Indiana faces long road to restore image after religious law

LAURYN SCHROEDER  |  Apr 5th 2015 3:40PM

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Indiana tourism agencies are rolling out campaigns emphasizing that everyone is welcome, but it might not be enough to quickly restore the state's battered image after a backlash over its religious objections law.

An uproar sparked by fears that the law would allow discrimination against gays and lesbians led a few convention organizers and performers to cancel events and some state and local governments to ban travel to the state last week. Revisions to the law's language have eased some of the criticism, but experts say the state could be dealing with a damaged reputation for years to come.

In a sign that Indiana is still under close scrutiny, hundreds of gay rights supporters marched to the site of the NCAA Final Four in Indianapolis on Saturday as college basketball fans were arriving for the games. The marches called for the state to go further and enshrine in its civil rights law protection for gays and lesbians.

Chris Gahl, vice president of Visit Indy, the lead promoter for Indianapolis, said he has been in "full crisis mode" since the furor erupted after Gov. Mike Pence signed the law late last month.

Gahl said Visit Indy received more than 800 emails from people saying they were canceling trips for events such as the Indianapolis 500 or choosing a different vacation destination. The agency has been scrambling to prevent groups and businesses from either pulling out of negotiations for future conventions or canceling upcoming events altogether.

Two groups, including the public employee union AFSCME, have canceled conventions, and Gahl said two others were on the fence. He put the economic impact of those events at a "healthy eight figures."

"What keeps us up at night is the fact that 75,000 people depend on tourism for a paycheck," Gahl said. "And if we don't fill the city with conventions and visitors, they don't work."

The crisis isn't confined to Indianapolis. Fort Wayne, the state's second-largest city, has had six national conventions express concerns about continuing business in Indiana. If all six pulled out, it would represent about $1.2 million in revenue, said Dan O'Connell, president and CEO of Visit Fort Wayne.

Businesses say they've been inundated with emails from people asking for reassurance that they are welcome in Indiana, or canceling orders or plans. The famed French Lick Resort, a hotel in an historic town in southern Indiana, issued a statement Friday saying it has "always been open and inclusive" and that the new law won't change that.

Traci Bratton, owner of the Hoosier Candle Company in Dayton, about 50 miles northwest of Indianapolis, said she's received emails from out-of-state customers who like her products but say they won't be bringing their business to Indiana because of the law.

"Hoosier Hospitality has been thrown out the window," Bratton said.

But the impact is being most keenly felt in Indianapolis, which has earned national praise for its transformation from a place once referred to as "Naptown" and "India-No-Place" to a vibrant, friendly city that used sports and a downtown renaissance to land a Super Bowl and become a popular pit stop in what was once called "flyover country."

Indy Big Data, a tech convention slated for May, has lost nine national sponsors, including Amazon and Cloudera. GenCon, the city's largest convention, has a contract with the city until 2020, but Gahl said negotiations to extend the agreement for another five years could fall through because of the outcry over the law. A departure of GenCon, which brings in about $56 million each year, would be a huge loss, Gahl said.

Even though lawmakers have revised the language of the religious objections law to make clear that it's not intended to discriminate, Indiana still lacks statewide civil-rights protections for the gay and lesbian community. And economic experts said perceptions about the law could prevent companies from attracting and retaining young talent.

Kyle Anderson, a business economics professor at Indiana University said Indiana already had a hard time competing on a national level to bring in top talent. For young professionals who tend to be more progressive about social issues, the law could be another reason for them to avoid jobs within the state.

"The last week will perpetuate the notion that it's not a great place to live," he said. "And I think that will live on for quite a while, unfortunately."

Lawmakers and community leaders acknowledge they have work to do but say the state will recover.

If history is any indication, they're likely right.

Arizona battled a similar public relations crisis in 1987, when former Gov. Evan Mecham sparked an outcry when he rescinded Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a paid holiday. The fallout, which included losing a bid to host the 1993 Super Bowl and a boycott of tourism and convention sites for much of the late 1980s, severely damaged the state's image for years.

In 1992, an initiative to restore Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Arizona was approved, making it the first state with a voter-approved King holiday. The state has hosted three Super Bowls since then.

A Bill passed by the Indiana Legislature and backed by Evangelical anti-gay supporters.

If divided we fall, watch out below

By Jack Neworth on April 3, 2015 in Laughing Matters

Just when you think we can’t become more divided as a country, someone finds a way. I’m referring to the controversial “Religious Freedom Restoration Act” recently passed by the Indiana legislature and signed by Gov. Mike Pence, whom I refer to as “Hoosier Daddy.” (Sorry about that.)

Pence was vehement that the legislation did not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. And yet he signed the bill in a private ceremony with evangelical anti-gay supporters. Not exactly inclusive.

On Sunday, Pence appeared in an exclusive interview on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos.” (Whose last name belongs in a spelling bee.) Six times Stephanopoulos asked Pence, “Yes or no, does this law discriminate against gays and lesbians?” Each time, and painfully evasive, Pence refused to answer.

That was Sunday. On Monday the firestorm of protest began. The CEOs of nine major companies, including Eli Lily, Anthem and Indiana University Health, went on record opposing the bill. Angie’s List, headquartered in Indianapolis, indicated if the bill were not repealed or amended it would abandon a $40-million expansion in Indiana, which had been in the works for years.

Among others speaking out against this type of legislation were Wal-Mart and NACAR, neither generally known for liberalism. Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post in which he likened the bill to “whites only signs on shop doors and water fountains.” Late night talk show host David Letterman, born and raised in Indiana, featured Pence on his Top 10 list. Clearly saddened by the law, Dave lamented, “This is not the Indiana I remember.”

NBA legend Charles Barkley called for the NCAA to cancel the basketball Final Four scheduled for tomorrow and Monday in Indianapolis. This past Tuesday, on the campus of Duke, which is in the Final Four, officials reported the discovery of a noose apparently as a reminder of lynchings. Isn’t that just lovely? I guess the answer to the question, “Can’t we all get along?” is “not very easily.”

Also on Tuesday, Pence held a press conference. Known for his use of dramatic pauses in speeches, Pence began with 22 seconds of silence. But the microphone picked up his labored breathing, the effect of which was less dramatic than just plain weird. Pence tried to blame the furor on the media’s characterization of the legislation but ultimately admitted the bill needed a “fix.” (As a valley girl might say, “Duh.”)
Predictably, Ted Cruz led the charge in applauding Pence. Not to be outdone in reaching out to the religious right, Jeb Bush jumped in, “I think Governor Pence has done the right thing.” (Ouch!)

But, as the backlash mounted, Jeb has backtracked as fast as his little feet can carry him. Actually, all the Republican candidates for president, declared or otherwise, have said they “stand by Governor Pence,” which as it happens was more than Gov. Pence was doing on Tuesday. Presently, it’s not entirely clear where he stands. (Can you say “confused?”)

While the mainstream business Republicans (chambers of commerce etc.) understand diversity, the social conservatives (religious right) apparently don’t get that the country has thankfully evolved on same-sex marriage. It’s hard to believe, but in 1967 interracial marriage was illegal in 17 states. In 1980, some polls revealed that as many as 80 percent of Americans thought marriage between the races was immoral. Today, 4 percent think that.

As for gay marriage, we only have to go back to 2004 when hatred for homosexuals gave George Bush a second term. How so? Karl Rove put anti-gay marriage initiatives on the ballot in 11 states, which brought out the haters in droves. Today, a move like that would completely backfire.

In fact, here’s a strange circumstance confided to me by my politically conservative friends. (Both.) Many on the right are secretly hoping that, in June, the Supreme Court rules that anti-same sex marriage bans are unconstitutional.

You see, while they won’t admit it publicly, many conservatives realize that on this issue they’re on the wrong side of changing demographics. So if the court decides seemingly against them, right-wing candidates can go to their base and say “Hey, we tried to be intolerant, they wouldn’t let us.” (Just joking, but many on the right are in fact hoping the court takes the issue off the table to take them off the hook.)

The U.S. has had numerous periods of dysfunctional divisiveness. Obviously, the worst resulted in the Civil War. The disastrous Vietnam and Iraq wars also badly divided the country. And now, sadly, the chasm is as wide as ever.

Who knows, maybe the Indiana law, with business-minded Republicans urging tolerance, could lead to a bipartisan thaw? Wishful thinking? Probably. In the meantime, at least it’s been food for thought for one more column. I hope.

Jack is at facebook.com/jackneworth and twitter.com/jackneworth and can be reached at jnsmdp@aol.com.

An Armenian Easter tradition.

 How to win an Armenian-style Easter egg fight

COURTESY OF LORY TATOULIAN on KPCC 83.9 Talk Show

Which one will crack first?

The morning egg hunts have ended and it's time for those celebrating Easter today to dig into their feasts. And in some L.A. households, time to do do a little old-fashioned egg fighting.

It's a tradition that contributor and comic Lory Tatoulian grew up with among her Armenian American family, one that she's developed some expertise in by now. So for the uninitiated (don't worry, there's no runny mess involved) here Lory offers a few tips for success.

May the best egg win.

As Armenians we’re not so much into the whole Easter egg hunt, as much as the age-old egg cracking game. The last thing we want to do is get up with belly full of choreg, lamb and pilaf, and run around looking for eggs. The traditional, sedentary, egg cracking game, that is popular with Armenians and Greeks, requires little energy exertion and lot of bad egg-cracking jokes.

Traditionally, Armenians dye their Easter eggs in a pot of boiling red onion skins. This gives them a glowing rose color and fortifies them as a stronger weapon to use in the egg competition.

When starting out, you want to intuitively choose the best egg in the basket. It’s like choosing a horse at the race track. You want an egg with the best form and pedigree, and just like horses, you want an egg that is lean and has more of an elongated shape. Stay away from the humpty dumpty AA jumbo eggs. No pun intended, but those crack easily.

When you pick your winning egg, then you have to pick your losing opponent, and quickly move up the ranks of family and friends until it’s you and the other last uncracked contender. It’s always good to start with family members who have annoyed you in the last year, since this is a therapeutic way to work out your issues.

Playing and winning the game: 

·         Stand face to face with your contender, look into his or her eyes (even if it's a kid), and show no fear or weakness.

·         Flip a coin to decide who is going to hit first.

·         They go first? Whatever! You’re holding the golden egg in your hands.

·         Both contenders should start with the bottom part of the egg.

·         Since you are the one who is going to be hit first, cup both hands around the egg and leave little room for your egg to be harmed.

·         Use the fatty skin from your index finger and thumb to buttress your egg, which barely leaves room for their egg to touch yours. This is why my uncle Setrak always plays good defense, he has major man hands.

·         If your egg cracks, flip the egg over and have them take another jab.

·         If your egg is fractured on both sides, wah! wah! wah! You lose.

·         If your egg doesn’t crack, then it’s your turn to get cracking.

·         Basically, you want to walk away with at least one side of your egg not cracked.

·         As you move through the matrix of cousins and friends, you will then come to the final egg-off between you and the other impervious egg hero.

·         If your egg leaves unscathed, then you are the WINNER!

… and you’re you are deemed the “year’s lucky person” and attacked with a smothering of kisses. In addition to winning the coveted basket of cracked eggs, you also win some sort of prize. Usually it’s $20 from grandma’s social security check. But it also can be some makeshift gift, anything ranging from a supermarket daffodil plant to a crocheted doily made by your aunt.

Enjoy.

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3,300 Year Old Prophecy Shrines Found in Armenia

Archaeologists have unearthed three shrines dating back around 3,300 years in Armenia.

Discovered in a hilltop fortress in Gegharot, Armenia, experts believe that the shrines were used by rulers at the time to make predictions about the future.

Each of the shrines consisted of a solitary room which contained a clay basin full of ash and ceramic vessels, Live Science reported.

Artifacts such as stamp seals, clay figures and animal bones — knucklebones of cows, sheep and goats — with markings were found at the locations.

It is thought by the discoverers, Adam Smith of Cornell University and Cornell graduate Jeffrey Leon, that the rulers and mystics may have burned some of the items and imbibed in alcohol to blur their minds during the divination practices.

Smith and Leon recently wrote in the American Journal of Archaeology: “The logic of divination presumes that variable pathways articulate the past, present and future, opening the possibility that the link between a current situation and an eventual outcome might be altered.

The duo found evidence of three different types of divination at the shrines, including osteomancy – the reading of the future through rituals involving burned animal bones.

 Source: Asbarez.com

From 100 years facts Projects

The first oil well in Baku was drilled by Ivan Mirzoev (Hovhannes Mirzoyan) in 1871.

Tiflis (Tbilisi) to the north – the capital of Georgia today – had been since the middle ages a not insignificant Armenian Diaspora centre, with an immense boom in terms of society, culture, and politics in the 19th century. Baku to the east – the capital of Azerbaijan today – took that 19th century and ran with it well into the 20th, turning that city into a major economic powerhouse of the Diaspora, with some politics and culture thrown in as well.

The Armenian presence in Baku took shape in the early-to-mid-1800s, as the Russian Empire expanded into the region on the western shore of the Caspian Sea. Oil drove development on the Absheron peninsula where Baku is located. It was Armenian entrepreneurs that really got the oil industry going, alongside Russians and Europeans certainly, as well as local inhabitants. Big names such as Mirzoev, who was the first to successfully drill for oil in 1871, or Mantashev, Lianozov, Tsaturov, or Adamov, turned into some of the wealthiest individuals of their generation, competing with the Rothschilds and the Nobels, to name just two other players in the Baku oil fields.

Interest came from the emerging Armenian bourgeoisie in other places at first, with home-grown Armenians slowly becoming a part of the fabric of the city in the years that followed. Baku ended up with at least three Armenian churches and a number of schools. In general, the very first publications of books and newspapers in that city took place through the efforts of Armenians, as was the establishment of the first library. A number of iconic works of architecture of that city – public buildings, private residences – were commissioned or designed by Armenians in the late 19th and early 20th century.

All was not always well, one must note. The 1900s and 1910s especially saw inter-ethnic clashes on more than one occasion, following the general instability arising from the Russian Empire’s own internal troubles – and foreshadowing similar events as the USSR would collapse decades later.

Meanwhile, Baku was renowned for its cosmopolitanism. One indication of that was the Baku Commune of the 26 Commissars from different backgrounds, led by Stepan Shahumyan, that briefly ruled the area in the chaotic aftermath of the Russian Revolution of 1917. They were displaced by another multi-ethnic group, likewise including Armenians, before the Ottoman and British occupations, followed ultimately by Sovietisation.

It was during the Soviet years that the many citizens of that city forged a new Bakuvian identity – Russian-speaking and secular – which included hundreds of thousands of Armenians. As the movement for Nagorno-Karabakh turned violent and in particular following the pogroms of the Armenians of Baku in 1990, a majority of the Armenians that had made that city their home for three or four generations fled to Armenia, to Russia, and to the West. There are estimations from hundreds up to tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians still living in Baku and elsewhere in Azerbaijan, mostly those married to Azerbaijanis. But given the tense political situation in the region, free expressions of Armenian identity are severely limited in that country today.

A brief history of Iran/American Relations from the 1953 Iranian coup to today's open letter by U.S. senators to Iran.

Give war a chance

By Jack Neworth on March 13, 2015 in Laughing Matters

1

In 1969, John Lennon wrote “Give Peace a Chance” and it soon became an anthem for the anti-Vietnam War movement. But for the past 14 years we’ve been in seemingly endless wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. And now forces are gathering, including 47 reckless U.S. senators, apparently itching for one in Iran.

Disturbingly, however, not enough people seem upset by the state of permanent war. Why? Probably because only 1 percent of us serve in the military. So for the 99 percent, the most pressing issue may be: Do we or do we not buy an Apple watch?

The senators in question, or, as I affectionately call them, “The Gang of 47,” in an unprecedented act, recently wrote an open letter to Iran’s leaders. They essentially knee-capped President Obama’s delicate and high-stakes negotiations with Iran over their nuclear capabilities. (Obama was in Santa Monica yesterday, but we somehow didn’t get together.)

Can you imagine if Democratic senators had written Saddam, interfering with Bush’s negotiations prior to the Iraq War? Rush Limbaugh would have swallowed his cigar.

The infamous letter was authored by Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, a senator with 60 days of experience. The purpose was to explain our constitutional system to the Iranians. Give me a break.

The truth is these GOP hardliners don’t want a deal, and their hawkish Iranian counterparts don’t either. Talk about strange bedfellows. So if there’s no deal, what options are left?

If recent history is any judge, break out the missiles and get ready to ship boots on the ground. (Instead of bombs, why don’t we just drop boots on Iran. No soldiers, just boots.)

Recently, and in another unprecedented move designed to undermine Obama, House Speaker John Boehner invited Bibi Netanyahu to speak before Congress. Now the letter to the Ayatollahs. What some folks won’t do to get a war.

In the meantime, Daily Press reader Harley Frankel, a landsman and apparently highly accomplished in government, was “horrified” by my column last week about Bibi. Reading between the lines, I gather he’s a little miffed. All I can say is, at least he spelled my name right.

Digressing for a moment, let’s go back to the buildup to the Iraq invasion. The neocons came up with a cockamamie “enriched uranium in Niger” story. It was based on a forged document signed by Niger officials, some of whom hadn’t been in office for 10 years.

Or how about the infamous Iraqi “mobile weapons labs” that were actually helium trucks to fill balloons for children’s birthday parties. And, of course, the granddaddy of the Bush administration fabrications, the non-existent WMDs.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld vehemently assured us, “We know exactly where the WMDs are!” Of course, Rumsfeld also said, “The war could last six days, maybe six weeks, but certainly not six months.” He was only off by about 10,000 percent.

And who can forget “Curveball,” the alleged Iraqi spy who was the seemingly lone source for the Bush administration’s intelligence. The German government warned us Curveball was an alcoholic schizophrenic. But, much like his doppelganger Alfred E. Newman, did W. worry?

Well, the neocons got their disastrous Iraq War. But they never apologized to the nation, especially the families of the 4,491 dead GIs and to the wounded, not to mention to the 100,000 innocent dead Iraqis. Instead of begging forgiveness or going into hiding, they’re relentless in their punditry, seemingly determined for a third war. (On the theory that three’s the charm?)

As for Iran, let’s not forget that in 1953 the CIA helped stage a coup of the country’s democratically elected president. (Is that all?) Imagine how we’d feel if the Iranians did that to us. In the meantime, if anyone can cite when Democrats “knee-capped” a president during delicate foreign policy negotiations, feel free to send me the specifics.

The GOP, however, has a nagging history of “interfering.” In 1968, Nixon reportedly undermined LBJ’s Paris Vietnam peace proposal. Through back channels he allegedly promised the South Vietnamese they’d get a better deal from his “secret peace plan.” (So secret the war didn’t end for seven more years.)

In 1980 there was also the “October Surprise.” Allegedly, Reagan’s emissaries encouraged the Iranians not to release the American hostages until after the November election. (Reagan also wound up admitting that he had traded weapons for those hostages. Imagine if Obama did that. Yikes!)

But somehow, as a country, we seem to just love war. (Google “U.S. wars.”) And when it comes to bombs and missiles, we make the world’s best. (We’re not so great at education, quality of life, infant mortality or solving our epidemic childhood hunger.)

To Harley, I’m sorry you were horrified by my Bibi column. Personally, I’m horrified by the thought of war with Iran. So it is, I miss John Lennon more than ever.

Evidence shows that The Armenian race goes to 4 to 5000 years ago.

Date of Armenia’s Birth, Given in 5th Century, Gains Credence

By NICHOLAS WADEMARCH 10, 2015

Movses Khorenatsi, a historian in the fifth century, wrote that his nativeArmenia had been established in 2492 B.C., a date usually regarded as legendary though he claimed to have traveled to Babylon and consulted ancient records. But either he made a lucky guess or he really did gain access to useful data, because a new genomic analysis suggests that his date is entirely plausible.

Geneticists have scanned the genomes of 173 Armenians from Armenia and Lebanon and compared them with those of 78 other populations from around the world. They found that the Armenians are a mix of ancient populations whose descendants now live in Sardinia, Central Asia and several other regions. This formative mixture occurred from 3000 to 2000 B.C., the geneticists calculated, coincident with Movses Khorenatsi’s date for the founding of Armenia.

Continue reading the main story

Toward the end of the Bronze Age, when the mixture was in process, there was considerable movement of peoples brought about by increased trade, warfare and population growth. After 1200 B.C., the Bronze Age civilizations of the eastern Mediterranean suddenly collapsed, an event that seems to have brought about the isolation of Armenians from other populations. No significant mixing with other peoples after that date can be detected in the genomes of living Armenians, the geneticists said.

The isolation was probably sustained by the many characteristic aspects of Armenian culture. Armenians have a distinctive language and alphabet, and the Armenian Apostolic Church was the first branch of Christianity to become established as a state religion, in A.D. 301, anticipating that by the Roman empire in A.D. 380.

The researchers also see a signal of genetic divergence that developed about 500 years ago between western and eastern Armenians. The date corresponds to the onset of wars between the Ottoman and Safavid dynasties and the division of the Armenian population between the Turkish and Persian empires.

“This DNA study confirms in general outline much of what we know about Armenian history,” said Hovann Simonian, a historian of Armenia affiliated with the University of Southern California.

The geneticists’ team, led by Marc Haber and Chris Tyler-Smith of the Sanger Institute, near Cambridge in England, see long-isolated populations like that of the Armenians as a means of reconstructing population history.

Armenians share 29 percent of their DNA ancestry with Otzi, a man whose 5,300-year-old mummy emerged in 1991 from a melting Alpine glacier. Other genetically isolated populations of the Near East, like Cypriots, Sephardic Jews and Lebanese Christians, also share a lot of ancestry with the Iceman, whereas other Near Easterners, like Turks, Syrians andPalestinians, share less. This indicates that the Armenians and other isolated populations are closer than present-day inhabitants of the Near East to the Neolithic farmers who brought agriculture to Europe about 8,000 years ago.

The geneticists’ paper was posted last month on bioRxiv, a digital library for publishing scientific articles before they appear in journals. Dr. Tyler-Smith, the senior author of the genetics team, said he could not discuss their results for fear of jeopardizing publication in a journal that he did not name.