Another View of the Terrorist Attack by a Muslim

ANOTHER TERRORIST ATTACK BY A MUSLIM

by COLONEL DONALD J. MYERS USMC (Ret)

 

Does anyone with common sense understand why the left and the media are unable to see the obvious when it stares them in the face? As soon as I heard the name of the shooter at Fort Hood, I thought about a radical Muslim terrorist. When reports stated that the shooter had shouted “Allah Akbar”–”God is great” in Arabic as he shot unarmed soldiers, I needed no further proof. What other group of individuals uses that phrase as its advocates carry out horrific acts of terrorism? To my knowledge, no one. As time has passed, there is even more evidence that Major Nidal Hassan was a radical and anti-American Muslim even as he served in our army.

 

Since the shooting, information concerning the shooter has been reported in dribs and drabs. Major Hassan has supposedly stated that his first loyalty was not to the constitution. Of course all military personnel take an oath to the protection and support of that particular document. To those who are not familiar with that oath, it states in the beginning: “I do solemnly swear to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies both foreign and domestic—- so help me God.” That leaves little room for misinterpretation.

 

He spoke out against our government’s involvement in the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. It has also been reported that he met with an Imam who was known for his radicalism. It also has been reported that superiors at school and at Walter Reed Medical Center were concerned about his actions. As more and more time passes, there will be additional information released that should have raised red flags in the military, but two significant elements probably prevented it–political correctness and diversity.

 

Diversity requires that organizations have an acceptable number of people of different sexes and races. Recruiting, retention, and promotions can be affected in all organizations because of it, and the military is no exception. Political correctness creeps into nearly every aspect of our normal routine. Conversations are guarded so as not to possibly embarrass anyone. Actions are restricted because of possible offense. As an example, whenever I was a commanding officer, I had a habit of putting my arm around a Marine’s shoulder when I spoke. I did not do that with the females and reduced the gesture with the males. When I worked with females in the civilian world, I complemented them when they looked great, had a new hairstyle, or new dress. Now, in many environments, that is not considered proper, but I think that I would still do it now even though it is not considered politically correct. These two aspects probably caused senior officers to think twice before confronting Major Hassan about some of his behavior. As a Muslim, he belonged to a protected group and anyone who accosted him could be accused of prejudice. Today, being accused of prejudice is one of the worst crimes possible and it is avoided like the plague since it can end a career in a heartbeat.

 

Another failing that was exposed concerned the news reporting. When the news initially broke about the shooting at Fort Hood, it exposed several shortcomings concerning the media. It was obvious that the reporters had no concept about the military. The questions that they asked demonstrated that. It also showed the fallacy of expecting correct information immediately. The number of casualties and the number of shooters varied for hours as did the number of casualties. Analysts asked how could an individual get on the base with weapons? DUH!! He was stationed there and he had a decal on his vehicle that provided access

 

Any time there is a significant event such as a flood, shooting, hurricane, or other event that causes confusion or casualties, the initial reports are usually wrong and yet they are presented as though they are gospel. I recall on numerous occasions in combat when higher headquarters demanded enemy casualty reports while the firefight was ongoing. Even though I stressed that I could not really determine them and any figures would be estimates, they insisted that figures be provided. They were reported as facts up the chain of command and when the fighting was over and the numbers did not match, they had a fit. We have seen this during Katrina, Swine Flu, and countless other significant events throughout the years. It is time that we get our act together in all of these areas before they destroy us.