Cartoonist Nick Anderson tries to paint the Fort Hood shootings as a mental health issue. President Obama says in a nation of 300 million, some people just crack up. The liberal New York Times wants to portray the shootings as the military's fault -- putting too much emotional stress on military psychiatrists.
Advocates for truly mentally ill Americans ought to be up in arms over this defamation.
If anyone's ill, it's these people who are bending over backward farther than a gymnast on a balance beam to find a way, any way, to explain away the Fort Hood massacre as anything other than what it was: a premeditated, cold, calculated and carefully executed act of Islamic terrorism on American soil.
If anyone has a mental disease, it's those who want to blame America and blame the military -- and claim that a soldier in a volunteer army who hadn't even been deployed overseas (and never sought discharge) was suffering from what one skeptic wryly called "pre-traumatic stress disorder."
What kind of mass psychosis is causing this craziness?
Oh, yes. We have a name for it: political correctness. A syndrome in which the mind conjures up imaginary explanations in order to avoid harsh realities that don't fit with one's unicorns-and-rainbows-filled world view.
Indeed, many not only have ignored the obvious signs of an attack by a radical jihadist, but they also want to mobilize for the mass backlash against Muslims that never seems to materialize.
Unbelievably, MSNBC's Chris Matthews even defended Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan's attempt to contact fellow terrorists in al-Qaida -- asking his on-air guest recently if that's even a crime.
Uh, yes, Chris. I believe it's called "treason"?
Nah, that can't be. We're the problem, according to liberals -- even when we're attacked.
Meanwhile, back on Earth:
Reports say Hasan had 10 to 20 contacts with a top al-Qaida recruiter; he gave a lecture on Islam in which he said if you don't believe, you're condemned to hell, your head is cut off and burning oil is poured down your throat; he told colleagues that non-Muslims -- "infidels" -- are bound for hell and should be killed; he said he was a Muslim first, an American second; the FBI knew Hasan had contact with a known radical imam a year before the Fort Hood attack; he said "We love death more than you love life"; and one colleague filed a complaint about his anti-American rants.
The military did nothing -- except continuing to support and promote Hasan.
According to National Public Radio, one colleague tried to get Hasan dismissed from Walter Reed Medical Center, but "a key official on a review committee reportedly asked how it might look to terminate a key resident who happened to be a Muslim."
No one should be singled out for suspicion or condemnation simply for being Muslim -- that's unAmerican. But neither should one be protected from scrutiny because he's a Muslim.
So what is the government response after he kills 13 fellow soldiers and wounds several dozen more? First, to deny, in the face of all the evidence, that it was terrorism or Muslim-related. Second, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano moved swiftly to prevent other attacks -- on innocent Muslims.
That's certainly a worthy goal, but attacks on Americans by jihadists has proven to be an infinitely more likely threat.
Again, our government fails utterly and completely to protect our own service men and women from an obviously raging jihadist, but is sure to be on high alert to prevent a backlash against Muslims that never comes -- and never should.
That's not just mentally ill.
That's insane.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Our society continues to try to rationailize and apoligize things away and has stoped plaicing blame squarely where it belongs on the individual or individuals committing the act, period. It isn't the fault of the gun store or the gun maker or the cigarette companies or alcohol companies or the person who serves you the drink or the store owner who was open late or the girl walking down the street not dressed well enough to deserve what she got, etc... People make decisions and they alone should be held acountable for their actions and decisions vs. trying to blame everything on everyone else from their parents to their religion to their job or lack thereof to where they were brought up, etc. We need to re-gian personal acountability and responsibility in this country and at the same time hold people fully acountable for their actions. The liberal excuse makers instead stand before the liberal judges and the system then tries to displace blame any way possible as to make an excuse for the person or persons who are truely at fault and deserve swift and harsh punishment.
hasan MUST be innocent,he is hussein's muslim brother.
Do not judge all by the acts of one who violated his faith by supporting the zionist occupation army.
Zionist occupation army? AbdulWahidMhuammed....unless you are a Native American, I suggest you get your "occupying" butt out of this country!
"That's certainly a worthy goal, but attacks on Americans by jihadists has proven to be an infinitely more likely threat." ...The attacks on Americans HAVE proven we need a policy to monitor and deprogram those Muslims who would do violence or commit treason. We gave tens of millions to Pakistan to force the Muslim schools to drop the teaching of violence, yet we don't address the issue in our own country. Doesn't compute.
Tigger, Abdul is using a little sarcasm with his name and message, I believe
This distorted, hate-filled editorial is another effort by The Augusta Chronicle editorial staff (ACES) to stir up hatred & war fever. The editorial criticizes the Army for doing nothing about Maj. Nidal Hasan's descent into psychosis. The Army was aware as early as 2007 that this individual was increasingly unstable but did nothing. ACES blames the US Army for doing nothing while castigating anyone who criticizes the US military for their conduct of the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan. It takes a mental contortionist to believe that the US military which got it wrong in Afghanistan for 8 years now has it right. That is simply unbelievable. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, says after 8 years of failed war in Afghanistan "we are now at the beginning" of a long counterinsurgency war. Anybody who believes that sending another 30,000 American troops into this hell hole will fix the problem in Afghanistan, including the unreliable, corrupt government of Hamid Karzai, is not in touch with reality. Today the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, retired Gen. Karl Eikenberry, warns against a troop surge in Afghanistan. ACES foments lies, religious hatred, xenophobia & war.
Well it has been one year of Obumbler going back to treating terrorism as a crime and we have had our first terrorist attack since 9-11. Of course many won't believe it but there will be an escalating pattern and the apologists PC crowd will rationalize the attacks until hundreds or thousand are killed..President Obumbler said of the terrorist attack at Fort Hood "it is incomprehensible..." no it isn't incomprehensible muslim radicals, around the world kill the innocent with bombs, guns knifes etc every day!
JohnRandolphHardisonCain on Thu Nov 12, 2009 5:16 AM According to the left the US hasn't been able to win a war since WWII. I remember a few years back "Gen Biden" wanted to divide Iraq, the war was lost, Gen Betrayus was the elitist media's main whipping boy. I think Gen McCrystal knows more about fighting in Afganistan than JohnRandolphhard on McCain!
by definition this was an act of terror. political correctness goes out of its way to not offend anyone. well? how do offend people from the muslim religious sect that believes blowing up innocents and shooting innocents will get you to heaven? they are so full of hatred that they are willing to die for their cause. how do you offend people like that? this political correctness crap will get a lot of people killed and will destroy this counrty.
such a cute, if entirely opinionated synopsis, carcraft.
jrhc: get over yourself; your ramblings are that of a madman. The only one fomenting lies, religious hatred, xenophbia, and war is you, not ACES.
take out his first and last sentence, and I believe JRHC has it on target.
Ol' Cain nailed it. (that guy got skills) The article is a joke, only repeating something said on the non-minority airwaves, which seems capable of saying almost anything - except the truth. Here is the problem: people make money selling articles, radio talkers & news readers alike, so putting out idiot thoughts and selling them is legal, but when those lies touch the military, the country is at risk. The shooter was a soldier. Period! Saying, publishing, printing, selling anything else is an individual effort to a failed cause. Hatred of muslims is NOT the answer. This event will do severe harm to our military because the AWM and the far right fringe nuts are planting the seeds of failure. This article demonstrates how...
Insanity and terrorism are both abstract but not mutually exclusive. Arguing over semantics dishonors Ft. Hood's dead and wounded. It is now impossible for the military or anyone else to conduct a credible investigation of this incident. Ignorance and superstition contribute nothing.
dashiel: It is not impossible to investigate the terrorist attack at Ft Hood; it is made impossible when our "president" wants it hushed up. He has already told the Congressional Intelligence Committee they cannot review what evidence they already have. Therefore, the 'ignorance and superstition' you speak of does contribute to the complexities of the case.
CREDIBLE, Mabel, CREDIBLE. If the military investigates, skeptics will question its findings as CYA; if politicians investigate, skeptics will shout partisanship.
Every country has it muslim earthly leader, Osama bin Laden in the middle east. I wonder who is the muslim earthly leader here in the America? WARNING, Use only political correctness if you feel you know.
I think the AC has a syndrome in which the mind conjures up imaginary explanations in order to avoid harsh realities that don't fit with one's unicorns-and-rainbows-filled world view. I do agree that we should more carefully balance our respect for cultures with a tempering balance for our security, but by all reports the FBI and CIA were watching this guy. Their determination was that he was not a threat and that the research he was doing on terrorism might prove valuable. I do not think this is political correctness as it is drawn by the editor, but, instead, a respect for this guy's rights as a citizen. Like any nut job, this guy snapped. It happens. If the authorities determine that this was a concerted terrorist action, then I am sure it will be because of the evidence. Otherwise, the guy was muslim who studied terrorism and cracked. He did what he knew to do. I think it is more akin to the Columbine massacre than to what the AC would have you think. And that difference, though fine, is important.
omnomnom on Thu Nov 12, 2009 6:37 AM I think you are cute to!!
You can rest assure that any muslim attacks that happen on the US soil will never be classified as a terrorist act.
This editorial didn't say the shooter wasn't a soldier. The fact that he is a soldier doesn't have anything to do with whether it is an act of terrorism. The article also doesn't say "hatred of Muslims" is the answer. The editorial merely emphasizes the political correctness that doesn't allow facts to be facts, if the facts may offend someone. With this man's history and communications anyone that can't even consider it terrorism has their head buried in the sand.
augusta citizen - "With this man's history and communications anyone that can't even consider it terrorism has their head buried in the sand". Now that is a FACT.
I have to wonder if Cain's comments would be the same if a Christian killed an abortion doctor for God... Cain? I think AC Ed is being a bit simplistic, but he is right about one thing. People are oversensitive to offending Muslims. Many times they are not held to the same scrutiny as those of other religions, because folks do not want to have someone report them. I have experienced it personnaly. I taught at Gordon, and was discussing a battle that was won by Isreali forces. I stated the fact that the Egyptians lost the battle, and was called aside to apologize. I did not. Another time I was speaking to students about an attack in Baghdad, where we could physically see the mortars coming from mosque grounds. Once again, I was called to task, but refused. "If you don't want me saying it, tell the guys shooting from the mosque to stop." was my answer. I have to admit, after a few of these incidants, I grew more "careful" in the level of candid discussion, not because I feared offending, but because I got tired of getting "talked to" about it.
In the U.S. there have been 63 Muslims arrested this year for plotting to do violence or actually committing violence against other Americans. How many Baptists, Catholics or whatever have been arrested...zip. Seriously, we have paid Pakistan to deprogram their violent Muslim teachers. Shouldn't we consider measures in our own country? I'm not against all Muslims by any means, but anyone teaching violence against our government and citizens needs to be stopped...or helped get their level headedness back.
robbie, Thank you for sharing that. That is the problem - not Hassan or other Muslims - but that the military brass is afraid to offend anyone. They are more concerned with their promotions than they are common sense, the safety of their troops, and reality. I appreciate your candor.
Not wanting to offend anyone is probably how the guy got to be a major in the first place. Lets prove we don't discriminate.
Political correctness is the rule of the day unless it is against anything Christian-like. Look at Christmas, where it is OK to put up symbols from different religions, except of course from the Christian faith. The PC leftists ignore facts (communicating with terrorist Imams, shouting Allah Akbar, distrubed briefings, etc.) that all add up to radical Islam extremism. But they say he just "snapped", so let them provide evidence of this, and they explain away the actions. People are not held accountable for their own actions anymore, but it is always an outside force to blame. PC in the military has a large part why this happened, there were those that tried to warn of his extremism, but they were rebuffed. To say that it was his 1st Amendment right to communicate with terrorists is also a cop out, yes he had a right, but common sense should tell us there is something wrong when all the individual pieces of the puzzle are put together. When the puzzle is complete, 13 are dead, and those that tried to make the puzzle complete were silenced because of PC.
Political correctness - political correctness. It is the people we elect to represent our minds, beliefs, and needs that have birth this way of thinking for the sole purpose of votes and vortes only. Everybody now lives in the fear of using Common Sense Facts.
wylie this is the first time i have heard that old hasan was just doing research on terrorism by contacting terrorist. and the fbi and cia were not concerned and i not sure i agree here either. but fellow co-workers reported his growing extreme beliefs in the radical sect of the muslim religion. it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it is a duck. why do we keep apologizing and defending the muslim radicals and not believe them. they openly state they are at war with western culture and US . they desire to kill us until we goe back to bush's strategy of proactve war against terriorism and not treat as a crime. we will continue having fellow citizens killed we are at war and they started it.