Friday, October 17, 2003

Here is another story about the double-standard of life here being all about who you know.

Last summer when I was visiting Yerevan, I visited with a relative (from my mother's side) who told me about her son who is serving in the army as a communication specialist in Dilijan.

It seems that Dickran, who of all my mother's relatives is unusually intelligent, very proper and respectful to his elders, was bullied by his commanding officer and ended up being beaten to the point that his parents were not allowed to see him for a week after the incident because he sustained noticeable external scaring.

When my cousins husband was finally able to see Dickran, he made it clear to the commander who beat him that he personally would kill whoever is responsible if anything happened again.

When I heard this story, I was outraged and even though a couple of months had passed and my cousin said that I need not do anything since it was under control, I felt that I needed to at least strike some fear in the guy that beat my cousin so he would really not think of doing anything again and called a close General friend of mine, who is a deputy to the Minister of Defense of Armenia. I told the General what happened and asked him to call Dilijan to warn them that if one hair on my cousins head was bent, I would personally go to Dilijan and settle the score. The General was not happy hear about what had happened and told me he would tale care of it and I can be sure my cousin's remaining time in the army would be uneventful.

Back at the base in Dilijan at that very time, Dickran had been called to his commander's office and was told that he needs to bring from the communication storage 10 radios. Dickran told his commander that there was no such radios and had not been since he had been serving. The commander said that he didn't care, he said that Dickran needs to find 10 radios, even of that means they are broken radios and if he does not, he would once again be punished. It seems that since that last beating, Dickran was being bullied by his commander.

Dickran left his commander's office and really didn't know what to do and was called back a half hour later to a totally different commander, who apologized to Dickran and told him not to worry about the radios and he (the commander) would find them himself. Dickran left the office confused and later learned from another communication specialist that a call had come from the DF's office to the commander and though were not sure what was said, since that call, Dickran has no longer been bullied and can't seem to do anything wrong.

When Mama Manoogian heard all about this, she commented on how sad this whole situation is and how it's all about who you know or how much you are willing to pay. Very sad indeed and something we all need to somehow change so that those that don't have the money or friends in power, have a fighting chance to a good and fair life.

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