Armenian Americans Value Her Vigorous Defense of Armenian Genocide Education as the Attorney General of Massachusetts
BOSTON, MA – Massachusetts Senate candidate Martha Coakley’s pledge to advocate on behalf of the views and values of the Bay State’s vibrant Armenian American community was welcomed Friday by Armenian National Committee of Massachusetts chapters.
In a strong, signed statement issued to Armenian Americans for Coakley, led by State Representative Peter Koutoujian and Carolann Najarian, Coakley, who currently serves as the Commonwealth’s Attorney General, pledged that, “As your U.S. Senator, I will follow the strong leadership Senator Edward M. Kennedy showed on Armenian-American issues. First and foremost is to support efforts to make the recognition of the Armenian Genocide a reality. In addition, I will support policies that keep U.S.-Armenia relations strong, including delivering U.S. assistance to both Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.”
“Armenian Americans have long valued Attorney General Coakley’s stand on Armenian issues, most notably her successful defense of the Commonwealth in the case of Griswold v. Driscoll, which ensured that the history and lessons of the Armenian Genocide can continue to be taught in public schools throughout Massachusetts,” said ANC of Massachusetts Co-Chairman Ara Nazarian. “We welcome her pledge to continue to work in the tradition of Senator Kennedy’s support for our community’s advocacy priorities and are already working to ensure that each and every Armenian American voter goes to the polls next Tuesday fully informed about her stand on these vital issues.”
The special election to fill the Senate seat left open after the loss of Senator Edward Kennedy, a legendary champion of the Armenian Cause, will be held on Tuesday, January 19th.
The full text of the letter is provided below.
January 14, 2010
Dear Armenian-Americans for Coakley,
I want to thank you for supporting my candidacy for U.S. Senate. You have my pledge that those issues important to you as Armenian-Americans and as citizens of Massachusetts will be well represented if I am your next U.S. Senator.
It was an honor for me, as your Attorney General, to defend the Commonwealth successfully in Griswold v. Driscoll, ensuring that the Armenian Genocide continues to be a part of the history curriculum in public schools throughout the Commonwealth. As your U.S. Senator, I will follow the strong leadership Senator Edward M. Kennedy showed on Armenian-American issues. First and foremost is to support efforts to make the recognition of the Armenian Genocide a reality. In addition, I will support policies that keep U.S.-Armenia relations strong, including delivering U.S. assistance to both Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
I am pleased to have your support and your endorsement. We are close to the finish line and your community’s support is crucial in the closing days of this race. No matter what the pundits say, we need each and every vote on Tuesday. You have stood with me in the past and together we will succeed in bringing a new kind of leader to the U.S. Senate.
Again, I thank you for your support this coming Tuesday January 19th.
Cordially,
[signed]
Martha Coakley
She needs to give the ADL back the award she recieved. The ADL has been a long opponent to Armenian Genocide recognition. I will not be voting for her. She has indirectly recieved her baghshish to make promises only to break them in the future.
I respectfully disagree. Armenian voters with any honor should vote for the opposition. Send a message for the President who did not keep his promiss to Armenians, and took us for a fool. Shame on thus if we are fooled twice. My fellow armenians, follow the example of N.J. and Virginia, elect republicans.That is a protest vote. Our protest vote will make a difference, believe me. The election is a close race. April 24 is comping soon.Send a message to the president that we can make a difference. And Mr.Brown will definitely take notice and support the Armanian genicide resolution
promise anything and deliver nothing…business as usual
I definintely agree with Avedis. We should make our displeasure open and clear. They should realize the power of Armenia vote. Armenians were lied to numerour times in history and we hate it.This last one was a doozy. Please do vote regarless of your party priority. Believe you me, Mr Obama’s advisers will take notice. Vote for Mr Brown and he will in turn appreciate our just cause
The following is essentially what I posted already on the website of Asbarez’s sister paper,The Armenian Weekly, on January 15:
The above letters by Martha Coakley and the statements by Armenian Americans for Coakley and ANCA fail to address the issue for which Coakley is under fire in the media: Her acceptance of an award by the Anti-Defamation League in the midst of the battle in 2007 (and ongoing) against the genocide denials of the ADL and its work with Turkey to defeat Armenian genocide resolutions in the US Congress.
I would like to ask the persons who constitute the so-called “Armenian Americans for Coakley”, which I have never heard of before today, why they did not take Coakley to task when (1) she received the award from the ADL back in 2007 and (2) she made no public statement about the ADL’s genocide denial at that time or anytime but rather (3) she praised the ADL and (4) she has yet to address the issue of the ADL’s genocide denials.
We saw this sort of thing happen when certain Armenian American groups wholeheartedly and naively endorsed Barack Obama in the expectation that he would acknowledge the Armenian genocide.
The current issue is not about Scott Brown vs. Martha Coakley, or Republicans vs. Democrats, or even the senate race in Massachusetts, despite the attempts of some to depict it as that. That is not how or why the issue of Coakley and the ADL arose either in 2007 or now.
The issue of Coakley’s acceptance of the ADL award – when she knew quite well its stance against Armenians – has been around since 2007. I myself asked Coakley at that time to not accept the award. I never heard from her. As far as I can see, Coakley put her own amibitions above truth.
I think that Armenian Americans are quite able on their own to realize that she is no friend of Armenians and that, by having let her off the hook then and now, she has learned the wrong lesson about genocide denial.
The only question is Coakley’s having acted in an unprincipled manner by accepting the ADL award.
Coakley needs to give the award back to the ADL, demand that it change its stance on the Armenian genocide. Coakley must also apologize to Armenians.
Please see this article (published in several Boston area newspapers) which tells the story about Coakley (“Martha Coakley criticized for accepting Anti-Defamation League award”):http://www.dailynewstribune.com/news/x1689206801/Martha-Coakley-criticized-for-accepting-Anti-Defamation-League-awardThank goodness for the non-Armenian media at times such as these.And please visit http://www.NoPlaceForDenial.com – the website about the campaign against the ADL’s genocide denials.
Postscript, January 16: I see today that ANCA of Massachusetts HAS just issued a criticism of Coakley for her acceptance of the ADL award and for her failure to address the issue of genocide denial by the ADL. I commend ANCA for this.
I wouldn’t vote for another Democrat. Plus they have 60 out of 100 senate votes and if we vote for this Coakley Obama will pass his absurd health care bill. Armenians should have learned their lesson already for heavan’s sake after Obama’s lies in accepting the Armenian Genocide and not delivering it.
Scott Brown is a better candidate to vote for, he hasn’t made any false promises.
as for you armenian americans, if you want life to be better in the United States, and be a little less selfish, you would vote Republicans
This should settle the tempest in a teacup. Coakley has supported Armenian issues since she was a DA in Boston. She has also supported the rights of others in this state: gays, blacks, women, children. Why elect a Senator who only likes you if you’re white and male and Catholic?
Wow Peg, After reading your post I thought for a minute there I was back in my voting booth and it was Nov 4 , 2008.
Coakley sounds exactly like the person I voted for that day.
I will not make that mistake again BYE BYE.