War Can Drive People Crazy: Perspectives on Ft. Hood

I'm passing this on from Mary Moore who is an advocate for Peace.

To all: Here are just a couple of reactions re: the Ft. Hood killings. One is from a Muslim organization in Kentucky and the other is from an activist in Sonoma County. When these authors plus U.S. Sect. of Defense Robert Gates all see the same thing as an obvious truth then we should listen. Gates didn't come to this conclusion openly but he did agree that war can drive people crazy. MM

MANA Condemns Fort Hood Shooting
Lexington, KY (11/06/09) - The Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA) is saddened by the Fort Hood incident in which 13 people were killed and others injured. We extend our condolences to the families who were impacted by this tragedy and we join other Muslim groups to condemn the unconscionable violence that took place. The act committed at Fort Hood was a criminal act and should not be associated with the religion of Islam, nor should it serve as another excuse for the castigation or demonization of Islam and Muslims.

Islam does not condone such killings. We pray for justice. It is disheartening and perplexing that a psychiatrist who was trained to provide counseling to troubled soldiers was himself very troubled. Perhaps this is yet another indication of the far-reaching tragedy of war and the horrific toll it takes on the lives of all who are affected by it.

In a recent statement, US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said, "the protracted military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq - and the repeated deployments of much of America's ground forces - have brought a new focus to the signature wounds of these wars and on the psychological health of the force and their families." For the Fort Hood families, we mourn their losses and the loss of many innocent lives lost at home and abroad.
MANA | P. O. Box 910375 | Lexington | KY | 40591

--------------------------------
Major Nidal Malik Hasan, The Ft. Hood Shootings by Brian Romanoff 11/7/09

The recent shootings at Fort Hood in Texas should remind us of a few things.

It is not my intent to focus too much on this event, as it will obviously promote even more Islamiphobia amongst the uninformed. Sincerely, my best wishes go out to all the families of everyone involved. These are tough times for you all now, tougher than they already were, for sure.

As mentioned, we should be reminded of a few things: Namely how stressful 8+ years of war is on our soldiers. Our soldiers have been protecting private contractors and fighting people simply defending against an occupation long enough. The soldiers know it too. The options for soldiers in the field are not easy. Being offered $60,000.00 tax free for another tour is tempting. This is also even more true when the soldiers hear of their friends back home who graduated, went to college, and still don’t have jobs right now. Soldiers are trained to do just one thing, and that is to kill. That is their skill. Not something you put on most resumes. As with youth in gangs
in cities around the world, many in the armed services feel trapped. However many serve proudly and believe in serving their country, even if they don’t agree with the war.

This might have been where Major Nidal Malik Hasans heart and mind were for the last couple of years. The frustration of Obama not ending the madness sooner must be hard for many soldiers who had hoped for more change in the war policy. Indeed, that is why voters gave Democrats control in 2006 as well; obviously now we can see there is no difference from the 2 parties.

The amount of American soldier suicides have sky-rocketed to record numbers each of the last few years. Violence is not going to be the answer. What is tragically ironic is that killing is exactly what the soldiers were deploying to go do. The only way to help our troops, is to end the war.

Obama must heed to the call of the PEOPLE and END THE WAR. The PEOPLE must END THE WAR too. The soldiers must end it as well. And we must support them.

The obvious outcome of not ending the War of Terror is more War……