“[T]he Armenian Genocide is not an allegation, a personal opinion, or a point of view, but rather a widely documented fact supported by an overwhelming body of historical evidence. The facts are undeniable. An official policy that calls on diplomats to distort the historical facts is an untenable policy. … [A]s president I will recognize the Armenian Genocide.” So said Barack Obama when he was but a candidate for president. Now that he actually holds the office, he’s spent the last eight years refusing to use the word “genocide.” April 24 is Armenian Remembrance Day, and, each year, the U.S. offers a proclamation remembering the victims of Muslim Ottoman Turkey’s massacre of anywhere from 600,000 to 1.2 million Armenian Christians in 1915 and 1916.

Turkey is now a member of NATO, however — not the best decision in our estimation — and boasts one of the strong militaries in the Middle East. The nation has also more often than not been a help to overall anti-terrorism policy in the region, though current leader Recep Erdoğan is fairly hostile toward Israel and has been a thorn in Germany’s side over the Syrian refugee problem. So, similar to Obama’s bowing before the Saudis, he’s going to once again gloss over the inconvenient truth and decline to put labels on what happened. Besides, why condemn Muslim atrocities when he can lecture about the Crusades? On a final note, perhaps Obama should weigh such things as alliances and national security interests before he writes checks he can’t cash.