Recently, a lone gunman, who just happened to be a Major in the United States Army and a practicing Muslim, killed 13 military and civilian people and seriously injured 31 others at Fort Hood, Texas. Miraculously, the gunman, although seriously injured himself, survived. How that man came out alive in a room full of military personnel and MP’s is a mystery to me, but that’s another topic for another time.
Once again, we’re left to ponder how such a ruthless act could take place inside our borders. How could someone from a radical Islamic background rise to such a high level in our military and be allowed to carry out a premeditated plot? This man was a psychiatrist for crying out loud. Well, I’ll tell you how it happened. It’s called Freedom, and it’s what our brave men and women in the military have fought and died for in this country and abroad for centuries.
People all around me are shouting from the rooftops about this man moving around freely in our country with the background he has. There is already evidence that he emailed people with known terrorist ties, yet nothing was done to thwart his efforts. I can’t help but agree that perhaps something more could have been done. But then again, haven’t we all been guilty of arm-chair-quarterbacking and looking the other way? As humans, I believe we’re largely preprogrammed to look for and expect the best from people. Maybe those closest to Hasan were simply doing the same thing. It’s a mentality that tells us, “It can’t happen to me.” Or better yet, “This guy would never do something like that. I’ve known him for years.” You hear it every time someone commits suicide. “I should have seen the signs.” “I should have done something.” Hind sight, as they say, is always 20/20.
In the movie, American President, Michael Douglas, who is playing President Andrew Sheppard makes a speech that has always stuck with me (yes, I know it’s a movie). In that speech, Michael Douglas says, “America is advanced citizenship. You’ve gotta want it bad, ‘cause it’s gonna put up a fight.” What does that mean exactly? He goes on to say that freedom isn’t just being able to display the flag. It also has to be allowing people to burn that flag in protest. Before you hang me for treason, please know that I abhor someone that would burn our symbol of freedom. However, like it or not, that is EXACTLY what being free involves.
When our founding fathers penned the phrase, One Nation Under God, and established freedom of religion through our constitution, they didn’t mean Christianity. Sure, all of those men were from Christian decent, but they were trying to escape the stronghold of a Monarchy that said they HAD to be. What that means, dear reader, is that in the United States of America, we are free to practice whatever religion we prefer….OR….none at all. That is our constitutional right. It does NOT allow us the freedom to kill innocent people in the name of that religion. That is a matter of law.
By now you’re probably waiting on some point to this entry. It’s simply this. Major Hasan should be taken before a Military Tribunal, and if found guilty, hung from the highest rope, and then shot. Nothing is too bad for what he did. But if he’s guilty (and he obviously is), he’s guilty of murder and nothing more. As much as we’d like to, we can’t hold his feet to the fire for following Islam. Agree or not, it’s his constitutional right as a citizen of these United States. Freedom isn’t easy…..and it certainly isn’t free.
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