Timeworn issues, timeworn dialogue, and still the drum beats on.  Who’s counting the 
cadence, who’s beating the drum?  Phantoms from the past, no doubt.


As Armenians, we are involved in a deadly struggle for the survival of our race, our 
culture, and heritage.  To date, there seems to be no documented means of how this can 
realistically be accomplished.  The only visible leaders we have are our clergy and most 
of them are the extension of the political arms that control our churches.  We’re plagued 
with orators who are willing to get in front of microphones and shout who we are and 
where we come from, but none dare to tell us where we should be, or how we might get 
there.  To go one step beyond, most of us have accepted the importance of preserving our 
race and culture, but few of us understand why it’s so important, especially in these times.  
It seems that if the importance of being a present-day Armenian is obscure to me, then it 
probably is to others as well.


Our churches are split because of the power struggle between the opposing political 
influences that control them.  Beyond this, there are power struggles between and within 
the individual churches that seem to layer down, layer upon layer, until it finally reaches 
the custodian.  Only a tragedy or major upheaval unites us, but briefly.


As for our churches and schools, they’re constantly short of money, not because the 
communities they serve are poor, but because Armenians are very materialistic and by 
and large, cautious.  


In short, our heroes are dead and all we hang onto is our past and we can’t agree as to the 
accuracy of that at times.  We are little bits and pieces of a great race of people scattered 
all over the world.  Our churches are a means of holding us together, but with no formal 
program other than proclaiming how important and how fortunate we are to be 
Armenians.  We have no visible leadership and there’s nothing we’re doing today that 
future generations will sing about tomorrow.  We talk about national statehood in some 
circles, yet we can’t govern what little we have.


Will someone please enlighten me?  What in hell are we so proud of and why is it so 
important to be an Armenian?  I think a lot of us would like to know and it would 
certainly be a good staring point, but please, please, don’t give the job to one of the old 
regulars.   


Joseph Vosbikian