There was a comment posted as anonymous about Raffi's wife to be and looking forward to the wedding... my appologies, that was me. I forgot to post my name, but I certainly am not hiding my identity on this comment. I adore Raffi's fiance and wish them a wonderful marriage from the bottom of my heart.
A few things to share as usual. First, in response to Raffi's "lucrative Boston-based business venture" comment, this is by far an unfair criticism. If Raffi has any agenda in all of this, it is simply to expose the many genres of Armenian music to the world, and does a great job of it. If people only knew what he does for Armenian music in the global market, his efforts would be much more appreciated. He selflessly puts his own funds and limited time into making these productions possible.
I don't care to flatter Raffi online as I know he doesn't need to hear it to know he's doing good work. I bring it up because it is such a shame that this is how we view Armenian entrepreneurship. We are scaring ourselves away from doing business that strengthens Armenia because God forbid a contribution be in the form of economic and cultural growth for once as opposed to political stance and donations. Not that Raffi or his business is profitting, but if that were the case, so what? Would it be so terrible that Raffi make more money to produce more musicians from Armenia who otherwise have no career? You don't just have to hold a gun or yell at Turks to save Armenia. This form of judgement is a bad habit for many in the diaspora and it will hold us back.
That's one. Two is that something disturbed me the other day and I hate dwelling on it because it's about a comment that came from someone I respect and care for as a friend. The other day I was driving some friends out and one of them asked that I play something other than Armenian music. It disturbs me that a friend hasn't figured out that you never say such a thing in my car. But even worse than that is it almost seems like we are going back to the days where being "ethnic" is a bad thing. Maybe I've been in DC too long, but this is getting rediculous if I can't listen to Armenian music in my own car.
Three is that the New York Times reversed their policy on using the term "Genocide" in describing the Armenian Genocide. Here's an article:
NEW YORK TIMES CHANGES POLICY ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
The New York Times has recently revised its guidelines for editors regarding the Armenian genocide. The new policy notes, `After careful study of scholarly definitions of `genocide,' we have decided to accept the term in references to the Turks' mass destruction of Armenians in and around 1915.' The guidelines continue, `The expression `Armenian genocide' may be used freely and should not be qualified with phrasing
like `what Armenians call,' etc.'
The Times' new guidelines state that: `By most historical accounts, the Ottoman empire killed /more than one million/ Armenians in a campaign of death and mass deportation aimed at eliminating the Armenian population throughout what is now Turkey.'
The memo notes, `While we may of course report Turkish denials on those occasions when they are relevant, we should /not/ couple them with the historians' findings, as if they had equal weight.'
A few things to share as usual. First, in response to Raffi's "lucrative Boston-based business venture" comment, this is by far an unfair criticism. If Raffi has any agenda in all of this, it is simply to expose the many genres of Armenian music to the world, and does a great job of it. If people only knew what he does for Armenian music in the global market, his efforts would be much more appreciated. He selflessly puts his own funds and limited time into making these productions possible.
I don't care to flatter Raffi online as I know he doesn't need to hear it to know he's doing good work. I bring it up because it is such a shame that this is how we view Armenian entrepreneurship. We are scaring ourselves away from doing business that strengthens Armenia because God forbid a contribution be in the form of economic and cultural growth for once as opposed to political stance and donations. Not that Raffi or his business is profitting, but if that were the case, so what? Would it be so terrible that Raffi make more money to produce more musicians from Armenia who otherwise have no career? You don't just have to hold a gun or yell at Turks to save Armenia. This form of judgement is a bad habit for many in the diaspora and it will hold us back.
That's one. Two is that something disturbed me the other day and I hate dwelling on it because it's about a comment that came from someone I respect and care for as a friend. The other day I was driving some friends out and one of them asked that I play something other than Armenian music. It disturbs me that a friend hasn't figured out that you never say such a thing in my car. But even worse than that is it almost seems like we are going back to the days where being "ethnic" is a bad thing. Maybe I've been in DC too long, but this is getting rediculous if I can't listen to Armenian music in my own car.
Three is that the New York Times reversed their policy on using the term "Genocide" in describing the Armenian Genocide. Here's an article:
NEW YORK TIMES CHANGES POLICY ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
The New York Times has recently revised its guidelines for editors regarding the Armenian genocide. The new policy notes, `After careful study of scholarly definitions of `genocide,' we have decided to accept the term in references to the Turks' mass destruction of Armenians in and around 1915.' The guidelines continue, `The expression `Armenian genocide' may be used freely and should not be qualified with phrasing
like `what Armenians call,' etc.'
The Times' new guidelines state that: `By most historical accounts, the Ottoman empire killed /more than one million/ Armenians in a campaign of death and mass deportation aimed at eliminating the Armenian population throughout what is now Turkey.'
The memo notes, `While we may of course report Turkish denials on those occasions when they are relevant, we should /not/ couple them with the historians' findings, as if they had equal weight.'
posted by Arsineh at 8:58 AM
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