BY APPO JABARIAN
Executive Publisher / Managing Editor
USA Armenian Life Magazine (English-language print edition)
USA Armenian Life E-Newsletter (Electronic Distribution — e-blast)
Hye Kiank Armenian Weekly (Armenian-language print edition)
USA Armenian LifeFACEBOOK
www.armenianlife.com
This 4th of July, America turns 244 years old amid troubled times.
Despite many complaints that we may have about so many issues including how at times, U.S. foreign policy has been hijacked by the neocons and the neoliberals in the nation’s capital, this author would still like to acknowledge several characteristics that make the United States a great country.
As a descendant of orphaned survivors and as a third-generation survivor of the Turkish-executed 1915-1923 Armenian Genocide;
As an American hailing from proud Armenian ancestry and Lebanese roots and as a self-determined and sovereign citizen of these great United States of America which is founded on the high ideals of the Founding Fathers, I am eternally grateful to America,
For opening her arms wide-open to all the persecuted survivors of the Great Irish Famine (1845-1852), the Great Lebanese Persecutions and Forced Starvation by Turkey (1915–1918); the Turkish-executed 1915-1923 Armenian Genocide, the Jewish Holocaust by Nazi Germany (1941-1945), the Soviet Despotic Occupation and Rule (1921-1991), the Cambodian Genocide (1975-1979), the Darfur Genocide (2003-ongoing) and all the other genocides, state sponsored terroristic wars such as the 44-day Turkish-Azerbaijani-ISIS aggression against Armenians of Artsakh in 2020, mega natural disasters, persecutions, great famines and other great calamities;
For giving a second chance at life to millions of destitute people;
For laying the foundation to a set of freedoms and liberties that make vibrant the society in which we live;
For empowering its citizens to excel and fulfil their dreams;
For fostering such a healthy value system upholding Democracy: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it” — Voltaire.
For providing vital support to Armenia and Artsakh/Nagorno Karabakh and vulnerable independent states and for upholding their right to exist under a shield of Democracy, the Rule of Law through systematic eradication of corruption and nepotism.
Only in America can one witness the accomplishment of the American dream by the highest possible number of citizens;
Only in America can anybody rise to the highest level of business and government establishment thanks to a still functioning meritocracy;
Only in America can a son of refugee parents from Turkish-occupied Western Armenia/Armenian Cilicia become a two-term governor of the nation’s largest state — the Golden State of California: Governor George Deukmejian;
Only in America can a son of Armenian Genocide survivors and refugees become the Secretary of the Navy (1967-1969); also serve as the Assistant Secretary of Defense and Under Secretary of the Army and Assistant Secretary of the Army (Installations and Logistics): Paul Robert Ignatius;
Only in America can a young Armenian Genocide survivor become a top food coordinator of the world’s most powerful army. During World War II, George Mardikian, who had come to America in 1922, served as a consultant to the Quartermaster General of the United States Army making drastic changes to the United States military. He was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Harry S. Truman for his work; He also founded American National Committee to Aid Homeless Armenians (ANCHA) rescuing tens of thousands Armenian refugees in the aftermath of World War II.
The list of such individual accomplishments is too long to fit here.
On a personal level,
Only in America, this author as a young person could have established a truly independent media company that is free from the influences of special interest groups and individuals. This is a tribute to the Freedom of Speech and the American spirit of empowerment. Had not been in America, where else could have been able to establish a truly Free Press outlet? Thank you, all dear supporters for coming together to help arm our community with a vibrant member of the Free Press.
For all the above and infinitely more blessings, Thank You, America!
Happy 244th birthday, America!
