On July 4, 1998, TAR Int’l published my commentary, "What’s Needed is the Element of 
Trust."   It was in response to Dr. Ara Yeretsian’s June 20, 1998 commentary, “Church 
Controversy: Unconditional Embrace and Reconciliation.”  In my response, I was 
skeptical about his assertion that the Tashnag takeover of the Cilician See in 1956 was an 
act of preservation.


Dr. Yeretsian in his commentary further suggested that we should show a willingness for 
". . . coming together in harmony, love, mutual respect, and admiration."  And since his 
commentary was predominantly in defense of the ARF, I asked, near the end of my July 
4th commentary, at what point in the hundred-year history of the ARF have they shown a 
willingness to come together  ". . . in harmony, love, mutual respect, and admiration."  In 
closing I further added, "I believe Dr. Ara Yeretsian should go back to the drawing 
board."  And at the end of the same closing paragraph, I pointed out that, ". . . there’s one 
element he forgot to mention in his commentary: it’s a thing called "TRUST."   


I must have hit a sore spot in Dr. Ara’s fragile demeanor, because on September 19, 1998, 
he rebutted in TAR Int’l with his commentary, "Church Controversy (10); Misled and 
Misleading."   And though he did not have the courtesy to mention me by name he went 
though a considerable amount of verbal gymnastics labeling me as  ". . . a member of the 
AASO (anti-ARF Symphony orchestra)."  For those who have been reading his 
commentaries, I wish to point out that his September 19, 1998 commentary truly 
showcases his one-sided political biases as well as his false underlying attitude toward 
establishing ". . . harmony, love, mutual respect, and admiration."  I suppose all of the 
‘gobbly-gook’ he was trying to feed us was okay as long as you went along with his 
diatribe but if you didn’t, heaven help you.


The following are only a few of the overly-biased pro ARF comments this humble, 
harmonious, loving, respectable, and admirable Dr. Ara Yeretsian stated in his September 
19, 1998 commentary.


- "If the Rhamgavars and Hunchuks had had their day during times of conflict, many of us 
wouldn’t be alive today."  

- "In 1956, Bishop Zareh Payaslian was about to be elected Catholicos of Cilicia.  He was 
the candidate of the ARF."  

- "One hundred dead in inter-Armenian killings over fifty years is not bad."  

- "The fuss about a Primate and 80 dead people some forty odd years ago is demagoguery 
trademarked AASO and its concert hall TAR Int’l."  


- "If they want to let the ARF set the tone of the politics of the Catholicate of Cilicia, then 
that’s their right.  If they want the Prelacy to continue to operate in America, that’s also 
their right."  

- "The AASO is now bringing the thorny question of "supremacy" of Etchmiadzin 
(whatever that means) to the forefront."  


Well, there you have it.  It leaves me to wonder what kind of harmony, love, mutual 
respect, and admiration  Dr. Ara Yeretsian is talking about?


I would like to point out to Dr. Ara that I was an ARF Tzeghagron member, probably 
years before he was born.  Very few of us, at the time, chose to become senior members 
in the parent organization.  As for Dr. Ara also labeling me as an "Old Hat," I would like 
him to enlighten me:  What is the major difference between the ‘old hats’ of my era and 
the ARF ‘new hats’ of today?

								
And as for me being a member of AASO, I would like to further add that the connotation 
that, I suspect Dr. Ara is trying to project, probably fits him much better than it does me.


Joseph Vosbikian