Millions of Armenians living in Armenia and abroad will say, ‘I am proud to be an Armenian” without any hesitation. And it is wonderful. Nationality should not be denied, it should be an integral part of your inner world, and of your views. But barely 10 thousand people living in Armenia will sincerely say, “I am proud that I am a citizen of the Republic of Armenia”. Because when the topic veers from “nationality”, from “people” to the state, grumbles take place, which probably are justified, but have nothing to do with the state and its symbols.
By the way, something similar happens also in abroad. Foreigners treat you with respect once they hear you are an Armenian, and they immediately recall their Armenian fellows or acquaintances who have shown their best. But when you say, “I’m from Armenia”, it requires additional explanations, just as you would give directions to a small shop by explaining its location through a bigger and more famous “object” next to it. For instance, you say, “it is in front of this or that supermarket”. So, we do mention about the famous “object” when explaining the location of Armenia. “A-a, Russia, Putin”, and then there is no desire left to continue the conversation. At least for me.
However, there are people among us who are famous as Armenians, and always proudly emphasize the fact that they are citizens of the Republic of Armenia. As you can guess, I talk about Henrikh Mkhitaryan in this case. Neither his game, nor the victory of his team is the most impressive for me, but the fact that he celebrates that victory with the Tricolor, i.e. the state flag of Armenia on his shoulders. In this sense, his significance is greater than the one of the other famous Armenians, who are citizens of other countries.
And what about us – the ordinary citizens? Perhaps we are not so popular and talented, but we also should sense the flag on our shoulders. We should remember that we are citizens of this state in any situation, starting from the simplest everyday situations to intricate social relationships. Each of us represents our state not only abroad but also here, in transport, in the street, at work, at home. This means we should live not as “good Armenians”, but as citizens of the state.
It is high time to make the transition from national to state.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
