PHOTO: From left to right: the host Mr.Gialtouridis, Senator Raptakis, HANC President Mr.Mataragas, Congressman Billirakis.

By Nick Stamatakis

Helleniscope was present in a significant gathering last night, organized by Mr. Georgios Gialtouridis in his mansion in a posh Boston suburb, where several significant members of the Greek-American Community of Boston and beyond honored Congressman Gus Bilirakis, both for his long service and his support to all the issues that concern Hellenism.  It was a very successful fundraiser for the congressman that culminated with a separate distinct event: Rhode Island State Senator Leonidas “Lou” Raptakis presented the official text of the Resolution by Rhode Island State Senate “proclaiming May 19, 2021, as a day of remembrance of the Greek Pontian Genocide”.  Mr. Gialtouridis is also president of the Pontian Society Panagia Soumela of Boston.

Co-sponsors of the event were Mr. Drake Behrakis, president of Marwick Associates and president of Hellenic National Society (among his many other active involvements), and President of Hellenic American National Council (HANC) Mr. Vassilis Mataragas. Among the many guests, we saw representatives of national Greek-American associations, representatives of foreign consulates in Boston, distinguished academia members, businessmen, etc.

Congressman Bilirakis offered a short update on the status of US-Greek relations emphasizing that the two allies are cooperating closer than ever before in their history. He also answered a number of questions concerning the struggle for human and religious rights in Turkey, some planned steps in furthering the alliances in the Eastern Mediterranean, and other issues concerning Greece, Cyprus, the Patriarchate, and Turkey.

PHOTO above : Congressman Bilirakis answers a question by the host, Georgios Gialtouridis.

PHOTO above: Congressman Billirakis addresses the audience. Mr. Drake Behrakis is sitting behind the Congressman…

The congressman’s name day was also honored!…

 

 

 

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11 COMMENTS

  1. Resolutions are good for hanging on walls, they have no legislative force, no nothing. This shouldn’t be “news”.

    When the” powerful” Greek lobby can cut or divert funds or get something into law, then they can brag. The rest is amateur and for consumption by Yiayia and Pappou.

    • State-level Resolutions create awareness for state representatives and state senators because they are the future representatives in the US Congress. It helps for them to become aware of these issues before they get inside the Beltway. Then it becomes a lot easier to “divert funds or get something into law” as you put it.

      Until then, we’ll hang it on the wall in our Pontian Society’s building. We are still in the creating awareness stage. The Armenians are way ahead of us.

  2. Those who are interested in positive actions need to start being part of the game. Yesterday’s event in Boston was a good place to restart an effort for a serious lobbying organization in our community… We cannot move forward by simply looking at the mistakes and failures of the past. We need to learn from them and start over. A major lesson is that for us Greeks big things can be accomplished working in small and tight knit groups… we do not have the discipline to work in large organizations.

    • Big Things are accomplished by Big Money in this post-modern, woke, corrupt political system.

      “Money talks and BS walks”, as the old saying goes.

      The Powerful Greek Lobby is so clueless that it doesn’t get that it’s 2021, not 1821, and they have not figured out that a Political Action Committee (PAC) -with $20m in it -that lines the campaign pockets of both the Rs and the Ds is how business is done. Hang your Resolutions in Hagia Sophia, if you want, or on The Parthenon or St Nicholas Shrine. You’ll get ZERO results.

      Amateur hour.

      • If the problem was pictured in money alone then we would have no chance against the Turkish lobby supported by Turkey itself with much more than $20M. Our problem has to do first with the erosion of trust due to the existing “lobbyists” who would find ways to line their own pockets first with the 20M. Not to mention the involvement of GOA and the corrupt actors from Greece… A small trustworthy group inspiring confidence to potential donors is essential. A few of those present in Boston could put down the first million and possibly more…

  3. American: If you do not have to say something good, you are not saying much. All of us know the problems, to some extent. I think it’s important to get
    your surroundings as well as yourself into a positive state.

    • Stele-eh: I am giving you the authentic path forward in hard core political terms and now you want to be my therapist. I will not praise political amateurism and silliness to make you feel good about your Greek self.

      You want to win? You have to play the big money, dark money PAC games. It’s time to wake up, acknowledge that our Greek efforts have FAILED miserably, due to much of what Hellenescope says above, and that it’s time to man up. If you want a “positive surrounding” , then join a support group.

  4. American,
    We did not accomplish as a whole much because everyone wants to be Chief and no Indians.
    I believe if I will open a small factory making Napoleon’s hats, I will make a lot of money: there are so many out there who would want to
    have it on their heads.

  5. American, it is obvious we are all on the same side here. If you noticed, I had no “lobbyists” invited to the fundraiser nor to the Resolution event that immediately followed. So, I for one, understand what you are saying and I do not disagree. A PAC is in the works but the problem which Stelios Tatsis emphasized persists: We have more chiefs than indians. We are working on that.

    But please don’t downplay the resolution. We may be in the infancy stages of a Pontian Genocide recognition but we need to start somewhere. We start from resolutions which are a result of education and vice versa. And we keep moving. But I assure you, we are on the move. A PAC is definitely on the horizon and as the writer of the above article affirmed, the first million+ in funds has already been discussed and pledged.

  6. Patriots, don’t give the small thinkers the honor of comparing them to Napoleon, an emperor after all.
    Most of the Chiefs are members or head the so-called powerful Greek groups or they are the imbeciles who call themselves important church lay leaders. Please identify them by their true selves—which is to say KARAGIOTHIZES (puppet clowns of a bygone Greek era).

    You just listen to me. A PAC (formed and controlled by people who actually know what they’re doing in the world of campaign politics), with a real strategy to contribute funds to key decision-making legislators—Foreign Àffairs, Defense, House and Senate leadership— would make all the difference in the world in upping the effectiveness and results of efforts. Resolutions are for high school graduations and Greek School prize winners.

    And speaking of efforts, you have to be laser focused on what to ask for, not just stupid stuff like Greek flags for World Trade Center and OXI Day repetitive nonsense to soothe our collective egos and pride. You have to get inside the defense and foreign affairs budgets. And also, the social issues. You cannot have archbishops running around supporting BLM and asking for silly things like Greek Independence Day stroking (“let’s eat paithakia at the WH until the military aides tell us to leave, like the vlachi we are”).

    YOU HAVE TO HAVE A SERIOUS, CONSISTENT, POWERFUL LEGISLATIVE AGENDA!

    What is that, pray tell, brothers?

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