Omar and Johnson voted "present" on today's House vote to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

[OldRed2450]

Last edited Wed Oct 30, 2019, 12:56 PM - Edit history (2)

The complete list wasn't available when I posted last night. I now edited the OP. They all should have to explain themselves. The reason I find her vote especially troubling is her comment on wanting a debate on academic consensus on this issue.

[Mme. Defarge]

1. Very, very disappointing.

[Iggo]

2. How many pictures have traffic lights?

[OldRed2450]

3. ??

[Hav]

52. I'll help you

The implication was that you, a donating member, are a bot.
When people don't feel they have the facts on their side to discuss the topic, they believe it's clever to smear the author of the thread instead.

[OldRed2450]

57. They can't defend the indefensible

So they attack.

[PSPS]

18. LOL. Might be a tad wide in this instance but you never know.

[ChubbyStar]

31. This exchange is HILARIOUS!

[nolabear]

43. Okay that one made me snort!

Seems to be an epidemic.

[Cha]

81. An "epidemic" of what, Nola? Not sure but for the

record I like OldRed and glad he's here.. if that has anything to do with it.

[OAITW r.2.0]

4. Notta good look for her.

But I try to judge on the totality of the person's character and their complete bio....she may have had her personal reasons and I hope she explains herself on this vote.

[OldRed2450]

7. She didn't have a good explanation

Basically said USA is not innocent either...

[dem4decades]

56. Didn't Trump say something like that once?

[Hortensis]

67. Imo, not as principled in practice as intended. What if she doesn't

explain herself and the end result is giving a complete pass to something you would not find morally or ideologically acceptable if examined?

I have looked into her background, unfortunately not nearly as complete a picture as Biden's, but between it and her pattern of behavior since entering congress I'm glad I don't have to choose voting for her instead of the typical GA pub. (Even though all Dems lose huge here anyway.) Again and again, she's showing she doesn't just not share my values but in too many cases is in opposition.

[UniteFightBack]

5. What the actual fuck here. nt

[RandySF]

6. Why did she do that?

[OldRed2450]

9. This is her statement.

Link to tweet

[crazytown]

10. The U.S.A did it too :puke:

whatabout Carthage

[OldRed2450]

13. Yes. Completely unacceptable.

I defended her against her critics. I'm disappointed.

[crazytown]

21. The Armenian Genocide has been recognized by 30 nations

including Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Russia, and by 49 states of the United States.

[rusty fender]

35. Which state is the holdout?

And why

[crazytown]

38. Mississippi

Southern shame? :shrugs:

[rusty fender]

75. Thanks

[Blue_true]

85. Mississippi didn't want to ruin it's special designation as being last on everything. nt

[Blue_true]

84. I think that she wanted to see more in the legislation that

acknowledged other genocides, and there have been at least a couple, that the United States was party to or looked the other way on.

She comes off a bit strong, like that Georgia Congresswoman, Cynthia McKinney from some years back. Omar seems to not understand when to pick a fight.

[RandySF]

16. Just because our government did something wrong

It doesn’t us the excuse to ignore wrongdoing elsewhere in the world.

[PSPS]

17. Classic example of whataboutism.

[sheshe2]

29. Not good enough.

So we can't talk about any unless we talk about all. Sorry. I will take one baby step at a time. We are a pretty slow nation to acknowledge our own faults. Native American Genocide. Reparations for slavery.

Let us acknowledge others and they maybe just maybe we a can do it for our own too.

[brer cat]

37. +1

I believe we will get there some day, sheshe. In the meantime, we must stand with the Armenian people.

[sheshe2]

40. Agree, brer.

I do not like this all or none thing I am hearing. Recognize all or recognize none. That is what she is saying. I disagree. We need to begin somewhere. Baby steps.

Sadly many think we can leap forward and change the world in one stride. Snap your fingers. Make it so...because I said so. Doesn't work that way. Years of work as we build the foundations. It takes years of hard work and voting Democratic every year after to make it happen.

Sigh

[Jose Garcia]

62. So, it's basically Trumpian Whattaboutism.

[OldRed2450]

63. Worse

She implied there isn’t currently an academic consensus on the Armenian genocide.

[demosincebirth]

34. Turks are Muslim, Armenians are Christian.

Maybe she skipped that part of history.

[Cha]

8. KR.. what she doesn't recognize it?

Thanks, OldRed

[crazytown]

12. The U.S.A is just as bad :puke:

Great to see you here again, Cha!

[Cha]

39. Oh dear.. no reason not to

recognize the carnage done to the Armenians, though.

Mahalo, crazytown!

[sheshe2]

11. Hm

Armenian Genocide Facts
Summarized from 3 sources

The majority were sent into the desert to die of thirst and hunger. During World War I, the Young Turks political reform movement moved to eliminate the Armenian people from the Ottoman Empire. Of the 2 million total Armenians, 1.5 million were killed. The Armenian people were tortured, massacred, and starved.[1]

The Armenian Genocide (Armenian: Հայոց ցեղասպանություն, Hayots tseghaspanutyun), also known as the Armenian Holocaust, was the Ottoman government's systematic extermination of 1.5 million Armenians, mostly Ottoman citizens within the Ottoman Empire and its successor state, the Republic of Turkey.[2]

Though reports vary, most sources agree that there were about 2 million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire at the time of the massacre. In 1915, leaders of the Turkish government set in motion a plan to expel and massacre Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire.[3]

https://www.bing.com/search?q=armenian+genocide+facts&form=EDNTHT&mkt=en-us&httpsmsn=1&msnews=1&plvar=0&refig=45ec8431242142089606ec732ba8bb1d&sp=2&ghc=1&qs=AS&pq=armenian+genocide&sk=FT1&sc=8-17&cvid=45ec8431242142089606ec732ba8bb1d&cc=US&setlang=en-US

1.5 million tortured and exterminated. I would like an explanation for her vote.

[crazytown]

15. Whatabout Carthage,

whatabout Haiti?

[sheshe2]

20. All should be recognized.

Don't use the "whatabout it" argument with me, crazytown. I find her vote disturbing.

[crazytown]

24. I was using whatabouts to critique Omar's position

Carthage? - sorry if I did not make myself clear

[sheshe2]

30. Your responses are confusing.

[crazytown]

32. Yeah

sometimes I goof

[sheshe2]

41. Okay.

[OldRed2450]

22. Thank you!

I don't think she will be re-elected.

[sheshe2]

27. You are welcome.

Her vote and reasoning, IMO is upsetting.

Whatabout.

[TreasonousBastard]

50. And it gets worse...

What was left of the Ottomans were allied with Germany in WWI. The war started in 1914 and the Armenian holocaust began in 1915 with the excuse that the Armenians and Kurds were not fully with the war.

It has been suggested that the Nazis got the idea of the Final Solution from seeing what their WWI allies did. Unlike the Germans, however, the Turks have never acknowledged their part in the massacres.

[kskiska]

83. I have ancestors who died at the hands of the Turks.

Fortunately, my grandfather and a few others escaped to the U.S., but I have a hand-written affadavit written by his cousin (an eyewitness) attesting that my grandfather's young wife was killed, which allowed my grandfather to marry my grandmother here.

[eissa]

14. Not surprised by her vote at all

I give her the same side-eye I give Tulsi. This chick is shady AF.

As for the resolution, as a descendant of Assyrian survivors of the genocide, I’m grateful and relieved for the long overdue recognition. I don’t care about the timing or reasons for its passage, I’m just happy it’s finally done.

[NCLefty]

19. Welp. She stands with Mississippi (only state that hasn't recognized it as genocide).

"One U.S. state, Mississippi, has not yet recognized the events as genocide."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Genocide

[Takket]

23. i cannot find anything about this vote on-line.......

can anyone point me to a record of who voted what on this?

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-resolution/296/all-actions

[OldRed2450]

36. Oh. That is a better link

with more information. Thank you. That should be an OP

[sheshe2]

42. You can post it.

Late and have to sleep.

Thanks, OldRed. Great OP.

[nini]

25. Bye girl

You can't do something like that then expect me to take you seriously on other humanitarian issues. Wrong is wrong.

If she has a decent explanation I'd like to hear it so I can understand this.

[oasis]

26. For sure she won't be asked to stump with our eventual nominee.

[OldRed2450]

28. Lets hope not anyway!

[sheshe2]

44. OoF

Ryan Saavedra
✔
@RealSaavedra


Just how bad was Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar's (MN) refusal to recognize and condemn the Armenian Genocide?

A Young Turks employee — a company that was named after the people who committed the genocide — said Omar's explanation was a “bad answer.”

OOF

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/bethbaumann/2019/10/29/hmm-house-overwhelmingly-votes-to-recognize-armenian-genocide-but-omar-votes-pr-n2555554/

Young Turks ie Cenk Unger.

Cenk Uygur, The Young Turks, and The Denial of The Armenian Genocide

Cenk Uygur, host of the online show The Young Turks, has a dark history of both denying the genocide of the Armenian people, and subsequently naming his show after its Turkish perpetrators.

http://www.ora.tv/thelowdownwithlalo/article/2016/3/30/cenk-uygur-the-young-turks-and-the-denial-of-the-armenian-genocide

For those that do not know. Cenk is Armenian and names his show after the people that slaughtered his.

[LeftInTX]

47. Cenk Uygur is Turkish

[DinahMoeHum]

58. His co-host/producer, Ana Kasparian, is Armenian, though.

[LeftInTX]

77. Yes and it's so weird

[BuddhaGirl]

73. Cenk is NOT Armenian. He is Turkish.

n/t

[LeftInTX]

45. I think it is unfortunate that she voted present, but this is a huge right wing talking point

right now.

I'm Armenian, so I've been following this. The RW media is not saying anything negative about the 11 Republicans who voted NO and they are bashing Omar beyond belief. Fox, the Daily Mail, the Daily Caller, all those sites are bashing her.

[caraher]

46. Exactly

OK, we can be disappointed that she voted "present" but 11 Republicans (and weirdly, a huge fraction of Indiana's delegation, including Greg Pence) voted "no." Which should be the focus of scrutiny?

This is about attacking Omar. Another Democratic rep also voted present; why is just this one vote being put under a microscope?

[stopdiggin]

48. because we expect more from Democrats?

And should?

[RandiFan1290]

53. "this is a huge right wing talking point"

Hence the OP.

[OldRed2450]

59. Nothing in my post is RW

It's all facts of her own actions.

[Dorian Gray]

49. Well, since she isn't in my district

I can't vote for her opponent in the next primary. election. But holy cow. She is something.

Only Dem to vote against sanctions on Turkey, too. (She along with 14 Republicans.)

[Mike Nelson]

51. This is sickening...

... we have got to stand with people and stop comparing, denying, excusing and explaining evil.

[Celerity]

54. Eddie Bernice Johnson D TX-30, also voted Present nt

[Takket]

60. Here is the complete vote by person:

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2019/roll591.xml

Not making any excuses for Omar but would like to know why if 11 Nos, 3NVs and 13 people who didn’t vote, she is the only one generating outrage.

[OldRed2450]

61. I think they all should be called out

The complete list wasn't available when I posted last night. They all should have to explain themselves. The reason I find her vote especially troubling is her comment on wanting a debate on academic consensus on this issue.

[Happy Hoosier]

71. We expect GrOPers to be dirt bags....

..and we expect better of our own.

I'd like to head from Rep Johnson on her reasoning as well.

[stevil]

76. She could have voted Yes

AND made a statement.

[Blue_true]

87. My repugh Rep Yoho voted Yes. Finally got something right. nt

[Kaleva]

64. Dem. Eddie Johnson (TX) also voted "present" but for some reason is ignored in this OP and thread

[OldRed2450]

65. Post right above yours #60

No one else has implied there isn’t currently an academic consensus on the Armenian genocide.

[Kaleva]

66. Could you add that info to your OP? Some people may miss the couple of posts about it.

[OldRed2450]

74. Done

[Kaleva]

86. Thank you! And thank you for your informative OP which has generated interesting discussion!

Edit: It's the information and the discussion of those topics that make DU the go-to place for me.

[eissa]

69. Because the reasoning in her statement is suspect

She claims this is an issue that scholars need to decide on. They already have. Her words are the same as those used by genocide-deniers.

I wonder if Omar would have voted "present" if the issue was the Palestinian Nakba? Or would she claim that scholars should decide first?

[Kaleva]

70. So what is the reason Johnson gave? Is that not important too?

[eissa]

72. Johnson has long been a genocide-denier

She's on record as saying she doesn't believe it happened. I have no idea why, and I agree that she should be equally condemned.

[LeftInTX]

79. I read that her Chief of Staff is Turkish

And her attitude is much more disturbing that Omar's

Bernice Johnson, who circulated a Feb. 25 “Dear Colleague” letter about Schiff’s measure, was asked, “Do you acknowledge that there was a genocide?”

Bernice Johnson initially responded, “I don’t acknowledge, I was not around.”

Pressed further on whether she acknowledges the genocide, Bernice Johnson said, “No, I don’t.”

Reacting to Bernice Johnson’s statements, Aram Hamparian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee on America, said, “I am saddened to hear that a member of Congress would say this.
”https://thehill.com/homenews/news/18702-armenian-genocide-debate-reignites

Link to tweet

?s=20

[eissa]

80. Completely unacceptable

She needs to be called out as forcefully as Omar.

[Beringia]

68. That's dissapointing

[jcmaine72]

78. The simple reality of the matter is....

Sometimes, you simply have to overlook certain things. Al Sharpton, for example, has both done and said things over the years that we would never, ever forgive a reTHUG for. Yet, I'm certain there isn't a single person here who wouldn't defend him if attacked by Trump or other members of the White Supremacist Party of America, euphemistically referred to as the Republican Party in some circles.

Ihlan Omar is a Muslim woman of color. She (Along with Rashida Tlaib) represents one of the fastest growing communities in the U.S., and it is one in which overwhelmingly votes for the Democratic Party at the present time. It is also a community that will become an increasingly important part of our base demographically going forward. Our tent is big enough where we don't have to agree 100% of the time.

It's called reality.

[eissa]

82. That's pretty depressing

No matter your background, we should all agree that genocide is bad, even if your own people were the perpetrators. Imagine if your statement read this way and think of how the Jewish community would feel:

The German community will become an increasingly important part of our base demographically going forward. Our tent is big enough where we don't have to agree 100% of the time.

[Sewa]

88. Thank you

Great response