Greetings from Rhode Island

[winoman]

Amerikanturk - its really a shame that you aparently have little understanding of the Genocide issue (outside of the fact that such accusations make Turks feel badly) - otherwise you seem like an OK guy. In fact - most Turks I have met in my life (quite a few really) are really fine, friendly people with much going for them. Its just too bad that like you - most are quite ignorant and unfeeling in regards to the Armenians situation. And really now how can you expect us to be all friendly and nice to you until you make a genuine effort to tryly understand why we feel the way we do - I mean really understand - and stop generalising and de-humanising us (by your lack of respect ot our feelings etc). While an admission of "guilt" per say (really an aknowledgement of the facts and an empathy with Armenians and what was done to them in the period where you Turks have such pride concerning your victories and birth of your nation - on the backs of our people - etc) - while such an "admission" may not solve anything - it indeed is at least a first step that will perhaps allow Armenians to see you Truks as fellow human beings and not just a continuation of the oppression and denial of such. Think about it.

[AmerikanTurk]

Amerikanturk - its really a shame that you aparently have little understanding of the Genocide issue (outside of the fact that such accusations make Turks feel badly) - otherwise you seem like an OK guy. In fact - most Turks I have met in my life (quite a few really) are really fine, friendly people with much going for them. Its just too bad that like you - most are quite ignorant and unfeeling in regards to the Armenians situation. And really now how can you expect us to be all friendly and nice to you until you make a genuine effort to tryly understand why we feel the way we do - I mean really understand - and stop generalising and de-humanising us (by your lack of respect ot our feelings etc). While an admission of "guilt" per say (really an aknowledgement of the facts and an empathy with Armenians and what was done to them in the period where you Turks have such pride concerning your victories and birth of your nation - on the backs of our people - etc) - while such an "admission" may not solve anything - it indeed is at least a first step that will perhaps allow Armenians to see you Truks as fellow human beings and not just a continuation of the oppression and denial of such. Think about it.

I definitely will think about it. You are correct about the ignorance and apathy of many Turks on matters related to genocide. It isn't helping us to achieve any meeting of the minds, but I believe both sides are culpable when it comes to ignorance. I ask you to consider whether any Americans living today feel any remorse or guilt related to the slaughter of Native Americans or the slavery of Blacks. Ask any Catholics if they feel compelled to apologize for the atrocities of the Crusades. On a long enough time line, guilty or not, apathy will inevitably set in. Such is the case with many Turks, regrettably. It's no doubt the wrong answer, but it's something for you to consider in kind. Many thanks.

[winoman]

I definitely will think about it. You are correct about the ignorance and apathy of many Turks on matters related to genocide. It isn't helping us to achieve any meeting of the minds, but I believe both sides are culpable when it comes to ignorance. I ask you to consider whether any Americans living today feel any remorse or guilt related to the slaughter of Native Americans or the slavery of Blacks. Ask any Catholics if they feel compelled to apologize for the atrocities of the Crusades. On a long enough time line, guilty or not, apathy will inevitably set in. Such is the case with many Turks, regrettably. It's no doubt the wrong answer, but it's something for you to consider in kind. Many thanks.

In fact this issue has been discussed here before. I and I am sure many other Westerners do sometimes think about these things and feel badly (understatement). (and I'm being brief because I need to go) - but let me say that there are a number of differences. One - many of us are descended from immagrants who came (to the Americas) after these things and/or are not Catholic or connected in any way to such atrocities commited by the Catholic Church (some of us are not even Christian BTW...)...and yet - I still feel pangs of guilt/sorrow/regret/what have you concerning the legacy - particularly concerning slavery and the decimation of native Americans...and like I said this has been discussed here before. Another thing I should note is that neither our society nor our government nor pretty much any of our people are still today (if ever) blameing the Africans or the American Indians or those persecuted from the inquisition or whatever for the crimes. We understand that terrible things were done -and in fact in some case apologies have been delivered. In any event no-one would be so crass as to sling the king of BS toward an African American or a Native American as the type of s hit you Turks often sling toward Armenians. And face it - you and your government and your people have not had the maturity nor the sensitivity nor the intelligence to admit and apologize...even when it means perpetuating animosities and very seriously holding your own nation back quite a bit...think about these things some more....

[ArmenianKid]

Its all good for me. You are a Turk, does this matter to me? no. but bravo to you, i dont know any turks that would come to this website peacefully, the only other one to come was hostile form the get-go.

Did you yourself kill any armenians? of course not. Therefore i have no problem.

[karoaper]

Of course it's not hard for you to do, and I don't fault you for it. Your brain is poisoned from birth to believe that all Turks young and old, dead and living, in the US and Turkey, civilian and military, tall and short, male and female, Christian and Muslim, blond and brunette, are responsible for the death and famine and mayhem that occurred 90 years ago. See most Turks living today realize they are hated, and they resent that they are fingered for crimes they did not commit. It doesn't feel good to be so hated, to be considered an enemy. Why should any Turk tell you anything that you want to hear, be it true or false, until you reach out and make a genuine effort to stop hating and de-humanising an entire population of innocent people? Personally I don't believe that admission of guilt will achieve anything. More likely it will add fuel to the desire of Turkey's neighbors to wipe Turks off the map. No disrespect intended to you or any other Armenian. These are just the views of a Turk born and raised and living in the US.

I gotta tell you that the part about us being poissoned and holding today's Turks responsible for the GENOCIDE (comon try it you might like how it rolls off your tounge ) is an utter moronic blabber. The only thing we hold today's turks responsible for is the continuation of a cowardly and vile campaign to bury the memory of the genocide our people suffered in turkey deeper into the ground. That to us ammounts to yet another phase of the genocide. We will never stand for it and as long as turks do it, we WILL strive not only for recognition but the destruction of turkey as well. And no I'm not a diasporan (for the idiots who oversimplify turkey's problems).

[Crissy]

Our brain is poisoned from birth?? This is too ridiculous to even comment on.

Regardless, welcome to the forum and hope you can learn something.

[AmerikanTurk]

Our brain is poisoned from birth?? This is too ridiculous to even comment on.

Regardless, welcome to the forum and hope you can learn something.

No it isn't ridiculous, although I regret use of the word "poisoned" and I apologize. Perhaps "indoctrinated" is a better choice. This is all a matter of education, of textbooks and grade school teachers and parents and the state or "devlet" filling the heads of little ones with information that is in their interests to perpetuate, to borrow the word of another. Who can deny that Turkish kids and Armenian kids are taught things that are in direct contradiction? Who can blame us for becoming so polarized? Yet here we are, trying to understand eachother. As long as we're not resorting to personal attacks, we should salute eachother for having peaceful dialogue.

[ArmenianKid]

i guess you could say im neutral. the first instance i learned of the genocide was in a american school text book in elementry. not from a bitter grandparent.
i hvae never even stepped foot on armenian or turkish soil (unless you call glendale armenian soil)
i have learned mostly from text books about it. my grandparents wont talk about it.

[Fadix3]

Calm down Sip.

He's calm, he's just wondering, maybe you can answer his question?

[AmerikanTurk]

i guess you could say im neutral. the first instance i learned of the genocide was in a american school text book in elementry. not from a bitter grandparent.
i hvae never even stepped foot on armenian or turkish soil (unless you call glendale armenian soil)
i have learned mostly from text books about it. my grandparents wont talk about it.

I'm with you Kid, in a sense. My parents and grandparents never spoke of it and also never spoke ill of Armenians. Growing up in NYC, we would spend lots of time in Forest Hills, where my favorite cousin, Rustem lived. His best friend was Armenian. This was the first time I had ever heard that word before, at the age of 6 or 7. Like yourself, I can't help but remain as "neutral" as possible, as I lack a proper education in these matters. On the other hand, it's hard not to try to defend against or deflect the accountability being dished out in copious portions to Amerikan Turks. It's a big pill to swallow and it merits individual research and knowledge-seeking in order to draw an informed personal conclusion. I simply fail to understand what benefit is gleaned from the propagation of hatred directed towards Turks. It does little to further your goal of recognition. Instead it causes you to be dismissed entirely. Nobody wants to be hated for the crimes of whose who lived five generations ago. Faced with such animosity, it is little wonder that Turks deny everything. The thinking might be along these lines: "You wish I were dead, you want Turks wiped off the map, AND you want me to admit genocide? I don't think so."

Thanks for not counting yourself among those who wish for the destruction of Turkey.