CD 2 Candidate Chris Essel to the Armenian-American Community, "Nerokutsoon"

"There are times when hiding in a crowd can be good"

In case you didn't know, there is this "little controversy" in the CD 2 Special Election Runoff between Businesswoman Chris Essel and Assemblyman Paul Krekorian.

Essel, as the likes of the LA Weekly and our own Michael Higby reported, attended a Beverly Hills fundraiser hosted by a board member of the Assembly of Turkish American Associations, a lobbying group that adamantly denies the Armenian genocide.

"Asberez", the official publication of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Western United States Central Committee also wrote about Essel's interaction with the group and has closely covered the CD2 campaign efforts of Armenian-American candidate Paul Krekorian, as reported by Chelsea Cody at ourla.org.

Asberez follows up on the the fallout from the Beverly Hills fundraiser with this "letter of apology" from Essel to the Armenian community, Simply, "nerokutsoon" .

To My Friends in the Los Angeles Armenian-American Community:

It has recently come to my attention that reports are circulating which suggest that I have aligned myself with special interest groups from the Turkish and Azeri communities in my bid for election to the Los Angeles City Council. These reports are false and have mischaracterized my campaign efforts in an attempt to drive a wedge between the voters and myself, drawn along ethnic lines and deeply held feelings. Out of my deep respect for you as a community, your history and heritage, I wish to address these reports to answer any question you may have as to where I stand on issues I know are of the utmost importance to you.

While it is true that I was a guest at a gathering hosted by a Turkish-American, my stance on the Armenian Genocide is unwavering. It is, and always has been, my position that the genocide of the Armenians from 1915 to 1918, like other atrocities, must be recognized as historical fact. It is only through this recognition that we may be able to close these chapters in our human history and begin to heal the wounds caused by man’s inhumanity to man. As elected officials, we must always stand by the truth, and call for justice without compromise.

I pledge my support to the Armenian community in fighting for the recognition that your history so rightly deserves. As a candidate, I also seek to solve the problems that are facing the City of Los Angeles: joblessness, excessive taxation, community blight and an aging infrastructure, just to name a few.

I hope that you will join me in seeking a brighter future for all of us who call Los Angeles home, knowing that as we look to the future, we shall never forget the past. While Los Angeles is a city of many ethnicities, we are all Angelenos and we must stand united to solve the problems that affect our quality of life. As I continue my campaign, I look forward to meeting with all members of our community, to share my vision for Los Angeles and our future.

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