Yesterday's events at Fort Hood are deeply tragic. My heart and prayers are for the families of the now thirteen slain and thirty wounded. These brave men and women died at the hands of one who was to be their healer. Major Nidal Malik Hasan is a board certified psychologist, which means he is also a medical doctor who takes the same oath to first do not harm. He has also taken the oath to defend this nation with his life that every member of the military takes. He has broken all of his oaths and his slain his brothers.
The real tragedy is beyond the shooting but the reality that it could have and should have been prevented. Despite the media spin by outlets such as Newsweek to make it a story about a military on the brink in which any of our soldiers could snap just like the major, the real story is still out there. He did not kill his fellow soldiers because he didn't want to go to Iraq. He does not suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as he has never been into combat. He did not open fire because he was bullied by his fellow officers. Most of the news outlets are ignoring his views and history.
All of the evidence points a far darker picture of Hasan. He has posted on a number websites his radical Islamic views. He has praised suicide bombers and has even suggested that one needs to go off in Times Square. He frequently called for Muslims to rise up against the aggressor, namely us. He stated more than once that the killers of the young men outside the recruiting station in Little Rock didn't go far enough. He was a radical Islamist in our ranks who sided with those whom we are fighting. It was these views and the fact he was vocal about them that were at the root of his problems with his fellow officers not his Muslim faith. In any other time, his postings would have been considered giving aid and comfort to the enemy, also known as treason. The Army knew this and in the name of political correctness chose not to act. I am glad that American Muslims have come out and rightly condemned this act.
The other spin I've begun to hear is from the anti-gun lobby. If there can be a shooting on military base where there's lots of guns, how do guns stop violence? The truth is that 99.9% of the personnel on the base are not armed. Only designated individuals are allowed to carry weapons, such as security personnel. On most domestic bases, the security is handled by a civilian force, like the Sergeant that finally shot Hasan. It is no different from opening fire on college campus or in a shopping mall. Essentially, no one is armed. Having been in the military myself, I know this first hand. Other than during security drills on the sub and at the range, I never carried a firearm on base. I only carried a baton when on security duty at the base club. All the firearms are locked up in armories.
The other part of the story is the fact that one never expects a fellow soldier, much less an officer, to do what the major "allegedly" did. There is an automatic level of trust extended to other members of the armed forces just by virtue of the uniform. Had I come around the corner after hearing gunfire and saw an officer with weapons, I would not have assumed he was the shooter but rather that he was looking for the shooter. His uniform was his shield and how he disarmed his victims.
There are Muslims in the military who serve with distinction. That is not at issue here, but what is at issue is why someone with these views was allowed to continue wearing the uniform of this country? Reports all say he was trying to get out of the Army. I have to ask three questions: One, why did they promote him to major last spring knowing his views? Two, why didn't the Army act and remove him from service when it became obvious that he supported the views of the enemy? Finally, even lacking the political will to act, why didn't they just let him out when he asked? While Hasan takes the brunt of the blame for his actions, the military holds some as well for not acting in a timely fashion. If they had acted in a manner appropriate to the reality of the situation instead of from political correctness, there would be thirteen fewer graves.
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