If there was any doubt that religiosity played a role in yesterday's tragedy, reports state that Major Nidal Malik Hasan shouted "Allahu Akbar!" — "God is great!" in Arabic — before opening fire. The rampage unfolded at a center where 300 unarmed soldiers were lined up for vaccines and eye tests. My opinion: Of course, it would be an Arab Muslim who does the worst violence on a military base in U.S. history. Reports claim that he was teased about being a Muslim. Whiny whine whine. Wasn't he a professional head doctor? Did he file complaints about the alleged harassment? However, black folks have been through far more in American history and even now, yet we ain't shooting up military bases. I've got living relatives who were in racially segregated units and who helped desegregate military units - they all caught real hell - yet no rampages. I've got relatives where folks rode them for being female; no rampage. Anyway, black moderates and conservatives discuss the issue:
Clifton B.: "Major Nidal Malik Hasan: More Questions Than Answers"
The conservative blogger in New Jersey writes: "They claim that Nidal was subjected to taunts because of his Muslim faith and that he was extremely fearful of being deployed to Iraq this month. However, since Nidal was a psychiatrist none of this adds up. As a psychiatrist shouldn’t Nidal have had the tools to deal with taunts? Furthermore as a psychiatrist, why was he so fearful of deployment? It wasn’t like he would have been in actual combat. Plus I am having a hard time believing that someone who was a afraid to deploy would all of a sudden summon up enough guts to gun down so many fellow soldiers. Such an act would mean almost certain death for the shooter. It is also said by Hasan’s fellow soldiers that Hasan seemed to have great sympathies for the extremists in Iraq and Afghanistan. If we take Hasan’s family at their word that he was a proud and loyal American, then where did his views come from. Was he somehow exposed to radical Islamic ideologies? If so from where, how? Is it possible our soldiers are bringing these ideologies back from war or are such ideologies being imported to our military bases? Are we screening for such activities?"
Juliette Ochieng: "Backstabber"
Asserts the conservative Republican and military veteran in California remembers another Hasan who acted against the U.S. military: "It’s difficult to fight the impulse to hatred and vengeance for this one. More than that, this incident takes us back to when another Muslim called Hasan turned on his fellow soldiers. Recalling that, I began to wonder how often U.S. military have turned their weapons on those who trusted them most. I can’t recall any others but these two incidents but I would appreciate it if someone would point them out. In the meantime, I hope that this particular Hasan lives to face those whom he has betrayed -- those who survived, that is."
Sophia Nelson: "The Plot Thickens"
The moderate pundit in Virginia opines on her Facebook page: "The plot thickens -- Major Hasan handed out Korans before he went on his shooting spree, then as he was shooting victims -- fellow soldiers -- he yelled out arabic sayings -- this is being reported by the news media all over from 1st hand witnesses. Some of you went off on me yesterday for racial profiling and as the facts come out I was right and you were wrong. Trust me, I wish I had been wrong this makes me sad, very."
She continues her commentary: "Question of the day: Do you think that America has become so 'PC' that we are infringing upon our values and founding principles: Freedom of the Press, Free Speech, the Right to Bear Arms, etc. More directly do you think that the US Military hid Major Hasan's obvious issues because they feared the backlash for profiling someone of a different religion and ethnicity???"DarkStar: "P.C."
The moderate Republican blogger in Maryland writes: "I need to know how the Fort Hood terrorist assassin was only able to do it because of political correctness. That's what I keep hearing but I don't understand how that is the case. If the media is to be believed, the terrorist assassin had conflicts with other military people concerning his terrorist beliefs. But, so far, it appears those people didn't report his views. If the media is to be believed, the terrorist assassin told the army that he wanted to get out and didn't believe in the war. But, it appears his attempts to exit the army were turned down. If the media is to be believed, he posted terrorist assassin beliefs on a board under his own name. W[h]ere is p.c. is this?"
Afrocity: "Country First, Not Political Correctness"The moderate-conservative Republican blogger in Chicago, whose brother was stationed at Fort Hood for six years and she lived in the surrounding community, writes: "This is why I find it difficult to understand the actions of Major Hasan. The mainstream media spin is now attributing his behavior to his fear of deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan. My liberal anti-war friends are blaming the incident on Bush and the consequences of America’s sins in Iraq. For most if not all of us, expressing sympathy for the victims should come naturally. NOT THE SHOOTER. Remember who the victims are. Innocent people. Nidal Hasan is a coward. Before Thursday’s shooting, Hasan reportedly gave away all of his furniture along with copies of the Koran to neighbors, KXXV-TV reported. Sounds to me as if he knew he would not be coming home…Much like a suicide planning. He could have went AWOL and spared the lives of others. While it is difficult to assess Hasan’s true motives, make no mistake that this man is NOT A GOOD AMERICAN contrary to what his cousin said on Fox News last night."
She continues her commentary: "Nidal’s cousin offers the excuse that he was harassed by his Army colleagues due to his Middle Eastern ethnicity: 'He was dealing with some harassment from his military colleagues.' This is no excuse. As a psychiatrist in the Army, Hasan was well aware of the proper military channels for dealing with harassment and stress. He was a coward. Country before political correctness. Hasan is a coward and traitor to our country."
The law and political science professor at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee and moderate-conservative writes on Twitter: "Watching the media change subject from Muslim's shooter's hatred of Americans/foreign policy 2 discussion of the shooter's status as victim." She adds: "No amount of taunting justifies the violence of yesterday's rampage or the military's tolerance of statements attributed to the shooter."
More: "I'm waiting & watching 2 see how my friends @ the Southern Poverty Law Center classifies the Ft. Hood shooting. Is it a hate crime?"
0 comments:
Post a Comment