Tiptoeing thru Terrorism

On Thursday, November 5, 2009, the United States Military Base of Fort Hood, Texas was attacked. The lone gunman was Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a self-professed anti-war Muslim. He opened fire on unarmed soldiers, leaving over 30 injured and 13 dead. The attack was ended when Fort Hood Civilian Police Officer, Kimberly Munley shot Hasan four times, despite being shot herself.

This attack was a frightening wake up call for many Americans. Most people immediately questioned the possible implications of a Muslim American Soldier attacking his own US Military Base. Was this homegrown terror? How could someone like this become a ranking member of the US military? Is there a terror network working on the inside? With so many questions, Americans tuned into the television, searching for answers, only to discover a timid and cautious news media concerned more with political correctness than straightforward reporting. The Internet was a much more reliable source of the information people sought. The news media seemed reluctant to even release the shooter's name, much less confirm his Muslim religion. Martha Radaatz of ABC news stated on air, "I wish his name was Smith" while CBS and NBC failed to note his Muslim religion altogether. Anchors, like Chris Matthews of MSNBC, cautioned the public not to "jump to conclusions" based on the man's ethnicity and religion. Even when it was reported that Hasan shouted, "Allahu Akbar" (or 'God is Great" in Arabic), the common cry of suicide bombers and terrorists, the media failed to point the blame fully at him or explore the possible implications of his battle cry. It didn't take long before the shooter himself actually became the victim through the eyes of the media. Hasan was stressed from his work as a military psychologist. He was depressed from listening to horrible stories of the troops returning home from war. He was teased and ridiculed by his fellow military for being Arabic and Muslim. Can you believe, the same soldiers who were attacked actually assumed blame!?! Never mind that Hasan had Internet postings sympathizing with suicide bombers, "To say that this soldier committed suicide is inappropriate. Its more appropriate to say he is a brave hero that sacrificed his life for a more noble cause," nor that he was quoted as saying, "Muslims should stand up and fight their aggressor."

After receiving a lecture on diversity and a scolding for profiling by the liberal media, it was refreshing to listen to Conservative talk radio and read the blogs the next day to find people calling the act exactly what it was, Terrorism. So there were people who reacted as I did after all! Laura Ingraham stated without hesitation, "This was the first terrorist attack on U.S. soil since 9/11." Finally, the truth, or at least an open dialogue of that scary possibility. Senator Joe Lieberman, too, called the Fort Hood massacre, "a terrorist act" and Hasan himself, an "Islamic Extremist." Joe Lieberman (I) chairs the Senate Homeland Security Committee and has pledged to initiate a formal investigation into the attack to find any warning signs the army should have recognized. I will be interested to see, just how much this investigation exposes, both about Hasan himself and the possibility of more like him, and just what the military has to endure in regards to political correctness, sensitivity, and diversity. As much as the liberal media wants to deny it, Islamic Extremism is real. There are people who hate us and want to kill us, solely for being American. We have a true enemy and our war efforts are warranted. However, one must first admit there is a problem before one can begin to solve the problem. Thankfully, Joe Lieberman, talk radio, and bloggers immediately identified the problem. The old media is, predictably, still in denial though, offering little hope they are about to change.