Whatever this incident may or may not say about Muslim relations in the US, my guess is that it will not be put to good use in the discourse on those issues.

The story from Texas touches on so many issues how does one begin. The shooter was a Major, a psychiatrist who treated solders who had PTSD, a Palestinian Muslim and it seems to me he was also very disturbed.

Occam’s razor
States that the explanation of any phenomenon should make as few assumptions as possible, eliminating those that make no difference in the observable predictions of the explanatory hypothesis or theory

When competing hypotheses are equal in other respects, the principle recommends selection of the hypothesis that introduces the fewest assumptions and postulates the fewest entities while still sufficiently answering the question.

I forgot, he also went to Virgina Tech!

What a story.

The event that happened at Fort Hood is called “Juramentado” Meaning Moro by bound by oath to be killed fighting against christians or infidel.

The action yesterday by a Military doctor is common in Mindanao, Philippines. I myself is a witness of this senseless action.

A muslim will pray and will ready himself to kill other people in the name of Islam. I am sorry to say that but that is True.

I prefer and hope people come together and find out what happen and possible come together, to help people before they crack, and find out why.

But i’m guessing your have some who will exploit this to spread more hate and fear of others, just as the caller Sharon put out there.

I listen to to the right-wing radio last night WTKK blaming it all on obama, and how we should start following and tracking all Muslim, Arabs in the military since we can’t trust any.

I find this very troubling.

I am an Army Reservist, and an Army Psych Tech who has been deployed twice. I can tell you that the Army is very badly under strength for Psychological Professionals (and Medical Professionals in general) even if he did receive negative reviews from his superiors. They would be unlikely to remove him from the service for anything but gross incompitence for fear of driving those numbers even lower.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation earlier became aware of Internet postings by a man calling himself Nidal Hasan, a law enforcement official said. The postings discussed suicide bombings favorably, but the investigators were not clear whether the writer was Major Hasan.

In one posting on the Web site Scribd, a man named Nidal Hasan compared the heroism of a soldier who throws himself on a grenade to protect fellow soldiers to suicide bombers who sacrifice themselves to protect Muslims.

“If one suicide bomber can kill 100 enemy soldiers because they were caught off guard that would be considered a strategic victory,” the man wrote. It could not be confirmed, however, that the writer was Major Hasan.David Johnston contributed from Washington.

I remember last year in drill when we had to watch movies about PTSD, Depression, Soilder cracking and how to help. It was a interactive Video where we are supposed to make decesions if the soilder lives or dies. Of course we made the ones we’re supposed to

But than I remember one of my Sgt and some of the older folks laughing at the people in the movie everytime saying that they would never do such, and the guy is a p@@@y.

PTSD, Depression is looked down upon in the military and i meet a good few who suffer from such, who refused to get help cause they afraid they would get looked over for promotions and the Unit would find out and considered them weak.

I wonder if Dr. Hasan was sent to Ft. Hood in retaliation for his poor performance at Walter Reed and then acted out in response to what he felt was punishment or unfair treatment….

The Army, and all branches, offer plenty of resources to personnel – the personnel are not obligated to take it. This is “machismo” at its finest…the higher up the officer ladder you go, the less likely you can afford to admit to needing “help”, or your career might be over. I could horrify you with first hand accounts of what upper brass have gotten away with, due to PTSD, that they refused to have treated because “it will end my career”.

It is a cultural issue of the “military” – Islam, etc. is a scapegoat, military life creates lifelong horror.

The people who were killed died on the alters of political correctness and Globalism.

The best defense against jihadists among our own ranks is the Muslims and Arabs among us who can understand both the language and the mindset of others, of their “own.” We know there are rather WASP-y Americans who can show up as suicidal jihadists. But in terms of are All Muslims predisposed to this sort of thing? No, not so. More would help us defend against them, I suspect.

I agree with Sara,

And thanks for making and pointing out the cultural issue of the Military.

And the scapegoating that will be used.

The United Armed Forces should pschologically
re-evaluate all Soldiers with Islamic faith. this will happen again in the future. Juramentado is common in the muslim world.

The Virginia Tech link is a red herring. Tens of thousands of people have attended VT and not gone off killing innocent people.

I wonder (ignorantly) if saying “God is great” is a common thing for Muslims to say before they die and is not specifically linked to jihad attacks. If so, it would be natural for Major Hasan to make say quote expecting he would die in the attack even if there was no jihad intent.

Whatever his reasons.. mentally unstable or gihad attack.. Mr Hasan should get the death penalty. ASAP.
I bet a lot of the people on base wish they fired just one more shot!

He had been hassled a lot for being a Muslim by fellow soldiers. That was part of his apprehension about going to Afghanistan. Obviously he snapped, but this reminds me of others who had been teased, saw no way out, and let loose with guns on “tormentors”. I am a practicing Catholic, but I think the Kristianization of the military is partly to blame for what happened yesterday.

The comment about the shuttling around non performing officers rather than removing them is hardly specific to the military. Teachers and abusive priests come to mind.

The problem simply is the United States Government is attempting to impose it’s will on Nations, Cultures and People who do not want it. This is the problem, more of the same will not be the cure. Those with the money and the power are pushing globalism and multiculturalism and are trying to divert attention to the obvious.

I don’t know about “fraternizing,” but I thought a major and a psychiatrist would be pretty well insulated against teasing by “fellow soldiers.” Sandy has an interesting point. By the way, I don’t know if “snapped” has a good definition. I know “going ballistic” where you lay it all out verbally, or fighting like your life depends on it. I don’t know “snapped.”

Whether or not Mr. Hasan’s actions were related to being traumatized by the stories he was hearing from soldiers may be open to debate. What would seem apparent is that he was not identifying with the soldiers who were telling the stories. I don’t understand how a person who would be shocked by the effects of war on the soldiers would then go shooting them.

The Islamic community should be concerned. At this point in time, there is a dark force in their culture that is drawing too many young people (mostly men) into its midst. The fact that Mr. Hasan chose to take out his frustrations and anger the way he did is absolutely related to the ideology he apparently came to embrace.
The Muslim community has been too timid in admitting that there is a problem. I am thinking of the response I remember hearing to the Egypt Air airline crash, where the pilot brought down the plane. Deliberately. There was much denial about this.

And how about a program regarding sexual repression/frustation in the Islamic world? Conservatives are always blaming liberal culture for society’s ills. How about looking at how conservative cultures fail. The fact is that this man was not married because he couldn’t find someone religious enough. Can we talk about the link between fanaticism and asceticism/denial of physical pleasure?

“The United Armed Forces should pschologically
re-evaluate all Soldiers with Islamic faith. this will happen again in the future. Juramentado is common in the muslim world.”

Wow talk about xenophobia, fear.

My daughter is a psychiatrist who works at a VA with PTSD and psych aspects in Traumatic Brain Injury and poly-trauma victims. She is just a person, invulnerable to people in her environment. She has resisted seeking help in the past before this job because of fear of losing standing.

Palin as the VP candidate guaranteed McCain would not win. I doubt she will help anyone get elected by backing them, she is too far right and too ignorant of the issues.

I should have said NOT invulnerable to people around her.

Presumably Mr. Hasan would be among the best to sort of keep an eye out for Islamic anti-Americanism. I suppose those who noticed “signs” censored their concerns out of respect, thinking that they themselves were harboring prejudiced thoughts and fears.

If the Republicans are not going to join in health care reform, the Democrats should go straight to Single Payer – the only system in the world that serves all, serves them well and for less money than we spend in the U.S.

I’m curious to find out if he was a christian or Jewish would such label be put on all Christians and all Jews?

I highly doubt such xenophobia would occur as likely it will now and get worst. I wonder if after this happen innocent, civilains died in air-raids bombing in retaliation because of this act.

I’m aware after 2001 many wanted blood, did not care what blood in return for there losses.

Like to see the report today on how many causalities were loses today in Afghanistan if any?

It’s sad that a psychiatrist (or anyone) in the military would fear getting help. Is it stigma among the ranks or is it “losing standing” among the evaluator-set, a career fear? I don’t even know if “help” is real useful nowadays, what with all the medications and so on. I mean, a non-psychiatrist can prescribe a lot of medications without the psychiatric training, and that would avoid the stigma. “Help” of the talking-it-through sort I believe can vary a lot. I sure wouldn’t want this Hasan guy as my shrink!

This sad event only underlines our superficial approach to solving or addressing the so called terrorism problem. We are focused on how to protect ourselves and not Why. Why do they hate us? Why aren’t they flying into buildings in Brussels? Why aren’t they blowing up buses and trains in Geneva? It all goes back to what the patriotic secretary of State George Marshal in 1947 attempted to convince the anti-Semitic President Truman that stealing Palestine from the Palestinians and renaming it “Israel” is not only immoral, but will have horrific consequences and will sentence the middle east area to war and perhaps the world for the unforeseen future. We are now paying for that horrible mistake. The question we need to ask ourselves today, is Israel worth it? Why are we siding with the aggressors? As long as Israel and its lobby runs Washington DC, things will only get worse.

Wow talk about xenophobia, fear.

Dead wrong I grew with a muslim friend and my mother dated a Moro Muslim. Every muslim person is unique in how they interpret the Koran. just like anti-Abortionest and Pro-life they all christians.

Talking about PTSD Hasan never went to war. How can you have PTSD if you never seen a Iraqi child blown off.

Xenophobia? geeez

If it was a Christian or Jew who was an adherent of a sect that promoted martyrdom, then I think the debate would be the same.

It is neither xenophobic nor anti-muslim to recognize that there is an extremist ideology in Islam that is appealing to Islamic people around the world. Moderate Muslims should be on the front lines addressing this issue, and condeming this ideology instead of being defensive about Islam.

I was prepared for a big government LIE in releasing the new unemployment numbers. I was sure the powers-that-be would never allow the figure to crack the 10% level, yet now we have it. Just as a reminder, ten percent unemployment represents a statistical benchmark in determining depression status for the economy (i.e., the Great Depression was not declared officially “over” until unemployment dropped below 10%).

We don’t have to worry about a repeat. There will be no dropping below 10% this time. Jobs are overseas; we don’t innovate; we don’t educate; we don’t create real wealth. Ten percent unemployment is here to stay. This time the 10% benchmark doesn’t represent the gateway to Depression II. Instead it represents the start of something altogether new ~~ the DEPRESSION ERA for America.

Maybe Hasan’s actions have nothing to do with Islam at all. Maybe the guy had simply listened to too many grisly horror stories from soldiers suffering from combat PTSD. Weren’t the ones Hasan allegedly shot/killed being processed at Ft. Hood for deployment into combat? Maybe when Hasan finally snapped he thought, in his own warped mind, that this was the only way to “save” those that were being processed from having to endure the horrors of combat and PTSD. Just a thought.

My daughter the psychiatrist is a civilian. She does take medication now but while in medical school would not risk even seeking medical treatment for it. I thought that she was suffering unnecessarily and also putting others at risk for her lack of stability.

Yes, it is a career fear. This is a problem that exists in the medical ranks, inside or outside the military. Apparently there is a professional neighborhood that shares scuttlebutt about each other that can hurt you professionally. The civilian neighborhood seems to function similarly to the military rejection for “weakness”. Fortunately she is now doing great, but I wonder how she will deal ultimately with more and more horror confided in her.

I hope someone is studying people going ballistic, individually and as groups, to try to prevent violence. Do Columbine and suicide bombers have hopeless desperation in common? I thought Bill Clinton’s speech in Dubai a couple of days ago and Jimmy Carter’s oped in the NYT yesterday explained this very well.

Todd, I think you may have something there about taking out people about to be deployed. I have heard that a lot of them don’t want to go but can’t see a way out. He probably thought that he would be killed in the process. A murder-suicide like some parents do when they think what they and their children face is worse than death.

I look forward to the “Week in the News” segment on Friday so I want to make a suggestion. When there is a really big story on Thursday that we all agree we need to talk about please do a special show on just that topic first thing on Friday morning. Then bump the “Week in the News” to the second segment. The horrible shooting at Fort Hood should be discussed but it crowded out all the other news from the rest of the week.

I devoutly believe (you’ll note the irony in a moment) that, whether Muslim, Christian, Jew, Hindu, Scientologist, Wiccan or Fuzzy Wuzzy, the fundamental problem is the human capacity to devoutly believe (told you) in the unquestioned authority of myths, fables, fantasies and other assorted silliness enough to give reality to such crap in the real world. For instance, the beliefs and anticipations of suicide bombers for endless joy in a Paradise awash in virgins is so nonsensical and ridiculous as to qualify as comedy were the consequences not so deadly. Likewise, having eight years of Evangelical Christian “End Timers” with their fingers on the Big Red Button caused me to lose much sleep over the last decade.

If we could flush all the authoritarian mind garbage and simply accept the fact that the Universe exists. it may or may not have been created by God, but it’s a pretty cool place anyway, we would all be better off. The constant debate over whose theology is correct regarding fanciful events that may have occurred in the most benighted, backward and un-holy region on Earth a couple of thousand years ago (like any of that matters in a Univere billions of years old) will eventually kill us all.

Fear of appearing weak — the very suggestion/hint of weakness can dash a career, well, well. Actually, I can tell by the types of people who rise in the military that the military is like that. As to physicians in med school, I am not surprised the rumor mill is ready to pounce. I hope your daughter holds up with the traumatized vets. Brain injured vets — with the body armor, the brain injuries are still with us. We do care. I hope she is able to deliver hope and healing.
I’ll have to google the Bill Clinton Dubai speech and check Carter’s OpEd on breaking points or whatever.
“Going Postal” would also be the going ballistic or whatever. I think it’s sometimes a male’s testosterone just being insulted one too many times. If Hasan survives maybe he’ll explain it all to us. I doubt he was trying to preserve the troops he shot from a fate worse than death, as a mother might in certain circumstances. I just doubt it.

again your comment as it is

“The United Armed Forces should pschologically
re-evaluate all Soldiers with Islamic faith. this will happen again in the future. Juramentado is common in the muslim world.”

As your second comment counterdicts the first so unique that we can’t trust them right?

“Dead wrong I grew with a muslim friend and my mother dated a Moro Muslim. Every muslim person is unique in how they interpret the Koran. just like anti-Abortionest and Pro-life they all christians.

Talking about PTSD Hasan never went to war. How can you have PTSD if you never seen a Iraqi child blown off.

Xenophobia? geeez”

As for PTSD i stated that it is looked down on to report you have it.I Don’t have all the details about Hasan and im sure you don’t as well to make sure blanket statements on singling out a group of people nor would i.

So you said all muslims are unique in how they interpret the koran but all muslims in the military should be singled out for being muslims and by re-evaluated because some( the minority) interpret it wrong.

I called that pretty xenophobic,

Again should all Christan being re-evaluated cause(some solider raped a 14yr iraqi girl and killed her family while others covered up for him? or All Catholics in the military be re-evaluated cause there many of there priest were touching little boys and girls?

Or what about the Goldstone report that came out showing israli soilders keeping intentionally killing innocent arab Christians and muslims and their rabbis promoting no mercy to all, Should than all Jews in the U.S. military be re-evaluated because of there could be close ties to israel and they may support or do such tatics or feel it justified.

All religions have there radicals, and to single out others only because there of one regligon is dangerous and promotes more descent and hatred in our armed forces.

I remember in AIT that a few soilders try offing themselves because they did not want to go to iraq, and were told they be thrown in jail, they life would be over, no one would hire them if they did not comply, there still a high % of suicides and attempted in the Military often times cry for help is meet with punishment, and the solider being chastise for it.

In the few months i was in AIT we had 8 attempted suicides, one drinking bleach, 3 tried to use shoe laces, another made statements on the rifle range, 1 jump off a roof, and 2 others i was not sure what they tried but that they were on 24hour watch.

The one who drank bleach and the 3 with the shoe laces still stayed in after threat from damaging Military Property i.e. themselves and threat they never be able to work anywhere. Along with the fact that once you make the attempt to get help it is looked at as the soilder is faking to get out and often times more force and pressure is placed upon them.

It seems Hasan cracked and it’s said people had to die from it, but blaming all Islam and muslims for this is scapegoating, dangerous, and provides no good to the whole of all the man/women serving in the military.

Come on! Someone please touch the biggest elephant in the room. This guy is not mentally ill, unless you call all evangelical religious people mentally ill or the 9/11 terrorists mentally ill. He is a religious fanatic. He believes what Koran says as how his religion has been demanding him to do. There is plenty of violent, immoral demands that the bible or Koran demand their believers do, most people just chose to double think.
Let’s not ignore the obvious motivation that leads him to kill. His religion.

As soon as I heard about the Ft. Hood shooting, the first thought that crossed my mind was that the shooter was probably a Muslim. I was right. It’s another sad case of Sudden Jihad Syndrome.

It is difficult to discuss what happened at Fort Hood without seeming to politicize it, and I’m sure in the hours, days and weeks ahead aspects of the story will be exploited.

I find it interesting that the media are already processing in a speculative way concerns over a possible connection to the factionalization (increasing Islamic Fundamentalism) and the marginalization many feel in the Muslim community; although, I knew it would permeate quickly when I first heard the news last night. I heard one woman, whose husband was on the base, say she wished the shooter’s name had been “Smith.” I thought she showed an amazing presence of mind. Some people–even in these comments–already have their minds made up that this man was some sort of jihadist/terrorist. This will send some shock waves through the Muslim community, particularly of military personnel who are Muslim. There will no doubt be a retrogression of opinion toward Muslims rearing its ugly head; it is already happening as I write this, even before any confirmed facts are established.

It would be necessary, as part of the investigation, to attempt a determination of what extent the shooter’s Islamism played a role, but that is really, at this point as I see it, more peripheral to the more immediate issue: the military has historically always been behind the curve in how they treat mental health issues in their evaluations, disciplinary actions, toleration, ignorance, medical treatment, and overall culture (they denied PTSD for the longest time, for example). I am glad to hear military psychiatrists, psychologists, Techs and other personnel weigh in.

Two examples from my life: 1) I knew a violin player (whom I used as an accompanist on a few of my music gigs) who was an MP in the Marine Corp. (I also have a degree in psychology and graduate degree in counseling.) In rehearsals, I noticed she showed signs of deep depression over losing a baby just after child birth a year earlier. I also noticed, in her, very marked periods of what looked like mania. I managed to get her to talk about what was happening with her. She later became suicidal, and I pleaded with her to get professional help and risk ruin in her career, that help was more important. She did. Her career ended abruptly, and not without ridicule and condemnation from superiors. She now, nine years later, has a beautiful 8 yr.old son and gives violin lessons; so, a happy ending despite how her situation was handled by the Marine Corp. 2) I have another friend whose brother is a Marine colonel who has served a few tours in Iraq, and who is now in Afghanistan. By her description of his symptoms, he sounds like he is suffering from some type of compulsive disorder that is exacerbated by the stress he is under, to the point of the condition being somewhat debilitating in his personal life. She says he is very upset about what to do but has decided to not even seek treatment outside the military. He fears his distinguished career will be over.

I wonder what kind of supervision the military’s mental health professional’s actually get? I wonder why they don’t have better reporting protocol concerning red-flag behavior? I wonder how this disturbed man’s behavioral warning signs could have been glossed over/ignored to the point of giving rise to this terrible tragedy?

Brett very good observations and I agree with you on all points. It is a shame that this man happens to be a Muslim an officer and a psychiatrist.

I have a question for those who think that this mans religion is to blame, there are over a billion Muslims in the world, do you really think that the majority of these billion or so people are bent on violent jihad?

Michael you sound you know everything about what is happening all over the world you sound a TYPICAL POLITICIAN who always Blah blah and no do.

Please how can my first comment contradict my second comment which are two different opinion. you always mention Xenophobia probably you are on of them. who always think about Xenophobia ideas but not me. Christian should be evaluated is a hypocrite opinion. Why do you think government agencies check the Psychological back ground of their employees or a Federal agents?
can you answer that.

What is your Claim to Fame of contradicting with my opinions? what do you get by typically racially profiling me on this forum. You just made YOURSELF as an example of a Xenophobic person by contradicting my opinion.

probably you just don’t like Filipinos. period

The events of yesterday would be unimaginable had they not actually happened. It was a horrible tragedy. My heart and my tears go out to the people who lost their lives, those injured and their loved ones. There can be no acceptable excuse for what Nidal Hasan did yesterday. I don’t know exactly why he did what he did. It is not clear if the motives were political, religious, social or mental. However, as a society and as individuals, we need to take a long, hard look at ourselves. We all need to take personal responsibility for this violent act. Could this atrocity have been prevented? I think the answer is probably yes but it is multi-faceted. Not only should our military pay more attention to the mental health of fatigued service men and women, they should pay attention to discrimination and bigotry amongst the troops. As well, our society needs to be more conscientious of our behaviors toward each other. It seems to me that every person that ever demeaned or ostracized this man or someone like him because of religion or ethnicity should carve their initials on the bullets of the dead and injured.

Brett and Swope,

Check this out:

“He said, precisely, that maybe the Muslims should stand up and fight against the aggressor.”

http://www.breitbart.tv/co-worker-ft-hood-gunman-made-outlandish-comments-condemning-us-foreign-policy/

“Michael you sound you know everything about what is “happening all over the world you sound a TYPICAL POLITICIAN who always Blah blah and no do.

Please how can my first comment contradict my second comment which are two different opinion. you always mention Xenophobia probably you are on of them. who always think about Xenophobia ideas but not me. Christian should be evaluated is a hypocrite opinion.

1. you stated that all people who subscribe to islam should be re-evaluated for the action of one man.

2. than you go on to say the typical i know someone whoses muslim and there unique.

3. Than why make statement staying all people in the military who subscribe to islam needs to be re-evlauated if there all unique?

4. So i deduce you have a fear, biased, yes xenophobia to make such statement of islam.

“Why do you think government agencies check the Psychological back ground of their employees or a Federal agents?
can you answer that.”

yes everyone in government agencies have background check against them but if someone is a christan, jew, or muslim, and cracks. The governement does not bring in every person of whatever the faith of the person who cracked to be re-evaluated.

As for
“What is your Claim to Fame of contradicting with my opinions? what do you get by typically racially profiling me on this forum. You just made YOURSELF as an example of a Xenophobic person by contradicting my opinion.

probably you just don’t like Filipinos. period”"

Please point to me stating your filipino and the statments i made against them? I only pointed to you wishing to racially profile any service man who subcribes to islam.

If i hit a nerve thats on you not me, and my christain statment fall in line that no one would be pushing such foolishness if this man was Christian and did the same thing along with the fact to re-evaluated only christains would never happen.

I only pointed out the fault in such logic.

And your logic is always right? PLEASE you are just human like me.

Quote: Please point to me stating your filipino and the statments i made against them? I only pointed to you wishing to racially profile any service man who subcribes to islam”

I am Filipino my friends are Filipino muslims who fought the Philippine marines since you were still an infant. Why do you think the Filipino muslims are still fighting since Ferdinand Magellan discovered the Philippines or Mindanao? Why! Because there is no answer to this problem. The only people who can stop Jihad or Jumarentado are the muslim people.

ALLIAGNCE is the main issue not because they are muslims. Is it a sin to ask a US soldier if he/she is committed to the US government or to the American people. That is nothing wrong with that.

What is wrong with Psycholigically evaluating a military personnel?

Underemployed Frank,
A video from an Andrew Brietbart website is hardly impressive, nothing of importance, at best, and precisely serves to illustrate my point about media getting hold of this story and exploiting it for political purposes. Brietbart is a a conservative commentator linked up closely with Drudge, and Fox News…His site is hardly a source to rely upon. The video is NOT NEWS!!!! The whole “report” is either thired-party hearsay or opinion. Besides, I have some views that are against US involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan/condemn US foreign policy; does that make me some sort of jihadist? I read your comment from 12: 49pm…you are showing to be quick to seize an opportunity to use this as a platform for your socio-political views.

Blame America First Alert!

Rather than confront the ugly truth that there is a building pattern of radical disloyalty to ours and other western countries, we have posters to this website and callers to the radio program that have demonstrated that they can’t handle the truth. They are squirming to try and explain away this growing problem and blame it on everyone else but those that are bringing us these woes.

At this point, I’m shocked that someone hasn’t yet posted a rant that blames global warming, capitalism and (gasp!) snowmobilers in Yellowstone for this radicalism. We’re not the problem. Radical religious fanatics, radical religious leaders and radical religions ARE the problem.

Let’s review some of the “inconvenient facts”:
1. 9/11/2001. Executed by a group of folks from a particular religious persuasion.
2. December, 2001. Shoe Bomber Richard Reid tried to blow up himself and an in-flight airplane. He was subdued by fellow passengers. Guess what? Same religious persuasion.
3. July, 2005. Four attempted bomb attacks on the London underground. Naturalized British citizens, again of this same religious persuasion.
4. August, 2006. Airline Terror Plot. A plot to detonate bombs in up to ten airplanes traveling from the UK to the US was foiled at the last minute. Twenty-one people were arrested. You guessed it. Same religious persuasion.
5. May, 2007. An on-the-ball private citizen and the FBI foiled a Ft. Dix pizza delivery terrorist plot. An untold number of Soldiers lives were saved. Six people were arrested by the FBI. All were of the same religious persuasion.
6. June, 2007. London proper and the Glasglow International Airport Attack. A practicing medical doctor and an accomplice attempted to drive a bomb-rigged Jeep Cherokee into an airport terminal. Strategically placed bollards, outside of the terminal, prevented a massive disaster. Still, five innocent British citizens were killed by the explosion outside the airport terminal. Eight others suspects were apprehended by Scotland Yard. All of the attackers were again, surprise!, of the same religious persuasion.
7. November 5, 2009. A religiously radicalized American Army officer turns on his fellow citizens and Soldiers and kills them. It is reported but not confirmed yet that he calls out the Arabic equivalent of “God is Great!” before beginning his attack. This is the battle cry of religious zealots of this same radicalized religious persuasion.

There are other examples. How many more do we need?

I’m not making any of this stuff up. If you are not already aware of these incidents, then go search for the supporting articles at reputable websites such as: NPR, PBS, CNN, MSNBC, BBC, WSJ, etc. Our problem, right now, is our tendency as a nation to be politically correct to the point of ignorance. The reality is that the vast majority of people of this religious persuasion are not radicalized and are decent people just trying to get ahead in life and live the American Dream. However, there is a small, but sizable group of people that would like nothing better than to ring up the death count of “The Infidels”.

Here’s the deal. What was listed above is small potatoes. If we don’t acknowledge and resolve this problem head-on, in the next five to ten years, we may see the detonation of an atomic bomb over one of our American cities by one of these radicals. This is not an extreme supposition. Just the opposite. Our government is already planning for this possibility. Search for and carefully read the National Response Framework, located on the Department of Homeland Security website. Also search for and review the related Incident Annexes.

We as a nation have just started to talk far more openly about race. This challenge is the next frontier. It is deadly important that we conquer our discomfort with discussing this topic in a meaningful way. I think that it is in our nation’s best interest to have a frank, open and timely discussion about radicalized religious people.

Stop blaming ourselves for these problems! None of us deserve to die because of some zealous, religious belief. Yet, if one or more of these fools gets a hold of a bomb, some of the very Blame-America-First posters here may unfortunately live near ground zero. These posters will very briefly witness the complete destruction of their American city. Let me state it again. None of us deserves that. Yet, any of the above cited radicals would love to do that to us.

We need to continue to find and root out these radicals. Unfortunately, one radical, disguised as an Army officer, came in under the radar and killed innocent Soldiers. Don’t try to excuse his or any of these other radical’s behavior through some fabricated wrongs, foisted upon them by our society. They are the problem. Their zealous interpretation of a particular religion is the problem. Their zealous religious leaders are the problem. These people need to be discovered, detained, charged, prosecuted and jailed when possible. Shot and killed when not. We as a society need to realize that they will kill us, our children and our extended families and feel joy in their hearts when they execute these hideous acts.

Our regular jails are a breeding ground for the spread of this hatred. We need to create a new federal jail, specifically tailored to addressing the possible reformation of these radicals. They need to be deprogrammed of their tendencies towards hatred where possible. They need to be permanently institutionalized where it is not.

I have no problem with people that have different religious persuasions. Just don’t tread on me, my family and friends or my country and the constitution that I defend. It may sound square, in this liberal bastion of thought, but I’m not only proud, I’m unapologetic about being an American. I like the talk softly but carry a big stick method of getting along with the other peoples of this world. We as a nation did not get to where we are at today by being timid. Don’t be ashamed of our success.

It’s okay to have a difference of opinion. That’s the beauty of our country and our right as citizens. Just don’t let these fools leave you thinking that it is our fault that they are like this.

These people are radicals. Not rationals.

We might not need to examine politics or religion to understand the Fort Hood murderer. The profile of serial/spree killers is fairly well documented. Middle aged American male profoundly disappointed and angry about his lot in life. Some triggering event or moment causes the individual to lash out and exact revenge on those he thinks responsible for the wrongs he perceives.
Unfortunately, this tragedy can be used by a wide range of people to forward their prejudices, fears, or political motivations.

All of my sympathy to those affected by this senseless crime.

Brett,

I haven’t studied that video in detail and perhaps a Fox News video isn’t the most reliable source, but does that alone make Colonel Terry Lee’s testimony unreliable? Does it imply a lack of credibility? The Colonel sounded pretty sincere and rather melancholy and reports that he personally knew and worked with the shooter. Did you listen to the interview?

Are you open to the possibility that this really is a case of what some have called Sudden Jihad Syndrome? Just because you may not reality to be the way it appears to be does not make it untrue.

——————

This is an aside, but my understanding of Hearsay is that hearsay is “an out of court statement intended to prove the truth of the matter asserted”. So, I don’t see how the Colonel’s testimony intended to provide information about the shooter’s mental state and motive could constitute hearsay. (In contrast, if he were trying to prove the truth of Hasan’s alleged statement that “Maybe the Muslims should stand up and fight against the aggressor” by using that statement as part of his proof, that would be hearsay.)

For example, in a products liability wrongful death lawsuit where the plaintiff is trying to prove that a product is faulty, a witness testifying that the dead person’s having said, “This car is built like crap” would be hearsay since the intent of repeating that statement in court is to prove that the vehicle was poorly constructed (ignoring the applicability of a “Dead Man’s” statute types of hearsay exceptions).

In the Hasan case, the report of what Hasan said is not being used to prove the truth of what Hasan said, but rather to provide possible evidence about his mental state and motive for the shooting and thus is not heasay in an evidentiary context.

Combat PTSD? Please this clown was not even deployed. The beltway PC Media wants to drag out this combat stress story to cover up the the jihad rampage. Shouting “Allah Akbar!” and killing unarmed folks is not from the pages of bible or Torah. I’ll tell you first hand the dire straits that Britain, Netherlands,and Germany are in from these spineless extremists. I love the fact that a Female Heroine took this dog down. We strong Women can not let Our rights get chipped away by medieval belief.

“I was ordered to fight all men until they say ‘There is no god but Allah”… Muhammad. I am a Christian, thus a infidel in the eyes of all Muslims, I pray they will have their eyes opened to the truth as they consider the fruits of their religion. The true faith in God produces a peaceful fruit towards all.

On a brighter note, have you read the Health care bill?
In a letter written by Douglas Elmendorf, director of the CBO to Sen. Orrin Hatch. “Lawmakers could save as much as $54 billion over the next decade by imposing an array of new limits on medical malpractice lawsuits. New research shows that legal reforms would not only lower malpractice insurance premiums, but would also spur providers to save money by ordering fewer tests and procedures aimed primarily at defending their decisions in court.” Tort Reform could lower healthcare cost by limiting some out of control lawsuits. Great idea many say??? But! Remember the Dems. are on your side, so they say.
Page 1431-1433….Section 2531, entitled “Medical Liability Alternatives.” establishes an incentive program for states to adopt and implement alternative liability litigation. [But]….a state is not eligible for the incentive payments if that state puts a law on the books that limits attorneys’ fees or imposes caps on damages.”
Another…. The bill creates 110 new bureaucracies, commissions and programs, all that will need staffing, an office, a director and of course taxpayer’s money to fund this. Its all about power and money!!!!

I read all your opinions but sad to say religion is the problem not the people.

From Indonesia to a mosque in Pakistan. Anti American sentiment are being thought to the muslim people.

AGAIN I lived with Filipino muslims in Mindanao and the hatred of the Moro people against the Americans goes way way back since 1898.

My fellow Americans the only way to understand the minds of the muslim people is to live with them.

A religion that teaches hate towards Americans cannot be stop. This war will be forever with us and god help us.

“Combat PTSD? Please this clown was not even deployed. The beltway PC Media wants to drag out this combat stress story to cover up the the jihad rampage. Shouting “Allah Akbar!” and killing unarmed folks is not from the pages of bible or Torah”

Really oh wait

Leviticus 20:9
If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death.
20:10 If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.
20:13 If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death.
Deuteronomy 22:20-1 If, however, the charge is true and no proof of the girl’s virginity can be found, she shall be brought to the door of her father’s house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death. She has done a disgraceful thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her father’s house.

Exodus 35:2
For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the LORD. Whoever does any work on it must be put to death

Deuteronomy 7:1-2 When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations . . . then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy.
20:10-17 When you march up to attack a city, make its people an offer of peace. If they accept and open their gates, all the people in it shall be subject to forced labor and shall work for you. If they refuse to make peace and they engage you in battle, lay siege to that city. When the Lord your God delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the men in it. As for the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves. . . . This is how you are to treat all the cities that are at a distance from you and do not belong to the nations nearby.
However, in the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. Completely destroy them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—as the Lord your God has commanded you.

Guess where all this came from?

Maybe just maybe the guy cracked. Blaming all Muslims for this guys action is foolish cause all religions have there radicals and radical quotes as well.

The fine citizens of New Jersey and Virginia in the gubenatorial elections rejected “Obamacare”, rejected having health care benefits taxed, rejected higher energy/ gas taxes under “cap and trade”, rejected trillion dollar deficits and they rejected a collapsing dollar. But most of all they rejected Barack Obama’s failed socialist vision of America. God Bless the fine voters of Virginia and New Jersey. The rest of America is right behind you.

As usual Jack Beatty continues to spout his liberal views. His comment ” I can only imagine what the right will have to say” is immediately followed up by anti-war, anti-bush, anti-government leftist callers blaming the Military for failing to track “this guy” and not being able to read the future, while Tom Ashbrook and Beatty nod,bob their heads up and down and give oral satisfaction over the radio. Enough of this Jack Beatty leftist dribble, how about some balance on Fridays.

F. William Bracy,

You make good points about unemployment and our future. This brings to mind my grandfather, who was born in the 1920’s. He worked at a can factory for 37 years. With his wage he owned two homes, two cars, a boat, and raised seven children. His wife worked only occasionally. He is comfortably retired and travels often on his savings and pension. Does anyone think this is possible anymore in America?! The golden age of the American worker (1945-1980) is dead and gone.

We ought to brace ourselves for the long decline into global equalization.

By the way… the can factory my grandfather worked at moved to Mexico shortly after he retired.

I agree with you 110% Mark. I used to listen of the podcasts of this so called “news program” every day, not anymore.

Frank, the Underemployed Professional,
Well, thanks for the lesson in terminology from an ‘evidentiary context.’ You may also know that there are more than 30 exceptions that apply to the legal use of “hearsay.” Perhaps you could give us a rundown of those exceptions, as well. I was using the term in a more generic, connotative interpretation, though. (That is allowed, I’m not under oath, nor have I passed the bar exam.) Speaking of which, you’ve treated this whole thing as if the Fox interview of Col. Lee was done within the context of a legal matter. You called his phone call with the Fox News host “testimony.” You asked me the question if I thought his ‘testimony’ was ‘unreliable.’ You also characterized Lee’s comments as ‘evidence.’ Well, from a legal standpoint, I can’t yet say; although, considering that Fox isn’t really known for its stellar fact checking and vetting of guests’ credibility, the colonel’s statements may be unreliable…oh no, did I just commit “defamation” or “liability”? Man, I always get those confused.

Although, I’m sure your question to me about whether or not I thought the shooter’s religion played a prominent role in this situation was rhetorical, I’ll say that, I don’t know! (You didn’t pay much attention to my first comment.) Well, maybe because I have a mental health background and some experiences with how the military deals with mental health problems, that aspect of the story seems more compelling to me…anyway, the investigation will bring out those concerns about the shooter’s “motives.” You don’t know what his motives were, either, yet in all of your comments you’ve already drawn your conclusions.

Was Hasan a Filipino Moro? Are the Philippine Muslims still the way they were in World War II?
Next point: evaluating internet videos as to whether Hasan said the Muslims should be fighting back. And no, I didn’t watch it, but I can well imagine that millions and millions of Muslims would think that; after all, the numbers of Muslims fallen since 9/11 as collateral damage is truly terrible. I don’t think voicing that sentiment marks one as likely to go berserk, by whatever name.
All Things Considered presents the view that men who are isolated are prone to the sort of syndrome that played out at Fort Hood, and that Hasan was isolated because although his views might be mainstream Democrat to the extent a lot of people question, rather loudly, our efforts in Afghanistan, but at Fort Hood more or less everyone is totally geared to how do we win, how do we get on with this. So he had to keep his views to himself or get into the kind of trouble the internet is now airing.
“Hearsay” is a legal term with caselaw piled in endless array in every state. Judges and lawyers argue about it in every court, every day. Hearsay happens when the guy or gal is not present in person in court to be cross-examined by the opposing party and to be scrutinized by the jury or deciding judge for body language and context and all that.
If something is on the internet, it is not in a court of law, so we get to set our own standards. “Hearsay” in this context would mean “not dependable” for the use proposed.
I think I might adopt “Sudden Jihad Syndrome” for similar outbursts. Not in public but as personal shorthand (it keeps the postal workers out of it for once), but “jihad” does capture and express the vehemence, the sense of righteous hurt and determination, that seems to erupt when these outrages occur. Now the Muslims can try to redeem their word “jihad” while we try to redeem “crusade.”

Brett,

I didn’t mean to be an ass regarding my discussion of hearsay; I just wanted to explain why the Colonel’s statements shouldn’t be so easily dismissed. I apologize if I came off that way.

Check out the Wikipedia entry for the Ft. Hood shooting which references a number of news articles. Here are some selected quotes from the Wikipedia entry (which we may treat as a proxy for the news reports):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Hood_shooting

“Soldiers who witnessed the shooting reported that Hasan shouted “Allahu Akbar!” before opening fire.[7]”

“Hasan had come to the attention of federal authorities at least six months before the attacks because of internet postings he may have made discussing suicide bombings[3] and other threats.”

“Faizul Khan, the former imam of a mosque in Silver Spring, Maryland, where Hasan prayed several times a week, said he was “a reserved guy with a nice personality. We discussed religious matters. He was a fairly devout Muslim.”[20]

————

Here is my take on it. Hasan felt very ambivalent about the U.S.’s role in Iraq and wanted no part of it. He had been teased by a number of non-Muslim soldiers and severely harassed by one who keyed his car and defaced his religious bumper sticker. He desperately wanted to leave the military. While suffering the stress of preparing to deploy, he could stand it no more and then snapped and started shooting other soldiers.

Was it outright Jihad? Was that his lone motivation? I don’t know, but one possible explanation is that he had developed a slow simmering (and perhaps very understandable) hatred of the military and other non-Muslim soldiers in general (since they had harassed him) and decided that he would rather die than go to Iraq and that he wanted to make a statement in the act of committing suicide by proxy (although he survived).

Hasan is not Filipino but he is A muslim.

Filipino Muslims has been fighting Filipino Christians for the past 3 decades and before that the Colonial masters the Spaniards and the American government from 1521 to 1945.

World War 2 think you have to go back 500 years.
Universal Healthcare

We have Universal Healthcare in Massachusetts for almost 3 years now. Did my healthinsurance benefits change? NO did the uninsured got healthinsurance car? YES

Don’t be selfish support Universal healthcare just like Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Lyndon B Johnson did?

Medicare and Medicaid are Universal healthcare. period

Ok Michael, you have a point or two. But you must agree Islam has the highest percentage of uneducated abused women(I guess men too)walking around wrapped in bedsheets. Sharia law anyone? This type has no business in our military giving council to our returning troops. Let alone any position of authority in a modern western democracy. Our army? He got picked on? grow some boys! How? PC blinders folks?

9-11 initial responder/mental health prof/nra member tried and tried to call.

The guy was clearing decompensating. We don’t know that the other shrinks didn’t try to have him evalated/observed/removed. Had he developed adult onset schizophrenia as one of many possible examples? Major depression? Bi-polar?

And who helps the helpers?

(Middle of making kid dinner.)

Yes. I have experienced nightmares in which I relived experiences related to me by others.

(Starving adolescent! Sheesh!)

Maybe only democrat Manhattanite psych SW who has a family NRA membership. Never owned a gun. I believe in the COnstittion.

ANyway, Obama should smell the wind. People are cracking up and walking around shooting people.

ANyway, write if you want.

“Enough of this Jack Beatty leftist dribble, how about some balance on Fridays.”
Posted by mark

I’ll 2nd that!

Despite all the caveats stated on the program this morning–e.g.: “details not yet known,” “many things not confirmed,” “we don’t know enough”–Tom Ashbrook, his commentators, and his callers apparently felt free to opine about the army’s stresses, the tenets of Islam, interfaith dialogue, mental illness, motives of the alleged shooter, Virginia Tech, pressure on clinicians, the war on terrorism, the radicalization of Muslim-Americans, the effect of war on the human psyche, gun-control laws, Jihadist martyrs in the military, the selfless nature of military personnel, the injustice of a volunteer army, etc., etc.

So much speculation based on so few facts. You call this journalism? What a totally unenlightening and unenlightened discussion. Pathetic, really.

Posted by Yuri, on November 6th, 2009 at 11:15 pm EST–POSTED ABOVE.

I have to give you that, Yuri. I’ve been tuning back in to WBAI (after, oh, 35 years?), or music stations.

Maybe it’s not “journalism” here. I don’t know if anybody ever said it was. Conversation fodder? Definitely. And why not?

Maybe it’s a kind of opportunity to start going where not many have been going since Obama was elected. (And yeah I voted for him.)

Cheers!

Unemployment has reached 10% nationaly. That’s a 26 year high. Thanks Democrats.

For Yuri only because I am avoiding doing dishes.

From the On Point main page:

On Point is a hybrid of a talk program and a news-magazine covering each day’s important news developments and conducting conversations with newsmakers and thinkers from all around the world.

A hybrid of a talk program and a newsmagazine, On Point puts each day’s news into context and provides a lively forum for discussion and debate. Topics chosen for the program are often taken from the biggest news stories of the day…

Todd, a more appropriate name for this liberally biased “news program” would be “Off Point”.

“As usual Jack Beatty continues to spout his liberal views. His comment ” I can only imagine what the right will have to say””

I was riding in a cab today after work and the driver was listening to an AM station. It was rambling on about jihadists, the Koran, muslims and so on. The driver told me it was Michael Savage. I think Jack was right about that one. I also think you don’t have to be a political guru to be able to predict this kind of a reaction.

It’s time to dust off that old UB 40 tune 1 in 10…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ic0-SrJghxk

Louise as much as I agree with you that the Dems are useless gits the Republicans are worse, they just want to go back to a time when Andrew Jackson was president.

This is better: UB 40, 1 in 10

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCGcljqOSW0&feature=related

OK as long as I’m posting UB 40 I can’t help myself.
The Specials, it seems appropriate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ2oXzrnti4&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGDQ85Dg-ss

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVcD1xAMTo8&feature=related

This is pretty sad as well, In my home town to bat

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120129726

The National Socialist Movement, a neo-Nazi group, is holding two rallies in Arizona and Minnesota on Saturday to demonstrate against illegal immigration. Similar rallies in Riverside, Calif., near Los Angeles, have led to violent clashes with counter-protesters.

Late last month, a rally near a day-laborer site in Riverside attracted about two dozen members of the National Socialist Movement (NSM), who wore World War II-era Nazi garb. They were outmatched by about 700 counter-protesters.

The two sides were separated by dozens of police officers in riot gear. NSM members taunted counter-protesters with racist epithets. Fights broke out and several counter-protesters hurled rocks and bottles. The neo-Nazis left 3 hours later, under police escort.

Im sure they will try to recuit more after the Ft Hood incident.

Michael Savage made such enlighten statement such as “to Drop a nuke on all the middle-east kill all muslims”, All gays were pedophiles

here some more example
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA_mLDe8Zz8

If you want to know about Mindanao watch this Al Jazeera news reported by a Filipino christian reporter

Frank,
Thanks a lot for more clearly defining your position, really. It will be interesting to see what comes out about Hasan. It sounds as though [giving away everything in his apartment], whatever his mindset, he was not intending to come through the incident alive. I am always perplexed at those who seem to have suicidal thoughts, and who seem prepared to carry those thoughts to fruition, then decide to take a few people with them when they want to go. I hope he pulls through his injuries, mainly so he can give some insight into his actions and can be properly prosecuted and punished. Too often in these situations the shooter dies and the world is left with no insight into why or how these things can occur. I think the healing process for injured victims and for victims’ families and for the country itself will go better if he lives and is prosecuted.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hLdWnlhPs4

War In Mindanao, Philippines

Remember how the 800 billion dollar Obama stimulus package was supposed to prevent unemployment from reaching 8%?? Unemployment is now at 10%, a 26 year high!! Left wingers like Jack Beatty were calling the GOP the “NO” party for not acquiescing to Barack Obama’s and Nancy Pelosi’s demands. Keep fighting the good fight conservatives!!! Say NO to Obamacare, NO to taxing health care benefits, NO to higher energy and gas taxes, NO to trillion dollar deficits, NO to a collapsing dollar, and NO to any amnesty bills. Barack Obama has been in office for less than a year and what does he have to show for it? His party is in disarray and his administration and it’s radical left wing ideology is being rejected now that Americans can see Obama for who he really is, minus the speeches, hype, rhetoric, and commercials.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-TLAFDUE80&feature=related

’spout’ ‘liberal views’ ‘…immediately followed up by anti-war, anti-bush, anti-government leftist callers blaming the Military for failing to track “this guy”…’ -Mark

So…let’s see, you would have wanted to hear pro-war, pro-Bush, pro-grovernment right-wing callers praise the military for failing to track “this guy”???

Well, if Bush had still been in office, this wouldn’t have happened!

You know, people are looking at this all wrong. A person in the military committed an act of terror. Period. If Bush were in office, and by some fluke, this had happened, he would have declared war on the military, then we could have spent the next [indefinite number of] years devoting billions [trillions] of dollars attacking our own military bases and personnel. He could have impressed us with statements like, “we’ll get Gen. MycChrystal! Dead or alive, it doesn’t matter to me!”

Ellen,
Maybe we’d all be better off if the words “jihad” and “crusade” can never be fully redeemed. There’s no hope for the word “postal” and it has certainly kept those disgruntled, as well as their oppressors, within the postal service in line! Maybe we could do the same with the word “military.” As in, “that guy, Hasan, went all military on those people!” [Insert happy, winky face here] …Just a thought while I sit here with my bless-ed, fine, fellow Virginia voters as we talk about rejecting the collapsing dollar! You know…what they’re doing in New Jersey right now, too! [Insert laughing face here] I swear, those liberals…with their extolling the virtues of the collapsing dollar…

Louise, your aware that when you outsource factory jobs to third world countries, sweat shows and create a tax incentive for it. It is rarely this jobs will come back, why complain when you don’t want to help the people who lost there job in the first place?

You could always protest and drop your Socialist government V.A. benefits or your socialist military government run health care and if your still in the military your socialist government supporting your rent and housing.

So Louise what would the republicans do? wait i know cut taxes, war with iran, war with N. Korea, Outsource more Factory jobs for short term gains? more deregulation? Cut even more taxes while at war? I doubt you are aware of this but high end servicing jobs, collage levels are still being outsourced to socialist europe, communist china, and india.

Some keep complaining while you collect your socialist benefits from the government. hah

“sweat shows” sweatshops

I remember before i went to collage sweatshops were a bad thing and the U.S. criticized and chastised companies and people who used them but after 2000 it became common practice to do so.

Michael is just fine with Obama’s trillion dollar deficits. I wonder if he’ll still be “feelin fine” when the dollar is worthless, inflation is in the double digits, and the federal goverment defaults on all of it’s debt obligations?

Is that not what your wishing? you wish for him to fail so your political party can get back in office correct? I’m pretty sure all the things you subscribe to lead us down this road.

Can you tell me who was the one to tell people to keep spending after 9/11 even if they didn’t have the money? can you tell me who cut taxes after being in 2 wars? Can you tell me who starved and cut regulations? Can you tell me who gave tax incentives to corporation so outsource jobs over seas to those dreaded socialist and commies? Can you tell my who has no problem wasting billions in the military to support corrupt overseas governments?Who was the one who said we don’t torture and turns out they do? where do you think all those American jobs went to?

These policies were expanded and falsely labeled as the norms under the Bush Admin and it looks like you want obama to accomplish 8 years of bush bad policy in 9 months.

I highly doubt you have any education or understanding as to the matter you speak. what was you job in the military? I have a good guess but like to hear it from you. are you still collecting socialist government supplemented health insurance? when you went over did you take the combat exempt so you didn’t have to pay taxes on your money? So we are even subsiding you even further?

If a Christian jumped up on a desk at a military facility and and yelled, “God is great!” just before opening fire and killing a bunch of people, we would tend toward looking at the situation for what it is: a mad man in a brief psychotic break. We wouldn’t ignore that and think it was Christianity at fault. Often, when someone is delusional/suicidal/psychotic, he/she will use some form of reasoning to explain his/her behavior. It is also not uncommon for someone who is in a psychotic episode to think God is talking directly to him/her. Although there are many reasons to malign religion, blaming it for psychotic homicidal/suicidal thoughts probably isn’t one of them. If there were no religions, someone who commits these kinds of acts would find some other rationale. It sounds as though Hasan could not reconcile being a Muslim with fighting Muslims. Maybe he had some heightened/exaggerated sense of being persecuted (also not uncommon for someone who would commit these acts). In an emotionally stable person, he/she would have either not put himself/herself in that position through some negotiation/forethought in either talking openly about his lack of reconciliation to superiors or knowing himself well enough to not join the military at all (something one would hope someone aspiring to be a psychiatrist could reason through! That he/she would know himself/herself, that is) or could put his/her religion aside. He could have opted out and found some way to retire from the military at some point before he came to this. A stable person would have made some strong attempt to utilize potential choices around him/her.

His thought processes didn’t start yesterday, so he had to have seen trouble in his own mind for a long time.

Maybe he misjudged his ability to cope/withstand what he would encounter in the military? Maybe the soldiers he saw returning from battle and in need of help was more than he could bear? Maybe he struggled with low-grade depression and being at odds with who he was and what he had to do for a long time, then it turned to a psychotic break as the weight of imminent deployment crept up? Ultimately, no matter how much the military needs to re-evaluate its policies and procedures on mental health, he is responsible.

Also, PTSD in a soldier doesn’t only result from being surrounded by war/seeing war; it can also result from seeing in great numbers the human consequences/tragedies of war.

Hmmm….so the concept of ‘ummah’ works only one way? If the Palestinians are oppressed, then it’s the duty of all Muslims to fight the Great Satan. But if a Muslim kills his fellow-soldiers while shouting “Allaho Akbar” (God is Great), then it’s an individual act with no connection to religion? Very interesting double standards, I’d say.

I guess Muslims want to share global responsibility/brotherhood only when something bad is done to them, but if a Muslim does something bad to non-Muslims, then it’s every man for himself and let’s wash our hands off of it. What a religion (of peace)!!

My friend mentioned this incident yesterday, and his first concern wasn’t for those killed and their family members (it wasn’t even second concern as he didn’t mention anything about them), but how long will it take for someone to tarnish Obama with this incident. Talk about liberal sensibilities and priorities where everything becomes political fodder. Ideology truly messes up with people’s heads and how they look at the world…

I’m really amazed at some of the people who are allowed to enlist these days. It’s actually kind of scary.

Louise,

The last republican administration entered office with surpluses and peace, and left us with deficits and two endless, pointless wars.

I don’t believe that you believe Obama caused all these problems in a year. No one could believe something so obviously and intuitively wrong without being some sort of ideological caricature.

I just want you to tell us what McCain/Palin would be doing now and what shape we’d be in. Lower taxes on the wealthy and reduce regulation on corporations and the financial sector? Do you really think that is the answer, Louise?

I am capable of being conservative on an issue, but could never be a “conservative”. They seem to operate primarily from self interest and fear. It’s no way to live.

‘Todd, a more appropriate name for this liberally biased “news program” would be “Off Point.”‘
Posted by Louise

Yup! But no matter the name, its purpose isn’t to program news, it’s to program people.

“I’m really amazed at some of the people who are allowed to enlist these days. It’s actually kind of scary.”
Posted by Louise

Even scarier are the last couple of idiots that have been (s)elected to be their Commander in Chief.

Cory, I would gladly take McCain/Palin over Obama/Biden anyday of the week. That must have been a rhetorical question on your part.

I think it was Louise who thought somehow Obama would become tarnished by the Hasan shootings. I like the word “tarnished,” but I have been trying to tune my antennae to the Muslim world, wondering if there is an understanding that the concept of jihad has been tarnished. Any future suicide bombing in the name of Islam, whether it can be deservedly linked to the killings at Fort Hood or not, will resonate with many Americans with this incident, I suspect. Maybe across the world they (Muslims) are saying, oh, no, those killings are not in any way to the greatness of Allah. Hasan was “just saying that” (Allahu Akbar, more or less).
And we think, is every murderous Muslim “just saying that”?
I think tarnish to jihad is taking place. Brett thinks the words jihad and crusade could both be retired. Yes, indeed.
And I notice that for once, this website, when it gets going on the subject of terrorism, has not crashed, losing most or all of the posts in the process. That has happened at least two times, I believe, in the last few months. And Friday I watched my computer get to the very slow molasses stage, as it had those other times, as if over-invaded in the ether, yet it did not crash. Hello? Hello out there?

Good job on healthcare yesterday. Although I still believe it should have been a one-page bill: “Medicare applies to all.”

Week in the news

In a sweeping order issued Thursday, the state Supreme Court overturned every juvenile court sentence handed down by accused kids-for-cash judge Mark A. Ciavarella Jr. between 2003 and 2008, clearing the records of thousands of former defendants.

Ciavarella, who is awaiting trial on racketeering charges, broke the law by taking kickbacks from the operator of two for-profit juvenile detention centers and ignored court rules by failing to fully inform juveniles who appeared before him of their right to legal counsel, the court concluded in a unanimous nine-page opinion.

Read the order

The violations were so egregious that even juveniles sentenced to other centers and those who had legal counsel deserve to have their records cleared, according to the court.

“Given the extent of the taint, this court simply cannot have confidence that any juvenile matter adjudicated by Ciavarella during this period was tried in a fair and impartial matter,” the court wrote.

Ciavarella, who has denied his juvenile sentences were influenced by alleged payments connected to the for-profit detention centers, could not be reached for comment.

The Supreme Court’s ruling will clear the records of an estimated 4,500 to 6,500 former juvenile defendants who appeared before Ciavarella from Jan. 1, 2003 through May 31, 2008 and bar prosecutors from refiling charges in nearly all of those cases

for the above

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2374379/posts

also the S.C. is decided if we have a constitutional right not to be framed in court.

Can Prosecutors Be Sued By People They Framed?

Do prosecutors have total immunity from lawsuits for anything they do, including framing someone for murder? That is the question the justices of the Supreme Court face Wednesday.

On one side of the case being argued are Iowa prosecutors who contend “there is no freestanding right not to be framed.” They are backed by the Obama administration, 28 states and every major prosecutors organization in the country.

On the other side are two black men — Terry Harrington and Curtis McGhee — men who served 25 years in prison before evidence long hidden in police files resulted in them being freed.

Harrington, McGhee And The Principal Witness

Back in 1977, Harrington, captain of his Omaha high school football team, was applying to college and being recruited for a possible scholarship at Yale.

He initially got the site of the shooting wrong and the weapon. He said the murder was committed with a handgun, then said a 20-gauge shotgun and finally a 12-gauge shotgun.

He also failed a polygraph test. According to lawyers for Harrington and McGhee, the Council Bluffs police and prosecutors knew all this and more. But they went ahead and indicted the two men, winning convictions before an all-white jury.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120069519