Do you think the whole Armenian Genocide debate has more to do with the Democrats trying to find a way to end the war than anything to do with what happened in 1915? I am just thinking that since we are so dependant on Turkey to get stuff to our troops, their refusal to help us might put enough of a kink in our armor that we would have to reduce or pull back troops. Just a thought. 
Since I am married into a family with Arminian roots, I feel I have some connection to the story. Rythter's great grandmother came to the US just before the genocide. She was a child bride to a much older man. I believe she lost a portion of her family to the genocide, but because she was old by the time I knew her, and not very approachable, I never got to find out much more on her family. Her grandmother was a Usurer (sp?) who lent money. Her father was a teacher in a convent school I think. Apparently she knew French.  Her sister came over about the time of the genocide, but what became of the rest of the family I don't know.  Her second husband Aaron and his brother were able to get out of the country. I believe their family escaped to Russia and some still live there. There was a story, I think about the two brothers, who hid in a basket while the Turks killed whoever was in the house.  Again, I wish I knew more details. 
I do remember clearly one time when Rythter's gr. grandmother was talking about the massacres, that she said "they (meaning the Armenians) got uppity".  She also said she saw a soldier kill a man from horseback with his sward, or something like that.  I don't know why she thought the Armenians were uppity.  It seems to be a strange perspective. Of course she was about 13 or so, and there was no CNN or NPR at the time to inform the masses.  From what I know, the Turks thought that the Armenians were siding with the Russians, who were at war with or had been at war with the Turks. Of course, that doesn't excuse killing women and children by marching them forever till they dropped. (Don't bring up the Trail of Tears, okay? We'll have to pull back our ambassador). When Rythter's mother was growing up, she would hear the phrase "there are Armenians eating grass" at the dinner table, rather than that there were starving Africans. Of course this was almost fifty years after the genocide, but I suppose her father heard it when he was a child and was just passing on the family phrase. 

I know a woman who's mother carried her  out of Armenia as a baby. Over mountains. She is in her 90's now. She is an artist and she will be buried in the cemetery. Her stone is a chunk of pudding stone. On the front is a slash mark, which I thought was a flaw at first, but it's not. It's a 'paintbrush stroke'.  She's a character. 
I also know a man who has lots in the cemetery who is Armenian. To this day, he will not buy anything made in Turkey.  His wife came home one time with a bunch of pasta that was on sale. It was made in Turkey (don't ask me what the brand was, he didn't say) and he made her bring it back to the store.  He was not born in Turkey or Armenia, but his parents were.  

Was the Turkish massacres of the Armenians a genocide. Yeah, as much as any one race or religion who tries it's best to eradicate another is.  Should we worry about recognizing it now after so much time and when we are so dependant on Turkey? Sure, why not. We should have recognized it back in WW1, but we didn't.  I think what is the worst thing about Turkey today is that they have not only not come to terms with the genocide, but that they actually PUNISH people who disagree with their view of things. America is not without it's evils. We enslaved generations of Africans, and tried, with much success, to eradicate the American Indian.  And this is written in books, in history books, its made into TV shows. We don't put people in jail for suggesting this. That's my gripe with Turkey. Admit that the Turks of 1915 tried to kill of as many Armenians as they could, and move on.  And until you do, sure, let's keep poking them with a stick. We are America after all. It's what we do best.