PBS Online Petition (NRR)

Skip DrinkwaterSkip Drinkwater 1,694 Posts
edited February 2006 in Strut Central
http://www.petitiononline.com/pbspanel/petition.htmlPBS is airing a documentary in the near future, on the Armenian Genocide . For those who don't know the details, it was the first major genocide of the 20th century, during which 1.5 million Armenians (as well as hundreds of thousands of Greeks and Kurds) were systematically slaughtered by the Turkish Ottoman Government in 1915. There are thousands of eye witnesses as well as documents and graphic photographs of the aftermath, during which innocent men, women, and children were slaughtered in horrendous ways that I prefer not to list. PBS is airing this documentary, followed by a panel discussion included a few people who deny that this ever happened. For the sake of all those people who were butchered, I think this is extremely sad and upsetting. I hate to make a comparison, but this is like PBS airing a Holocaust documentary, and following it with a panel discussion discussing whether or not the Holocaust actually happened. It's really disgusting. This doesn't involve politics or religion, it's only about humanity. I urge anyone to please take a minute and sign this petition online (all they ask for is a name, e-mail, and country). Thank you all for reading this. Peace.

  Comments


  • Done, Good Call !

  • Done, Good Call !

  • coffinjoecoffinjoe 1,743 Posts
    how the f can they say it never happened

    the armenian genocide hasn't been well publicized here,
    but it is well documented
    who are these naysayers, revisionists,
    ataturk worshippers ?

  • how the f can they say it never happened

    the armenian genocide hasn't been well publicized here,
    but it is well documented
    who are these naysayers, revisionists,
    ataturk worshippers ?
    I think the basis for all that is the fact that it's still (technically) unrecognized by the American Government for political reasons (Turkey being a valuable ally). And of course there are still people in Turkey who (also for political reasons) deny that there was ever a genocide, and claim it was a "war" instead. Although in recent years there have been numerous Turkish scholars who have published material accepting that there was in fact a genocide, but were immediately imprisoned for "speaking against the government". And this opressive government is the same one hoping to be accepted into the European union.

    Listening to some eyewitness/survivor accounts is one of the saddest and horrendous things i've ever heard. And they have the nerve to give airtime to the opposition...

  • coffinjoecoffinjoe 1,743 Posts
    opressive government is the same one hoping to be accepted into the European union...

    whose member's hands are as clean as.........................







    oh, well, throwing stones from my glass house.......

  • opressive government is the same one hoping to be accepted into the European union...

    whose member's hands are as clean as.........................







    oh, well, throwing stones from my glass house.......
    yeah that's a different story, but you get the gist...

  • spivyspivy 866 Posts
    Wow siro...thanks for the info. I will pass this info on to my girlfriend and her family. My girlfriends great grandfather was killed during this genocide and her family immigrated to america. My girl is very serious about this. I can't believe people dispute the fact that this happened... this isn't the first time i've heard people claim this though...check out this article http://www.boston.com/news/local/massach...cide_is_taught/

  • thanks for the link. it's so disgusting when politics takes seniority over millions of human lives...

    *shakes head*



  • BsidesBsides 4,244 Posts
    thanks for the links.



    I dunno if im gonna sign up to make pbs take something off the air. Im not informed enough about the issue to state an opinion, but id like to see the documentary. Are you absolutely sure thats the only issue being discussed at the proceeding panel? Are you sure the petition doesnt come from people who would rather you not know about it at all?

  • BsidesBsides 4,244 Posts
    Anyway, when did this happen? 1915?

    I think your analogy about the holocaust is a bit overdoing it. That was in the 1940's. And it was rigourously documented by the nazi's themselves, as very widely reported to the world press. People that call for investigations and speculate that the jewish holocaust never occurred are clearly following a racist agenda and are completely fucking crazy.

  • BsidesBsides 4,244 Posts
    Never mind, i dont even know enough about this to say anything important. But I think that means i shouldnt sign the petition either.

  • thanks for the links.



    I dunno if im gonna sign up to make pbs take something off the air. Im not informed enough about the issue to state an opinion, but id like to see the documentary. Are you absolutely sure thats the only issue being discussed at the proceeding panel? Are you sure the petition doesnt come from people who would rather you not know about it at all?
    it's not a petition to take PBS off the air, it's to stop them from airing that discussion panel questioning whether or not the Genocide happened.

  • Anyway, when did this happen? 1915?

    I think your analogy about the holocaust is a bit overdoing it. That was in the 1940's. And it was rigourously documented by the nazi's themselves, as very widely reported to the world press. People that call for investigations and speculate that the jewish holocaust never occurred are clearly following a racist agenda and are completely fucking crazy.
    yes it happened in 1915. i don't see why it's "overdoing it" as a comparison. there are tons of documents worldwide regarding what happened, and it was also widely reported to the world press. the fact that you don't hear as much about it doesn't mean the facts aren't there. the American Ambassador to Turkey at the time (Henry Morgenthau) confronted the Young Turk leaders, trying to persuade them to cease and desist, and then he telegraphed the American Secretary of State calling the Turkish action an attempt at "racial extermination," another synonym for genocide. whether or not it happened is unquestionable.

    Hitler made a statement in 1939 of his plans in Poland:
    I have placed my death-head formations in readiness - for the present only in the East - with orders to them to send to death mercilessly and without compassion , men, women, and children of Polish derivation and language. Only thus shall we gain the living space (lebensraum) which we need. Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?[/b]

  • Never mind, i dont even know enough about this to say anything important. But I think that means i shouldnt sign the petition either.
    you can always do your own research. i realize this may seem insignificant to those who aren't well-informed on the topic. the fact that millions of human beings were slaughtered with no mercy and whether or not they actually were murdered is up for debate, is reason enough to take a few minutes to hop on google and do a few searches.

  • spivyspivy 866 Posts
    The genocide was very real. My girls great grandfather was an armenian in the turkish parliament...he was murdered during the genocide with over 1 million armenians. Using a holocost references in this instance is not unreasonable...hitler was a student of history. check this out... www.historywiz.com/annihilation.htm

  • BsidesBsides 4,244 Posts
    Ok fine Ill sign it.

  • coffinjoecoffinjoe 1,743 Posts
    I dunno if im gonna sign up to make pbs take something off the air. Im not informed enough about the issue to state an opinion, but id like to see the documentary. Are you absolutely sure thats the only issue being discussed at the proceeding panel? Are you sure the petition doesnt come from people who would rather you not know about it at all?

    i had mixed feelings about censorship & free speech,
    on one hand i would like to hear how these revisionist try to spin it
    (blame it on the germans, denial, etc)
    maybe exposing them to the public would shame them, silence them
    or at least identify them , their backers & their motives to the world
    but
    then i think about the nazi holocaust reviosist, how they won't go away or shut up
    no matter how much exposure their lunacy is giving
    why should my tax & pledge dollars support their right to free speech
    meanwhile
    history repeats itself in sudan.......
    while the rest of the world watches (or ignores)

  • my boss is married to a turk and denies that this shit ever happened, we have books on the whole thing (with pictures) and she still denies it, says its all lies to hurt the turks

    good looking out siro

  • my boss is married to a turk and denies that this shit ever happened, we have books on the whole thing (with pictures) and she still denies it, says its all lies to hurt the turks

    good looking out siro
    i felt like i had to do/say something...

  • pcmrpcmr 5,591 Posts
    Good job Siro

    My dad worked with city hall here in Mtl to get it officially recognised by the city and now there is a day dedicated to it.
    I thought the US had recognised it but i guess not.

    I understan what you mean. Reviosionists on tv would not be accepted. In the Armenian case i do not know if it is lack of civil society. But i believe the issue is misguided/unknown to most. So bringing in both spectrum is for debate. I cant wait to see what these guys will say to defend themselves after viewing the film.
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