The Chicken Little Brigade has made much of the lack of Army guidelines to pinpoint jihadists in the ranks.
Yes, they were serious.
During hearings before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee looking into the recent massacre at Fort Hood Texas that left 13 people dead and 29 others wounded, a retired Army four-star opined (when baited by the panel) that political correctness within the Army helped Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan carry out his personal jihad— a term off which members seem to feed.
As widely reported, former Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Jack Keane, a larger-than-life figure, also stated “Clearly we don’t have specific guidelines in dealing with jihadist extremists.” This lack of guidance allegedly fostered an environment of political correctness that allowed a gun-wielding Hasan to carry out his role as executioner.
Though Hasan turned out to be an alleged mass murderer with some questionable beliefs and a spotty performance record, he was an officer and a doctor. Take that up a notch: he was a mental health professional serving at a time when the Army can use every psych pro it has. Marginal doctor or no doctor, you choose. And the Army took a doc who may have been lacking. Even what are now viewed as extreme beliefs can be explained to some degree as differences between Christianity and Islam. Had the Army gone so far as to do a risk assessment on this guy, chances are the decision would have been to keep him. The fact that he may have been a poor doctor probably presented a greater risk than the chance he was a madman with good aim.
Of course there are multiple and myriad investigations into the Fort Hood shootings, and maybe they will uncover something that can help all agencies. A guide to spotting the jihadist among us? Sounds like a Blackwater (Xe) contract waiting to happen. Just be sure to hand it over to the jihadists so they can better conceal themselves.
It is this type of fear-mongering that can crush, say, those with a history of mental illness. Hire a bi-polar? Too risky. (Forget the American with Disabilities Act. It’s too PC, though it is the law.) Hire a Middle Easterner with mental health issues? Not likely.
Hasan was an angry man with a gun. A lot of people are angry and own guns. Maybe these 17 investigations will reveal something, but the fear that is being manufactured by some in this nation’s leadership harkens back to Salem, McCarthy and other purges through history.
Live free or die? Count me in.