NOTHING FUNNY ABOUT GENOCIDE
By Patrick Azadian
Glendale News Press
09/06/16/columns/gnp-margins16.txt
June 16 2009
CA
Last month, Bill Handel, the KFI AM 640 radio talk show host, got
himself into a little tangle because of how his show unfolded.
During the "crazy over-the-top" parody show, it was argued that if we
had 50% fewer people in this country, some of our economic problems
would be solved. The tired old cliché of closing the borders to
solve all domestic problems was on the agenda.
According to Handel, "If we practice, for example, really enforcing
our borders," we may all be able to improve our standards of living.
Immigrants, or those who are perceived to be immigrants, can be great
scapegoats. To some, whether it is the grand mismanagement of the
economy, crime, the overburdened health-care system or unemployment,
those who look a little different than the majority are easy targets.
During this particular show, Handel chose to jump on the bandwagon of
the "blame game." And somehow, the Armenian Americans were chosen as
the source for some of the social, economic and health-care problems
of the entire country. Funny, indeed.
The show and Handel went on to claim: "Get rid of, let’s say, Armenians
and sell Glendale, we’d be in better shape."
Apparently, Handel and his crew need some help in math, as getting
rid of Armenian Americans would not reduce the population of the
United States by 50%. Perhaps he would have been better off picking
on a more populous and more established minority group. But then,
that may have been costly for his career.
After receiving a complaint from a listener, Handel was still
unrepentant and took his tasteless joke to yet another level. Referring
to the Armenian Genocide, the show’s board operator, Lara Hermanson,
said "What the Turks started, Handel will finish!"
I understand the attempt at the crazy, over-the-top humor. I get it,
but I still think it was tasteless and too risky. And the immediate
aftermath did not help resolve the matter.
Handel continued to be unapologetic, hiding behind his past support
for official recognition of the Armenian Genocide. To demonstrate his
point, he shed some light on his trip to Turkey, where he "almost"
got into a fistfight when a tour guide questioned whether the Armenian
Genocide happened.
I am not sure what "almost" suggests, but as a person whose
grandparents were victims of the Holocaust, nothing less should be
expected from Handel. His outrage at the denial efforts of the Turkish
state is no excuse for irresponsible remarks on his show.
Jokes on mass murder are not welcome, nor should they be tolerated.
It took Handel and Hermanson just about a month to issue official
apologies after a meeting with the representatives of the Armenian
community. For now, everyone is on the same wavelength — genocide
is no joking matter.
There is a silver lining in all this. The dialogue established with
KFI may lead to a commitment to public education regarding all acts
of genocide.
I don’t personally believe that Handel is a bigot. But sometimes,
it doesn’t matter what goes on in someone’s head when the words can
be perceived as bigoted and energize individuals who are looking for
an excuse to be intolerant. As a media personality, Handel’s words
have more power than others’ and the consequences of his show can
influence large groups and communities.
Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide gets a fair amount of attention
during City Council meetings in April, but Handel’s statements of
intolerance should also be addressed officially, diligently and in
a timely manner.
Handel had potentially insulted a good number of the city’s residents,
so where was the City Council? Individuals should not only take
responsibility, but also understand the consequences of their
statements — and their silence.
â~@~BPATRICK AZADIAN is a writer, Glendale resident and the director
of admissions at Mt. Sierra College in Monrovia. He may be reached
at respond@ fromthemargins.net.