Get all the facts before evaluating Fort Hood tragedy
Thursday’s shootings at the Fort Hood, Texas, Army post are the deadliest on an American military base in U.S. history.
Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, a 39-year-old from Virginia, was the culprit, and the incident, at last count, left 13 people dead and 30 wounded.
The details of the shooting are still murky, and we urge everybody to withhold judgment until all the facts are in.
As of the writing of this editorial, motive was unclear, but the shooter is alive, so there is a chance for some answers. What we do know raises disturbing questions.
We know that Hasan transferred in July from Walter Reed Medical Center. We know he was given a poor performance evaluation there.
We also know that Hasan was about to be deployed overseas.
So, how was someone who received a poor performance evaluation at Walter Reed ready to be deployed overseas only about four months later?
We also know that Hasan was an Army psychiatrist, which doesn’t bode well for the Army’s judgment. Bad enough when a regular soldier goes on a rampage. Worse when that soldier is someone responsible for other soldiers’ mental health.
We also know that Hasan was a Muslim, which, of course, is going to raise the specter of terrorism and extremism in the minds of many.
We also know that Hasan’s name showed up on radical Internet postings, that he required counseling as a medical student and that he didn’t approve of the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
What we have is a picture of a man who appears mentally disturbed and not dedicated to the wars in which his country engaged. But this is just a picture.
Three days have passed since the shooting and to rely too much on sketchy information without proper reflection and investigation would be an insult to the truth.
Investigators will get to the bottom of this, more details will emerge and hopefully we will all eventually understand what happened at Fort Hood.
And at the very least, the Army will have to answer how this man was able to get to his position in the military branch. If nothing else, we can say that something was not right with him, and that is something the Army should have realized sooner.
Advertisement
Reader Reactions
Todd;
The debate is—Is Hasan a terrorist, or just a mentally disturbed person.
Are you saying that a terrorist who walks into a crowd of people with a suicide bomb is not mentally disturbed?
He killed 13 people. Was Timothy McVeigh a terrorist, or just mentally disturbed. Was John Muhammed a terrorist, or just mentally disturbed?
Were the 9-11 conspirators terrorist, or just mentally disturbed?
For someone who repeatedly ‘connects the dots’ on so many situations, why are you refusing to connect them now?
He didn’t yell, “I’m not going to Afghanistan!“, as he opened fire, did he?
Fact is, the evidence strongly suggests this was a terrorist attack on US soil at a US Military installation conducted by a Muslim extremist.
Why aren’t you asking where Homeland Security was in this case- isn’t it their responsibility to ensure Departments are communicating?
PLEASE LET US KNOW WHEN YOU THINK YOU HAVE ENOUGH FACTS TO MAKE YOUR DETERMINATION, WILL YOU????
Terrorism by Muslims is evil, but it doesn’t define Islam
By J. Todd Foster | Editor / Bristol Herald Courier
Published: November 8, 2009
I posted the title of an article by J.Todd on the “hate-speech” by the christian who was at a Bristol
Church. How ironic; the Bristol Herald Courier would attack a Christian for his views on Islam, then turns right around and tells us we should get all the facts before we judge the murderer of thirteen soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas. He was a muslim and you know as well as i do why he committed those acts. The war has come to our soil, why do our citizens and government leaders refuse to believe these people are going to do whatever it takes to destroy our country.
Correction-
Falls Church, VA
Why has no one commented on the news station (don’t remember which) the other day that made the remark “Hassan went to med school on the govt’ dollar. That was the only way he could afford college.“ If this country paid for his education,of course they expected something in return. That is one problem with military help. People enter for all the wrong reasons.How many kids have you heard say-the Army is paying for my education, it will cost me nothing. Unfortunately, they have not learned yet that you get nothing for free.
And let’s also try to figure out how George Bush had something to do with this. Oh, and maybe Global Warming played a role as well.
BHC-
We also know he was a member of a radical Mosque in Great Falls, VA at the same time some of the 9-11 perpetrators attended, and that the Imam of the Mosque supported terrorism…
Why not report ALL the facts we know so far, instead of just the facts that cast doubt?
Are you saying the Military is at fault; and therefore, the shooter is somehow not responsible and is to be dealt with through compassion?
HE’S a TERRORIST…IS HE NOT ?
Post a Comment(Requires free registration)
- Please avoid offensive, vulgar, or hateful language.
- Respect others.
- Use the "Flag Comment" link when necessary.
- See the Terms and Conditions for details.


Advertisement