tntgoodwin Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I was wondering if the Armenian genocide is considered to be common knowledge? I know it wasn't known to me until an Armenian acquaintance told me about it when I was a teenager. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I was unaware until a few weeks ago, when my dh told me about his grandfather going back to Syria as a young man, to help *his father with relief efforts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I voted no. I heard about it when I was visiting Greece as a teen, as a young adult from an Armenian-American, and about ? a decade ago when the Turks were trying to get in the EU. You're asking "common USian knowledge", right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I've known about it since high school, and learned a lot about it when I lived in Jerusalem in college. I expect that people in the country I live in now would be more likely to know about it, but nearly every ethnicity here has a major tragedy in recent history, so the Armenian genocide isn't going to get much attention. I wouldn't ever expect an American to know about it, although I know some who do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee in NC Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I learned about it in school, but I don't know that it is "common knowledge." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfamilygal Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I adore history, so I've known since jr high. But common knowledge? No. Americans are not well informed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I'd say no, not common knowledge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I didn't vote, I am not sure if it is common knowledge or not I heard about it maybe 10 years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I learned about it 10 years ago or so. It was not something I encountered in school Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoforjoy Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I had an Armenian friend in college, and he told me about it. After that, I can remember hearing things about it once in a while, but I don't think it's common knowledge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recovering Sociopath Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 ...but I think it *should* be. I didn't know about it until DH told me. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I've known about it for a long time, I'd guess since high school/college, but I don't think I learned in school (it was probably from an article in the paper), and it wouldn't surprise me if many people didn't know about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I know about it - but I also know that most pople do not. Franz Werfel's novel The fourty days of Musa Dagh is about the topic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I've never heard about it, so I went with "no." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfamilygal Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 If you'd like to see a horrifying movie about it, check out "Ararat." I still cannot get the horseshoe scene out of my head. ((shudder)) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renmew Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 It is common knowledge where I grew up in Glendale, CA. We have the largest Armenian population outside of Armenia. They schedule the public school calendar around it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_l_e_0..Q_c Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 ...but I think it *should* be. :iagree: I don't remember when I learned about it, it was a while ago, more than 10 years ago for sure. But I've only recently heard it mentioned in daily life (specifically on the radio to celebrate the 96th? anniversary? - I had to look up the date: April 24, 1915). Every year on that date we have one radio station which plays music dedicated to the genocide. I guess the owners are related to Armenia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Did not learn about it in school but do know about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mabeline Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I learned about it 10 years ago or so. It was not something I encountered in school :iagree: We saw a documentary on the History Channel about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 No, and neither is the Holocaust of Ukrainian Orthodox http://www.serfes.org/orthodox/memoryof.htm This page speaks on both the Armenian and the Ukrainian holocausts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 It's something I know about but I'm not sure I would consider it common knowledge. I don't think it should be hidden and it is certainly a significant thing that happened in a country. I'm not sure that it has the same historical significance as the holocaust though. I'm saying that because the holocaust happened as a key event during a World War. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Ok - I'm a bit surprised..... I did think that was common knowledge. I mean - I've never gone around and polled people about it :) but I know I've talked about it with a few random people.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 It's something I know about but I'm not sure I would consider it common knowledge. I don't think it should be hidden and it is certainly a significant thing that happened in a country. I'm not sure that it has the same historical significance as the holocaust though. I'm saying that because the holocaust happened as a key event during a World War. :confused: because it's wasn't talked about or something that the US helped fight against? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 :confused: because it's wasn't talked about or something that the US helped fight against? Because it was not part of a World War. I'm not saying that it should not be something that people commonly should know about. I'm just saying that I'm not sure that I would automatically expect people to know about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 (edited) nm Edited July 17, 2011 by NayfiesMama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 :confused: because it's wasn't talked about or something that the US helped fight against? Do you militarily? The US did provide humanitarian aid to the Armenians. At the end of the war the allies insisted that the government prosecute at least one group as war criminals. I think the Holocaust of WWII is more well known because of the differences in how news was reported in 1915 vs. the first liberation of Nazi concentration camps in 1944. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 It's not common knowledge in America. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Because it was not part of a World War. I'm not saying that it should not be something that people commonly should know about. I'm just saying that I'm not sure that I would automatically expect people to know about it. There are a lot of things that weren't part of a World War, but are historically significant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Do you militarily? The US did provide humanitarian aid to the Armenians. At the end of the war the allies insisted that the government prosecute at least one group as war criminals. I think the Holocaust of WWII is more well known because of the differences in how news was reported in 1915 vs. the first liberation of Nazi concentration camps in 1944. I understand the reason one of the three is better known than the others. I don't agree that it makes one significant and the other two not. I was stunned when I first read about what happened in the Ukraine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I understand the reason one of the three is better known than the others. I don't agree that it makes one significant and the other two not. I was stunned when I first read about what happened in the Ukraine. Ah, I see. I agree that they are all significant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I assumed it was. But I had friends with Armenian heritage as a child, read David Kherdian's The Road From Home* in junior high (it's on my 8th grader's list this year as well), and went to college in Los Angeles, where there's a very large Armenian population. (The Turkish and Armenian campus associations had ongoing debates about the issue.) *This is a Newbery Honor book, btw. Worth reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 There was a big brouhaha in Massachusetts over it a few years back taht was all over the news at the time, so I would expect it to be general knowledge for folks living in that state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I knew about it, but I have a dismal view of people's historical knowledge, so I would assume most people are ignorant of it. As for the significance, it is generally considered to be the first modern genocide and I've read about how it helped inspire the Nazis, though I don't know the details of that connection. I seems to me that it was a huge news at the time but it was forgotten too quickly and those who don't know their history... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 There was a big brouhaha in Massachusetts over it a few years back taht was all over the news at the time, so I would expect it to be general knowledge for folks living in that state. Well, it's been discussed in national politics as well. John Evans was fired as the US Ambassador to Armenia for using the word genocide to describe the slaughter of thousands of Armenians. Obama criticized it at the time. But, as president he has skirted the issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xuzi Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I'm ashamed to admit that this is the first time I've heard of it. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I kind of know of it vaguely, but if I was asked to participate in an intelligent discussion or even offer a very brief explanation, I couldn't do it. I'd be willing to be that most of my friends would not have an inkling. It is not common knowledge in the U.S. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JessReplanted Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I know only a little bit about it from a movie I once watched. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I know about it because of The Road from Home which was mentioned higher up in this thread. I don't think it's common knowledge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tntgoodwin Posted July 17, 2011 Author Share Posted July 17, 2011 I guess the best thing is to make sure it is common knowledge for my children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbecueMom Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I only know about it because I like the band System of a Down. The band members are of Armenian descent and many of their songs reference the genocide. I was surprised when I read about it, because I'd never heard of it before reading about the band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Being married to a Turk, I know the other side of the story too, but had never heard either side until then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Being married to a Turk, I know the other side of the story too, but had never heard either side until then. I'm curious. I don't mean this to sound snarky, but what is the other side to systematically killing off millions of people? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I guess the best thing is to make sure it is common knowledge for my children. Genocide is actually rather fascinating. Wikipedia has a synopsis of the oft-discussed cultural steps leading to it (I think it is under "history of genocide"). I do not find a discussion of it frightens my son, but just makes it clear to us how precious the life we have, politically, here. Or, as McNamara said at the beginning of The Fog Of War, "we don't think about war enough". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I don't know why it would be common knowledge. We didn't learn about it in school, and I've never seen it mentioned nationally. I only know about it because of the area we live in. After I saw a few billboards, I googled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I'm curious. I don't mean this to sound snarky, but what is the other side to systematically killing off millions of people? That does sound snarky. I am not Turkish or married to a Turk, nor am I Armenian or married to an Armenian, nor in any way personally involved in this issue, but you may find this article on PBS 's conflicts or issues or whatever after a show on the topic interesting, if only for the fact that it was discussed in so much detail, and whether there is a single version of the truth, which is always an interesting conversation. http://www.cpb.org/ombudsmen/display.php?id=15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 (edited) That does sound snarky. I am not Turkish or married to a Turk, nor am I Armenian or married to an Armenian, nor in any way personally involved in this issue, but you may find this article on PBS 's conflicts or issues or whatever after a show on the topic interesting, if only for the fact that it was discussed in so much detail, and whether there is a single version of the truth, which is always an interesting conversation. http://www.cpb.org/ombudsmen/display.php?id=15 Thank you. I know it sounded snarky, but I really am curious. I know what Hitler's propaganda was. I know what Stalin's was. I know a bit about Rwanda (sp). I know what the various reasons were with the genocides of the Native Americans in different eras by different people. I know what the English had with the Scots. I'm curious on this also. It helps with teaching. I like to be able to explain the different views on things, so the kids can see why or how something happened. Edited July 17, 2011 by mommaduck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 (edited) It is common knowlege in our area because there are a lot of Armenians who live here and I personally know and am related to decendants of those who were murdered and escaped from Armenia during this time. However, since our govt. refuses to directly acknowledge that there was a genocide so as not to offend the Turks, it's not suprising that not many people know about it. Edited July 17, 2011 by KrissiK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edithcrawley Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I've never heard about it until today when I looked at this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 There are a lot of things that weren't part of a World War, but are historically significant. Of course there are. And in a course on Armenian history, the Armenian genocide it would be historically significant. I'm not sure though in a course on World history (which is the kind of wide topic which I think most "common knowledge" comes from) if it would rank as historically significant enough to be included. Because you do have to pick and choose when dealing with such a broad topic and such a broad time frame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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