System Of A Down Singer Appeals Americans To 'Concentrate On Positive Energies' During Troubled Times

NEW YORK (Top40 Charts) - System of a Down singer Serj Tankian appealed for Americans to "concentrate on positive energies" in a statement on the recent terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. on Tuesday (Sept. 18).

"Our whole world has been sickened by the terrible events in New York and D.C. I've been calling out to friends all week to make sure they're O.K. My heart goes out to all the families suffering because of this madness.

"As American citizens, we are in the privileged position to be able to speak our hearts, even if other people disagree. I highly value the fact that I can make a statement with my intention being to sponsor peace and understanding of the tragic events that have been unfolding. I ask only that, for the long-term survival of our planet, we all concentrate on positive energies in our lives while pursuing justice.

"I would not be alive if not for the American orphanages that raised my grandfather after the Armenian Genocide of 1915, so I have a lot of love and respect for the good things that America has and can continue to achieve."

In other System news, a recalculation of last week's SoundScan figures has given the group a debut No. 1 for its recent album, Toxicity, which originally was slated at No. 2 behind Alicia Keys' Songs in A Minor. A bump-up of some 52,000 units sold put the Armenian rockers into the No. 1 spot.