Members of the Boston Armenian community this month gathered at the home of Ara and Heather Krafian for a fundraiser for former Watertown State Senator Warren Tolman. Tolman, who is running for the Democratic nomination for Massachusetts attorney general in September, has a record of support for the Armenian community, its organizations, and schools that dates back more than 20 years.
Tolman with members of the Boston Armenian community
Aram Kaligian of the Armenian National Committee (ANC) of Eastern Massachusetts spoke of some of the important legislation that Tolman has written and passed, including the 1998 Genocide Curriculum bill for the teaching of the history of the Armenian Genocide in Massachusetts public schools. It was after Tolman helped defeat efforts to include Turkish government denialist websites in the curriculum guide that the Assembly of Turkish American Associations sued the Massachusetts Department of Education in federal court. The lawsuit was opposed by current Attorney General Martha Coakley, and the suit and subsequent appeals were dismissed by the courts as being without merit.
Tolman then presented the guests with some of the major initiatives that he wants to pursue if elected attorney general. These include calling an annual summit of Massachusetts college leaders to fight campus sexual assault and reinvigorating the Consumer Protection Division of the attorney general’s office, ensuring that residents are made aware that they have an advocate if they are taken advantage of as consumers. He also stressed the need to have sufficient facilities to treat those suffering in the recent opiate abuse crisis and to promote the introduction of smart gun technology to reduce accidental gun deaths. During the Q&A session, Middlesex District Attorney Peter Koutoujian stressed the importance of the community supporting those, like Tolman, who have always been there for Armenians.
Warren Tolman grew up in Watertown and has worked with the Armenian community and the ANC of Eastern Massachusetts since his first political campaign. He wrote and passed the first state resolution calling on the United States to recognize the Republic of Mountainous Karabagh and hosted the annual Genocide Commemoration in the Massachusetts State House chamber after the retirement of House Speaker George Keverian.
Armenians in Massachusetts are encouraged to volunteer and contribute to the Committee to Elect Warren Tolman. Contributions may be mailed to the ANC of Eastern Massachusetts, 47 Nichols Avenue, Watertown MA 02472, and volunteers may contact the campaign by visiting http://warrentolman.com.
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