[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

In my genocide class we were discussing Denial of Genocide, and in particular the situation in contemporary Turkey regarding the Ottoman Armenian Genocide of the early 20th century. Now, Americans in particular LOVE to point blame at Turks and say, How dare you be so fucked up! How dare you be so insensitive! How Dare you deny this atrocity!

and then American and Western culture begins to wonder and ask itself how can Turks deny this history? How can they teach denial in school?

but then they all forget, American schools down play slavery and the genocide of the Middle Passage, and also the genocide against Indians during the Indian War periods..

In fact, we have accepted this history to much so, that American kids play cowboys and indians, mocking the tragedy of the past on the playground. So I wonder to myself, in the future, will Turkish kids play Ottoman Turk and Armenians?

Remember, a hundred years ago in America the rhetoric WAS THE EXACT SAME as it is in Turkey today regarding genocidal history and denial of the exactness, scale, nature, intent or detail of the atrocities. We sounded just like Turks today sound, so a hundred years from now will the Armenian genocide become so casually a part of turkish and world history and accept part of turkish herritage and the inevitablity of the present stemming from the past, just as American schools and culture glosses over the tragedy of the Indian Wars or of Slavery?

Will Rwandan kids play with machetes like American kids dress up like Pirates and play with swords? [remember, Pirates were just privateering slave dealers, peter tosh sang it, 'you teach the youth about the Pirate Morgan, and you said he was a very great man...']