The angle that hasn’t been covered here is that Turkish airlines are going to operate direct flights LA to
Istanbul. Who do you think is going to fill up those seats, the same Armenians who don’t care of these issues. I went to Armenia last summer, I wished there was a direct flight to Yerevan. Our flight was via Moscow i would never do that again.
Where is our government why havn’t they worked it out yet. I’ve been hearing about a direct flight line opening for three years now.
I would like to see some of the billionaires in Armenia invest more time and money in the country’s interest, counter Turkey’s huge undertakings such as this one it’s good for business.