Vote NO on the MSNBC Survey on the PBS Panel Discussion

[Hovik]

Rudo - you miss the point completely. If there were a scientific PBS program concerning Star Creation in our Galaxy - would PBS be required to provide equal time to adherents of some mythology who claimed that these bits of light we see were spat out by some serpent that circles our Earth and that these bits of light are really only just attached to the Aether above us? Does wasting time with every possible counter argument - no matter how absurd - do anyone any good? Does just the fact that PBS would present such a counter argument give it legitimacy even if it is undeserving? Sad.

Very nicely put. Well done. You said exactly what I was trying to say...

[Hovik]

what happened?

What happened? We're gonna lose this poll to Turks? Send this to all your friends and let them know how important it is for them to vote and pass it on! The world is watching this poll...

[Gavur]

When will it close?

[elendil]

%58-%42 now

[Hovik]

I don't know, coming up on 100,000 votes no? I don't know how much longer they'll let it go...

[Vogelgrippe]

Rudo, I respect your opinion, but have to ask your opinion on this:

If the PBS wanted to show a program of the Cambodian Genocide, should they include a panel discussion afterward with the supporters and representatives of the Khamer Rouge?

Hovik, if you compare it with Khamer Rouge and Cambodian Genocide, you are totally right.

But if you compare it with the evaluation of the 1992-1995 events in Bosnia, let's say, in the year 2050, it would be totally different. Would you exclude Serbs from the program who would certainly claim that also Bosnian Muslim militants killed thousands innocent Serbian civilians as well? Even though Bosnian Muslim civilian casualties were about five to eight times bigger, would it be a valid reason to exlude & ignore attrocities committed by Bosnian Muslims?

As a Turk with Macedonian and Bosnian ancestry, it was very hard for me to explain my points to some friends and familiy members. Hopefully you will also see that the conclusion about the yes/no vote will also depend on the framework of comparison.

[Hovik]

Hovik, if you compare it with Khamer Rouge and Cambodian Genocide, you are totally right.

But if you compare it with the evaluation of the 1992-1995 events in Bosnia, let's say, in the year 2050, it would be totally different. Would you exclude Serbs from the program who would certainly claim that also Bosnian Muslim militants killed thousands innocent Serbian civilians as well? Even though Bosnian Muslim civilian casualties were about five to eight times bigger, would it be a valid reason to exlude & ignore attrocities committed by Bosnian Muslims?

As a Turk with Macedonian and Bosnian ancestry, it was very hard for me to explain my points to some friends and familiy members. Hopefully you will also see that the conclusion about the yes/no vote will also depend on the framework of comparison.

I don't know enough about the Bosnian / Serbian situation to answer that intelligently. I read Samantha Powers book but still don't think I can make a decision.

I should say this... no matter which side it is, if that side was killing innocents on the other, someone was there who'll speak up about it. There are hundreds and hundreds of foreign eyewitness testimony affirming that what happened to the Armenians was nothing short of Genocide. So, if Armenians did the same to Turks, where are the hundreds and hundreds of eyewitness testimonies to that?

[TurQ]

I voted yes for it but this kind of race between Turks and Armenians are stupid. First of all Armenian attempt to block the discussion is meaningless, major Armenian figure(s) participated to that discussion(as far as I know), and they have seen nothing wrong to do it.
There are two things coming to my mind
1. LAter, after the discussion, Peter Balakyan thought it was a bad idea to be aprt of taht discussion so he felt bad and asked to Armenians dont allow PBS channels to broadcast it
2. Peter Balakyan sees nothing wrong with it but the rest of the diaspora see it is wrong

Which one is correct? I really am confused, do the diasporans also protested Balakian + Akcam?

About the Poll results, definetly Turks outnumber Armenians, this is forwarded to all Turkish mailing lists, so it is probably the Turks to win this contest, but again what's the point?

it all sounds stupid to me

What happened? We're gonna lose this poll to Turks? Send this to all your friends and let them know how important it is for them to vote and pass it on! The world is watching this poll...

[TurQ]

Hovik, believe me nobody other than you and us give it a xxxx, world does not watch it and the whole polling is jsut plain stupid, but we again vote for it, this just is another example of vicous cycle of relations between you(Armenians) and us(Turks).
My god this is really stupid

What happened? We're gonna lose this poll to Turks? Send this to all your friends and let them know how important it is for them to vote and pass it on! The world is watching this poll...

[Vogelgrippe]

I don't know enough about the Bosnian / Serbian situation to answer that intelligently. I read Samantha Powers book but still don't think I can make a decision.

I should say this... no matter which side it is, if that side was killing innocents on the other, someone was there who'll speak up about it. There are hundreds and hundreds of foreign eyewitness testimony affirming that what happened to the Armenians was nothing short of Genocide. So, if Armenians did the same to Turks, where are the hundreds and hundreds of eyewitness testimonies to that?

The panel, the broadcasting of which you so passionately and vehemently oppose, will provide you with the answer to your question. Because one of the two pro-Turkish panelists provides, to the best of my knowledge, eyewitness testimonials regarding attrocities committed by Armenian militia. Even the pro-Armenian panelists show the decency to acknowledge that, but respond by indicating to the even bigger attrocities committed by Turks.

I unfortunately watched only parts of the panel, therefore I am not in a position to evaluate how well the 'two sides' defended their theses. It only demonstrates that some Turks are there to speak up about it, like the way you suggested.