Ft. Hood

[ferretrunner]

Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, opened fire at a military processing center at Fort Hood around 1:30 p.m. Central Time. He killed 12 people and wounded over 30 others. It is unclear why he did this. Maj. Hasan is a pyschiatrist.

This news just shocked me. I'm a mental health professional and in the Army Reserve. He murdered and wounded civilians and Soliders.

I can't imagine what the families are going through. And his family, also. In a real sense, they "lost" their son, brother, cousin as well. It's a tragedy however you look at it.

He was born in the US but his family comes from Jordan. I understand he is also Muslim. At first, there was concern this was a terrorist attack, but it appears to be another "random" shooting. I think people are going to continue to make assumptions based on his ethnic background and religious beliefs. I hope it doesn't give way to more hatred and violence...

Complete article here: Officials: Fort Hood shootings suspect alive; 12 dead - CNN.com

[HEthePrimate]

My heart goes out to all the victims and their families, and to the family of the perpetrator. What a terrible tragedy.

HEP

[talisyn]

He apparently was going to Afghanistan. Or Iraq. My Army sister and brothers knew people who would deliberately injure themselves so they wouldn't have to go until healed...maybe he decided to make sure he'd never get sent there.

Edited November 6, 2009 by talisyn
forgot Iraq lol

[ferretrunner]

It could be... Logic doesn't play into these types of things. He may never deploy but if he's convicted by courts martial, at the least, he'll spend the rest of his life in Ft. Leavenworth. He could get the death penalty. There's a huge difference between injuring yourself and killing others.

I've known Soldiers who self-injured to avoid deployment. Usually, the end up getting in trouble and deploying anyway. Of course, that depends on the severity of the injury.

I can understand why Soliders are getting tired. It's been a hard 8 years, with multiple deployments. I'm not sure what the answer is but we need to figure out a way to start bringing more troops home without destabilizing the area any more than it already is.

[pam]

One of the soldiers killed is from Utah.

ksl.com - Soldier from Utah killed in Ft. Hood shooting; Ogden man injured

[Just_A_Guy]

Foxnews is saying the guy was heard to shout "Allahu akhbar" (my spelling is probably off) during the shootings. Will be interesting to see if this is verified.

[pam]

Okay forgive my ignorance. What does that mean?

[Just_A_Guy]

"God is Great" . . . it's the same thing that was recorded in the black boxes of the 9/11 planes before they went down.

[NeuroTypical]

It's a common phrase in the Islamic world. It's also something that militant islamic folks shout as they detonate their suicide vests, or fire their mortars into a US army base. Basically, if you figure the act of violence you're about to commit is sanctioned by Allah, you shout that phrase as you set it into motion.

LM

[nbblood]

One of the soldiers killed is from Utah.

ksl.com - Soldier from Utah killed in Ft. Hood shooting; Ogden man injured

Where does it say a Utah soldier was killed? I don't see it in this article? Is there another?

Edit: Never mind, I found it as a "related story" link on the page.

Sad.

[pam]

Looks like they've switched the url's or stories. The related story was the one I gave the link to.

[sixpacktr]

It is unbelievable. I was glued to Fox all last night, up to the news conference around 9:30 my time. I was glad to hear at least the civilian cop wasn't killed, that she was in stable condition. I'm also glad that Hassan wasn't killed, so that they can find out if there is anything more to this than just him deciding he didn't want to go.

Then today, another 8 are shot in Orlando? I heard that on the news as I was out getting some lunch.

We are living in a time when people are doing heinous things. The creep in Ohio that raped women and had, what, 10 bodies buried around his yard?

I keep thinking of Christ's warning that the love of men shall grow cold. News like this is horrendous, and yet somehow I'm not shocked. Is it because we are inundated with death and destruction so much that we are getting callous to it? I think of the Jaredite and Nephite nations, at the end, and how there was war continually before them. I got to think that they had become so immune to suffering that it didn't faze them anymore.

[pam]

Six I agree with you. A few years ago..hearing news like this I would have broken down in sobs. I'm still sad but..it just seems so common place anymore that unfortunately it just doesn't have the shock value it once had.

[Guest]

I have to just throw a warning to everyone... 10% unemployment rate is going to increase crime rate as well. It's just the nature of the thing.

The guy in Orlando was fired 2 years ago and couldn't find a stable job since. He filed for bankruptcy earlier this year and he has been heard saying that his previous company has left him out to rot.

The Ft. Hood incident just sounds to me like another one of those jihad events - no matter what the press is saying...

[nbblood]

The Ft. Hood incident just sounds to me like another one of those jihad events - no matter what the press is saying...

I agree, but with the additional caveat that it was most likely triggered also by his scheduled deployment. In other words, if he hadn't been affected by an upcoming deployment, I doubt he would have committed this act of "Jihad".

He is quite simply a coward at many, many levels. He doesn't understand the values he represented when he donned that uniform. He didn't understand the values his chosen religion represented. He doesn't respect civil values, laws and regulations. He simply felt bad for himself and took it out on other people in the name of his religion.

Unfortunately, he gets the headlines while the victims and their families are sub-stories to this horrible event. It is very difficult for me to focus on compassion to the victims instead of my anger toward this coward, but I try. I know the anger isn't good. I sure would like for him to have to face each of the victims families and look them in the eyes, but I doubt he'd think much beyond feeling sorry for himself being locked up, probably in his mind, unfairly. Uggh.....I hate when stuff like this happens.

[ferretrunner]

I just found out a member of my unit was wounded. I wonder often what can I do? I know I can't impact the global world but I hope I can be a hand of compassion to those who need it. A big topic at work today was "self care." We work with the afteraffects of trauma every day. We hear the stories and connect to the vets. NPR was discussing this event and the topic of "vicarious traumatization" came up. In other words, was his exposure to second hand trauma of working with returning Soliders traumatizing to him and a factor in the event? Dude, there are thousands of therapists working with trauma. The vast majority of us don't go on shooting rampages. THat just ticked me off. Who knows what caused him to go shooting? In the long run, I'm not sure it really matters, unless that factor can help some of those impacted by his violence to heal. What matters is taking care of our wounded- those wounded physically, emotionally, and spiritually- by this event.

[ADoyle90815]

I have to just throw a warning to everyone... 10% unemployment rate is going to increase crime rate as well. It's just the nature of the thing.

The guy in Orlando was fired 2 years ago and couldn't find a stable job since. He filed for bankruptcy earlier this year and he has been heard saying that his previous company has left him out to rot.

That's true, with the unemployment rate as high as it is, the crime rate can go up as well. Already, rates of domestic violence have risen with the unemployment rate.

[Canuck Mormon]

My brother in law is all set to be based there (Ft. Hood). They are moving on Monday. This was a big shock. I'm glad that they waited until Monday to go, and not last week as originally planned.

[trulykiwi]

"God is Great" . . . it's the same thing that was recorded in the black boxes of the 9/11 planes before they went down.

Huh? You mean to say there was something recorded on the black boxes found in 9/11. Show me where, cos everybody else in the world was told they were damaged beyond repair and no one knows what is on them!

[trulykiwi]

It's a common phrase in the Islamic world. It's also something that militant islamic folks shout as they detonate their suicide vests, or fire their mortars into a US army base. Basically, if you figure the act of violence you're about to commit is sanctioned by Allah, you shout that phrase as you set it into motion.

LM

Are you sure? How many things can you think of that Mormons are supposed to do? Be careful what you believe!

Edited November 8, 2009 by trulykiwi

[Guest]

Huh? You mean to say there was something recorded on the black boxes found in 9/11. Show me where, cos everybody else in the world was told they were damaged beyond repair and no one knows what is on them!

Trulykiwi, what's your agenda? UA Flight 93 is a 9/11 plane and it definitely had its blackbox intact and it definitely had Allahu Akbar cries from the cockpit. You can google it if you don't believe me.

[Guest]

Are you sure? How many things can you think of that Mormons are supposed to do? Be careful what you believe!

Quite sure. Here, for your edification:

Definition of the Muslim usage of Allahu Akbar:

Takbir - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And here is a list of events where the phrase was used in muslim acts of jihad or terrorism:

Allahu Akbar

Of course, anybody can do something really stupid and shout the phrase just for kicks... still doesn't make what LM said wrong. Believe it or not, not all of us here are a bunch of Kool-Aid drinking, sound-byte spouting nincompoops. We do look things up to be sure what's being said is correct.

Now, I'm really still interested to find out what you're agenda is... like, what are you trying to prove?

Edited November 8, 2009 by anatess

[FairChild]

What do Mormons do? Eat green jello while stockpiling food to feed our excessively large families as we all sing with the Tabernacle Choir.

[FairChild]

Actually I think we should be praying for all those that are involved. It is such a needless man-made tradegy.

[Guest Godless]

I was visiting family near the Mexican border when the news came in. We were all glued to the TV for hours. This is truly frightening. I've been through the Soldier Readiness Program multiple times, and I'll probably be going to Ft. Hood to do it if I get activated again. I can't begin to imagine something like this happening during such a routine process. It's very chilling and it really makes my blood boil to think that this was done by one of our own.

One thing that really bugs me is that the talking heads stopped discussing the possibility of mental illness almost immediately after the shooter's name was released (which prompted automatic assumptions that he is a Muslim). If you ask me, extreme religiosity is the most dangerous form of mental illness there is.