Pope speaks truth, why can’t U.S. presidents?

Integrity is something that can’t be taken for granted. Prior to the pope’s recent visit to Armenia, some cynics thought the pontiff might backtrack from last year’s unequivocal statement that the mass killings of 1.5 million Armenians in the period 1915-1923 constituted a “genocide.”

After all, most presidential candidates from Bush Sr. to the present have had no problem using the term to reference this historical event only to reverse their stance once in office. Far from retreating from last year’s pronouncement, Pope Francis not only reiterated the word “genocide” but rightly placed it in a global context, adding that it “unfortunately marked the start of a sad series of great catastrophes of the last century.”

Victims, culprits and preconditions of genocide are not limited to any set of nations or continents. It is the concern of all peoples. Local congressmen David Valadao and Jim Costa are commended for their strong statements regarding the pope’s acknowledgment and sponsoring the current Armenian Genocide Truth and Justice Resolution. Additionally, The Bee is to be applauded for its outstanding coverage of these events and making recognition of this crime against humanity its concern, too.

This story was originally published July 6, 2016 at 11:12 AM with the headline "Pope speaks truth, why can’t U.S. presidents?."