Commemorative March Towards the Future

Having frequently commented on the lack of Armenian Genocide recognition by US presidents and other key figures in global politics, it was quite an eye opening and amazing experience to have actually participated with thousands of other young Armenians in a commemorative march to participate in a community strengthening exercise.  The frequent disappointment by the lack of Genocide commitment and awareness was turned into a powerful exercise in the unifying ability of groups with a common purpose. 

The intermittent rain signaled the melancholy nature of our unity.  We walked as a group of young Armenians who would not exist had it not been for the brave, the lucky, and the bold, who managed to find a way out of certain annihilation.  It was 95 years ago when our most noted intellectuals were rounded up like cattle and summarily executed for the crime of being Armenian.  The Ottoman Turks had decided that a whole people within their ancestral land had to be destroyed right under the nose of their supposed powerful European neighbors.  For nearly 8 years and beyond, every single Armenian identified within the territory of what was then the Ottoman Empire was targeted for death.  This genocide not only lead to the deaths of millions, but was also responsible for the cultural destruction that continues to this day.  The crime committed is beyond comparison, and our rainy march signified the resolve to never again allow these atrocities to be repeated.  We marched for recognition, we marched for significance, and most importantly, we marched for the future that we nearly completely lost.  All of this was done within our sovereign homeland amongst sovereign Armenians who through history have been forced to serve under other hegemonic powers.  We are now our own guardians, and we control our destiny and future.  It doesn't mean that we must lose our sense of vigilance and become complacent in this ever influential global world.  There are many powers now that attempt to force a future upon us that is detrimental, and we must look to our unity and our source of common cultural heritage to shirk off that which can lead to a future in which once again, we're completely servile to the influence of others.  The future is always unpredictable, and we're never in complete control over how things develop, but it's better to have the ability to tweak and manipulate the semi-directed outcome than leave it in other hands.  It's through our own hands that we built the buildings, monuments, streets, and all that exists today.  Armenia may be territorially small today, when compared to our ancestral borders, but that which is left is the foundation and core for future generations.  We'll flourish and succeed because we've continuously proclaimed our inherent need for freedom.  Although our current price for freedom has been steep, we must strive to keep the unity I've seen on our march through the streets of Yerevan.  Our future is dependent on us to bind together and create an Armenia that does justice to the lives of all our ancestors and to the martyrs who lost theirs during one of the darkest chapters of our history.