UNITED WE DID NOT STAND, DIVIDED WE DID FALL: REFLECTIONS ON RAFFI’S CAMPAIGN
[ Part 2.2: “Attached Text” ]
by Edvin Minassian , Garo B. Ghazarian , and Armen K. Hovannisian
Published: Friday August 02, 2013
Raffi Hovannisian is greeted in Ashtarak. Photolure
This year, the Armenian people turned the corner on an outdated
tradition in which their voices are not heard, their will is not
registered, and their sacrifices are not recognized. For the first
time in modern history, citizens of the Republic of Armenia gave
shape, form, and dimension to their civic and individual rights,
responsibilities, and entitlements.
While unprecedented progress was realized in villages, towns and cities
across Armenia in breaking the cycles of cynicism and indifference,
some have taken the opportunity to characterize the lack of absolute
success as absolute failure. More often than not, the sticks and
stones have come off the keyboard fingers of those who weren’t there,
those who don’t care, and those who won’t dare to make a difference
themselves.
The entire illustrious spectrum of named and unnamed political leaders
and political parties voted with their two left feet long before and
well after Armenia’s February 18, 2013 presidential election.
They decided, for their own defensible and indefensible reasons, to
do little to build national consensus and the bridges across which
a broad oppositional current could gain momentum. Alas, the popular
movement was realized despite the idleness and inactivity of so many
naturals who could have been constructively engaged.
One leader was left standing after the dust of everyone’s disengagement
had settled, and that leader was Raffi Hovannisian. He stood with
hundreds of thousands of his fellow citizens on presidential election
day February 18th, on inauguration day April 9th, and on mayoral
election day May 5th. He stood, stumbled, and got right back up
with them again. He became worthy of the powerful words of President
Theodore Roosevelt:
It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points how the
strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done
them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the
arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives
valiantly, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and
spends himself in a worthy cause, who, at best, knows the triumph of
high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails
while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those
cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
Together, Raffi and the Armenian people ushered in this momentous
year which, on their watch, saw hope, dignity, and self-worth being
returned to the Armenian people. He provided the guiding light,
and many chose the right path to freedom. He, along with legions of
other devotees of democracy, justice and independence, helped give
those defining national treasures back to the ordinary Armenian man,
woman, and child, a deliverance which, unlike the near-million votes
cast for him, can never be ignored or uncounted.
To be perfectly clear, the authors of this letter are interested
individuals, interested in the future of Armenia, interested in Raffi
Hovannisian, and interested in truth beyond the puff and punditry
which routinely populate cyberspace. We are members of Raffi’s family
and among his friends and colleagues.
It’s funny how those who are the quickest to try to project fault on
Hovannisian are the ones who did the least to make the current reality
any different than what it ultimately became. In fact, by doing so
very little, they did so very much to make sure that nothing at all
would change.
The naysayers and critics did nothing because most of them were afraid
of their own failure and because some were hoping for Raffi’s.
He, on the other hand, was not afraid of his own failure and was
praying against theirs.
It’s sad how out-of-touch some appear to be with the real-life
miracles and positive changes that played out this year through the
inspiration and leadership of Raffi Hovannisian. Never before in
the history of the republic in its previous election cycles did so
many people really, truly believe in themselves as agents of change,
worthy of the God-given promises of life and liberty.
For Armenia’s first twenty-two years, these sacred promises have
not been well-kept either by those in power or by those who are
liberal with their criticism of others and conservative with their
circumspection about themselves. We are reminded of and feel compelled
to refer to the appropriate lesson from the Scriptures:
And why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye
and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? Matthew 7:3.
It’s wonderful how those who did something good continue to do
something good. Raffi did so then, and does so now.
It’s a shame how those who did nothing continue to do nothing unless,
of course, dithering on the internet is considered something.
United we did not stand, divided we did fall.
Let’s get it right next time.
http://www.reporter.am/go/article/2013-08-02-united-we-did-not-stand-divided-we-did-fall-reflections-on-raffi-s-campaign