We Must Teach From the Cradle That the Turk is Not an Opponent, But an Enemy - Lt. Col. Sargis Stepanyan

Lt. Col. Sargis Stepanyan of the Armenian Armed Forces wrote on his Facebook page:

“We have been seeking justice for 106 years, yet we still have not learned the lessons of history. Our way of living must change starting today. We must teach from the cradle that the Turk is not an opponent, but an enemy. Instead of instilling a victim mentality in children in kindergarten, we should sow the ideas of empowerment and the need for restitution.

In schools, children must be encouraged to ask questions: Why did they massacre us? Why do they continue to bomb maternity hospitals and get away with it? Why is the world deaf and mute? Children should receive clear answers instead of dry, rigidly prescribed lessons.

University graduates should possess a strong vision for Armenia, along with their own conception and clear mechanisms. We must begin to live powerfully. We must strengthen ourselves—mentally, militarily, and economically. For 106 years, we have seen and become convinced that in the eyes of the strong, the weak is always at fault.

I not only remember, bow, and demand; I am also confident that the day will come when, instead of painting at the foot of Mount Ararat, the tricolor will be waving at its summit, ‘Our Father’ will resonate in Ani, drums and zurnas will echo in Adana, and once again the cry of the Armenian child will be heard in Shushi.”