I have decided to commemorate April 24th by taking the day off from work and skipping the community activities in favor of quite reflection alone. Every year, I write a private account on what the day means to me and what is going in the the immediate Armenian community. It's sounds a little corny, but, I've kept this log for over 15 years and it is interesting taking a look back. When I was an undergrad, it was all about getting the Armenian Club at UMass Boston to present lectures at our school to non-Armenians. IN the 1990's, I wrote about attending the State House in Boston to commemorate the Genocide victims. One year, I did absolutely nothing. And so on. From Dadrian to Balakian to Bob Dole, the focus and attention on exactly where the hot point is continually has changed. I wonder what my private accounts will read in 15 more years.

Armenians have been the subject of plotlines in several high profile TV shows. There was the updated "Dragnet" show. But now, there is "The Shield", one of my favorite shows on TV. The Armenians are not cast in a pleasant light as they are depicted as money launderers, somewhat violent and perverse in the way they do business. The term "Armenian Mafia" has crept up througout the show. I really don't care too much about what the public's perception will be of Armos after these shows air, but, it is interesting to note that the image of Armenians has shifted from the hard working dutiful sort to savage killers and scoundrels over the last 5 years or so. Not living in LA, I wonder how and why this shift has occured in the minds of TV writers? Of all the groups out there, why have TV writers focused on the Armenians of LA? Again, I live in a completely different setting here in Boston so I have no real clue of the Armenian subculture in Glendale, etc.