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To the Editor:

I was troubled by the temporary removal of the Armenian Genocide banner a few weeks ago because of rumors I heard related to why it was removed. First I heard that Turks (who deny the Genocide occurred) complained; then I heard that it was Jews. Then I heard that it was only removed because of a technicality – the date of the commemoration ceremony at State Capitol on April 25 had to be added.

I did a little research – I called the PR Office for the town and the Mayor’s office and left messages for them to call me. I finally spoke to the Public Relations person for the town, Ms. McCue, a couple of weeks later. She said that complaints were made by the MS Society, whose banner was up at the same time. The MS spokesperson, Cynthia Bidorini told me that “a lot” of her “people” were unhappy about the juxtaposition of their banner with the Genocide banner. She said they did not want the two issues to be associated in any way. She would not tell me how many people actually complained, nor would she give an estimate (i.e., more than ten? more than five?)

I  ran into Mayor Slifka on Friday, May 8. He said he was not avoiding me, but that his assistant had not given him my first message, and he said that the complaints came from Turks. He said that perhaps they were Turkish people with MS, when I told him what the woman from the MS organization had said.

An assistant in the mayor’s office had told me when I called the first time that the genocide was “a matter of opinion” and that there “was another side.” I explained to her that the genocide is a matter of history; I mentioned the connection to Hitler, MEIN KAMPF, and the Holocaust, which occurred not too long after the Armenian Genocide. I also pointed out the Pope’s recent comments about the Armenian genocide.

I don’t like the way this incident was handled. There should have been transparency from the beginning, and if there are Turks in denial of history in West Hartford, they should not have been indulged in their denial. The town should not have hidden behind a technicality about adding the date of the commemoration (explanation given to the man who paid for the banner when he met with town manager and attorney for the town – why was attorney brought in to meeting, I wonder?)

When I spoke to the woman from the MS Society, she wanted to know who I was and why this mattered to me. I told her that although I am not Armenian, I am interested in human rights education and have been for about 40 years, ever since I first learned about the Armenian Genocide and how it inspired Hitler in his plan to kill all the Jews of Europe.

Frankly, I feel disappointed. I expect better from the Town of West Hartford. We should do whatever we can to educate people about these horrible historical events, and we should not indulge anyone who denies the Genocide, the Holocaust, or any other horrors that have occurred.