Ohio Has No Doubt Over Armenian Genocide: Bush Worries About Insulting Turks

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- President Bush prefers that the House scrap a resolution that calls the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians genocide. But across Ohio there seems to be little concern about offending the Turks and expressing outrage over the 1915 slaughter of more than a million humans. The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, a state and federally financed museum on the Ohio River in Cincinnati, premiered the film Screamers about genocide and genocide denial about Armenia. It screened the film a few hours after the President complained House action could damage diplomatic relations with Turkey. Nick Clooney, a Cincinnati Post newspaper columnist and the father of actor George Clooney, introduced the film for its first showing in the state.

Bush, of course, had valid diplomatic concerns. He dismissed the House resolution as "not the right response" to the killings, a crime whose mention can lead to imprisonment in Turkey, a nation that officially contends genocide never happened in Armenia. Historians say otherwise.

Last April, Gov. Ted Strickland (D) signed a resolution calling on Ohioans to recognize the genocide that took place between 1915 and 1923. He said nearly 2 million people were forcibly deported by the Ottoman Turks, an action that is now described as ethic cleansing.

"Of these, 1.5 million men, women and children were killed and one-half million were expelled from their homes. These acts succeeded in the elimination of a more than 2,500-year presence of Armenians from their historic homeland. All Ohioans embrace freedom, justice and human dignity. We have a collective responsibility to uphold these values and to focus the world's attention on human rights abuses, ethnic cleansing and genocide."

The mayors of Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati -- all Democrats -- signed similar proclamations between April and July. Cleveland's Frank Jackson, Cincinnati's Mark Mallory and Mike Coleman in Columbus all used the word genocide to describe the atrocities inflicted on the Armenians. Mallory said that by "remembering the Armenian Genocide, we acknowledge the pain and suffering endured by those affected, and firmly assert that these types of injustices should never happen again."

The Armenian National Committee of America has more about Screamers, which condemns the world's inclination not to act when horrific events occur.

Ohio Man Arrested Near Obama's Hotel: Has Police Record In Cincinnati

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- A municipal court judge in Cincinnati appointed a Russian-language interpreter for Davit Zakaryan in 2005 when he appeared in her court for shoplifting a $16.99 wallet from a TJ Maxx discount department store. And last October, Zakaryan was carrying an automobile license issued by Armenia when he received a traffic ticket following a single-car crash while driving a black 1995 Mercedes.

[UPDATE: 4:30 PM EDT: Sen. Barack Obama has spoken favorably about the Armenian-American community's efforts to get the genocide topic recognized. Vast numbers were killed by the Turks, and the slaughter rankles to this day. Earlier this year, the Illinois Democrat told the ANCA: "For those who aren't aware, there was a genocid that did take place against the Armenian people. It is one of these situations where we have seen a constant denial on the part of the Turkish government and others that this occurred. It has become a sore spot diplomatically." The fact that he sides against the genocide deniers would seem to indicate he wasn't stalked because of that dispute.]

[UPDATE: 7:48 PM EDT: The latest information from Iowa quotes a Cincinnati businessman who says Zarkayan was selling decks of playing cards with the faces of politicians outside campaign events.]

Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge Nadine Allen handled the shoplifting case and gave Zakaryan a small fine. Court records show a $1,000 bond was posted by a resident of Chicago Ridge, Ill., while the case was pending.

News reports say 24-year-old Zakaryan was searched and is being held in Iowa. He was described as loitering outside a Fairfield Inn where Sen. Obama was staying during a presidential campaign swing. Zakaryan is accused of having a knife with a blade longer than 8 inches inside his car.

In Cincinnati, court records show he had a different name, David Asatzyon, when initially stopped in July 2004 at the TJ Maxx. The affidavit said he "concealed under his arm a brown wallet valued at $16.99. I approach (sic) him and id myself as T.J. Maxx loss prevention and said I need to recover the unpaid merchandise. He gave it to me and follow me to the office. The police was called and they responded."

When Zakaryan received the traffic ticket, police said they could not locate a Social Security number. They said he did not carry an Ohio license, but produced one issued in Armenia.