[LSNN] Remembering A Genocide

[HaveADream]

 

Remembering A Genocide

Elizabeth Rankin

 

"A Hundred and five years ago exactly our people were ripped from their homes, their families."

 

During the chaos of the First World War, Armenians were subject to planned, systematic extermination by the Ottoman Empire. Beginning in the city of Constantinople on the 24th April 1915, Armenians were rounded up, forced out of their homes and deported, eventually being killed, with the estimated number of deaths reaching over 1.5 million. The deportees were subject to rape, torture, starvation and outright massacre. The genocide is denied, against all historic fact, by two states; Turkey, the successor state of the Ottoman Empire, and Azerbaijan. Click here for a visualisation of the Armenian Genocide. 

 

The story doesn't end there, however, many other countries, such as Mexico, Iran, the United Kingdom and Spain, do not officially recognise the event as genocide in fear of harming trade relations with Turkey. It was not until November 2019 that the United States officially recognised the Armenian Genocide as a whole. Click here for a map of massacre sites in the former Ottoman Empire. On the anniversary of the genocide today, no entity of the Los Santos Government has made any mention of the genocide. However, the lack of recognition from the city did not stop the small, tightly-knit Armenian community of Morningwood from remembering the event and honoring their ancestors. In a cultural event hosted in Del Perro this evening, Los Santos' Armenian community gathered, paying tribute to those that they have lost and proving the strength of their community in the face of historic adversity. 

 

We spoke to a local man, Matevos about his community, and what the event meant to him.

 

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

 

This right here? This is a very important day to us, hundred and five years ago exactly our people were ripped from their homes, their families. By the Turks, who killed them. I don't know exactly what about, some difference in belief, color, something. Some people stand up and they say it's not fair to call it a genocide, we say it's not fair to deny what happened, happened.  Ideally, we'd all still be at home - but our homes were taken from us a hundred and five years ago by an illegal genocide by the Turkish, It blows my mind how still to this day people deny what happened - not just everyday people, but the people at the top. The people who pull the strings. The government in our own city, Los Santos refuse to acknowledge the genocide as what it was - a genocide. We face misrepresentation every day, exploitation by the LSPD who refuse to acknowledge our community and our role in the city. Even Donald Trump, our own president hasn't spoken on the genocide in his four years in office - something President Obama did, which was a big step - but right now it looks like we're going back a few steps for the one we took.
 

Fuelled by passion, Matevos continued.

 

Our community is one fueled by passion, our pride in our heritage - that's why today's so important. Honoring our ancestors, the people who were murdered by the Turkish so we could be here today. But people don't see that. They see the brown in our skin and they can't see past that. They can't see past the word 'foreign', and when we say our wounds are still open?  It's like they never even heard us open our mouths. But let me tell you this; Our wounds are still open for the atrocities committed a hundred and five years ago, and we're not ever gonna forget that - not while we still got Armenian blood runnin' through our veins, our ancestors' spirits are in our hearts.

 

A mural on display at the event.

 

I push Matevos to his community, the community spirit that was showed in great numbers today.

 

Morningwood - Little Armenia, we call it. It's a community founded on just that, you know? Community. Do you see that smoke shop over there? Armenian owned. Kebab shop behind the truck? Armenian owned. Liquor store? Armenians run it, our people are all connected here, even the ones who ain't - they show respect, they treat our community like they would their own homes. They're part of the community. It's all about that, though. Respect. You show respect, you get respect.

 

Matevos' friend arrives, throwing his arm around him, joking around with him as Matevo continues onto his passionate rant, immediately, it's obvious to see that this community is very close to one another, a rarity perhaps, throughout Los Santos.

 

People don't realize there's a whole community in Little Armenia, everybody assumes that just because we're in the hills it's all white people and rich guys, They don't understand it runs way deeper than that, but there are a whole lot of hardworking, Armenian people just trying to get by you know? Living paycheck to paycheck. let me put this out - Anyone's welcome in Little Armenia, you know this - you work hard, you show respect to the people here, you're welcome. But if you spit on our blood, our heritage? Show nothing but disrespect to the people around here, their livelihoods, businesses?

 

That we can't accept, you know?

 

[Trupiano]

Username: Remember1915

Comment: We demand formal recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Mayor Rockford and his cabinet!

 

(Amazing interaction and an even more amazing article, Well done @HaveADream, glad you were able to stumble across our event!)

Edited April 24, 2020 by Henning

[shiroq]

Username: K1915
Comment: LSNN Continues to do their job like a true new's agency, doing more than advertising popular clubs or click baiting people. Above and beyond from the staff at LSNN while not a single city representitive was seen today, it just proves how true this article is.

[Gaius]

Username: Alibaba

Comment: I didn't see ONE single elected official or public servant at the service or rally today, hang your heads in shame LSGOV!

[HaveADream]

4 minutes ago, Henning said:

Username: Remember1915

Comment: We demand formal recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Mayor Rockford and his cabinet!

 

(Amazing interaction and an even more amazing article, Well done @HaveADream, glad you were able to stumble across our event!)

(( As always, it's a pleasure to witness and experience things like this! Thanks to you guys! ))

[Iosif]

Username: IAM1915

Comment: Good article. No police, no government showed up. It was all community and friends. Nothing.

[r0yal]

Username: SCUBA233

Comment: Great article... where Is the City?!?!?!

[Chef]

Username: VW_PJ

Comment: We recognize the suffering of Armenian people. Shame on the city who failed to show face on the anniversary of this tragedy. Power to the Armenians!

[TheUnknown54]

Username: NEVERFORGET1915

Comment: It was a real shock to see that the City did not attend this remembrance day. Where was the mayor? Where is his bundle of flowers that was to be laid down? Where was the chief of police? Where was any support from anyone? 

 

It's like no one gives a shit. This is a real thing. Why as soon as a black guy gets shot everyone gets involved?

 

Never forget, never forgive. Power to the Armenians!

[Jari13X]

Username: Zion

Comment: Shame to see that there was no law enforcement or government representation, great to see communities coming together.