april 24, 1915

This is the story of my great-grandparents. All eight of them died in this brutal, inhuman massacre.

My family history died with them on that cruel day, years ago.

This did not just happen to them. 

This is not just the cold-blooded murder of 1.5 million innocent people.

This is the first genocide of the 20th century, a crime against humanity.

And it keeps getting perpetrated, through denial and lies...

97 years of waiting for recognition, reparation, and retribution should be enough.

This has become my story.

April 24th is a day of vigil, silent reflection, and remembrance.

But it is also a day of celebration, of survival, of triumph against evil.

Updated Apr 24, 2012 09:48 PM:

Thank you all for visiting and for your thoughtful comments. It’s been a very emotional day for me, especially since this is the first time I’ve told Emily about this. After much back-and-forth, I decided not to pull her out of school, and therefore did not take her to the vigil or to the march/protest, as was my initial intent. We spent the day watching documentaries (the portions that were suitable for her young, innocent eyes), making together our short family tree, and answering her questions.

The fact that the Armenian genocide is not officially recognized by the US government and other countries fearing Turkish retaliation, and that the perpetrators were never brought to justice, made it even more poignant. It is with a heavy heart that I felt the obligation to pass the torch of seeking reparation to the next generation – I wish I didn’t have to. Seeing Emily’s eyes water, and her obvious helplessness before the utter cruelty she was witnessing for the first time, was one of the hardest things I've had to do. Her grandparents are already in their 70s and 80s and time, unfortunately, is not on our side. I wanted her to have the opportunity to hear them recount their own memories and first-hand survivor stories told to them by their own parents. I owed her at least that much.

For as long as I can remember, I have spent this day wrapped in a cloak of grief and loss, but also a furious resolve to right an unimaginable wrong. There is not much I can do to bring back what is forever lost. What I can however do is try to give my daughter the opportunity to help salvage the churches and antiquated Christian relics that were stolen from her ancestors -- the first nation in the world to embrace Christianity in 301 A.D.--, and left by the Turkish government to the elements, to ruin for good. They mean more to me than the homes and belongings that my great-grandparents left behind, never to return to again.

To learn more about the Armenian Genocide, view photos and historical documents compiled by reputable historians, visit http://www.armenian-genocide.org

Political tides change, but they often do so when driven by the will of the people. Please join me in signing this petition to President Obama, to finally deliver on his campaign promise and officially recognize the Armenian Genocide: http://wh.gov/PVq. Thank you!