Friday, November 6, 2009

The Fort Hood Tragedy, And Its Hero

More and more has come out about Nidal Malik Hasan and what appears to be a cold-blooded assassination of 13 people at Fort Hood, 12 military, one civilian, and 28 wounded. The biggest piece of news for me this morning was finding out that Hasan was still alive, and one of the wounded. In addition to Hasan still being alive, we have learned he was desperately trying to get out of the military, and that his religious beliefs were radical in nature:
'If one suicide bomber can kill 100 enemy soldiers because they were caught off guard that would be considered a strategic victory,' he is said to have written.

Once again, just to be clear, this is not the belief system of the vast majority of Muslims, but of a very small few fringe elements. All Muslims cannot be painted with a broad brush stroke, just as all Christians, Jews, et al, cannot be categorized by the actions of a few. That being said, in my opinion, this is a horrible interpretation of the Koran, and the words of Muhammad.

For more information on the latest in this case, including additional information on Hasan's religious beliefs, and posts he had written, you can click HERE or HERE.

One of the most comprehensive articles I have seen on this horrific tragedy at Fort Hood comes from The Daily Mail. In addition to photographs of Hasan in the 7-11 he routinely visits, this time in traditional Muslim dress, just hours before the carnage began, it includes a piece on Muslims in the Army and The Psychological Cost Of War.

And this article includes information on the police officer who took down Hasan, shooting him four times, Sgt. Kim Munley:
The heroic policewoman who shot an army psychiatrist during a murderous gun rampage at an army base was today named as Sergeant Kimberly Munley.

She had been on routine traffic patrol when Major Nidal Malik Hasan entered a medical centre at Ford Hood, Texas, shouted 'Allahu Akbar' (God is greatest) and opened fire.

It took just three minutes for the slightly built mother-of-one to get to the scene, engaging the killer in a gun battle which ended with him being shot four times.

In the course of the cross-fire, Sgt Munley, who has a daughter, was shot in the leg. Hasan had managed to kill 13 and wound 30 others before she got there.

Lt. Gen. Bob Cone described her actions as 'amazing and aggressive'.

'She was quite effective, one of our most impressive young policemen,'(sic) he added. 'She walked up and basically engaged him. I think, certainly, this could've been far worse.'

Hasan, who was furious about US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, is also in a stable condition in hospital and under armed guard.


(Twitter photo)

Greatest thanks to Officer Hunley (on the left above) for her quick thinking and action in this tragic shooting. She is truly a hero, and no doubt saved many lives with her efforts. I wish her a full and speedy recovery, as I do for all those who were wounded in this horrific tragedy.

I understand that, as of this writing, President Obama will be speaking again about the attack at Fort Hood. Big deal. Here is my question: WHY THE HELL IS HE NOT AT FORT HOOD NOW??? Seriously. Why hasn't he done what he has done so many times now for far less important events, hop on Air Force One and get down there already?? He is the Commander in Chief, and he needs to start acting like it. I might add, not with his "wildly disconnected and inappropriately light president" (emphasis mine) as written in this article,"Obama's Frightening Insensitivity Following Shooting":
Three minutes in, the president spoke about the shooting, in measured and appropriate terms. Who is advising him?

Anyone at home aware of the major news story of the previous hours had to have been stunned. An incident like this requires a scrapping of the early light banter. The president should apologize for the tone of his remarks, explain what has happened, express sympathy for those slain and appeal for calm and patience until all the facts are in. That's the least that should occur.

Uh yeah, and not with his blinkety blink blink short statement he has to read from a piece of paper instead of speaking from his heart. Wow. Get down there, President Obama. This takes precedence.

One last thing - you better believe Hillary Clinton would already be there visiting the wounded and talking to the commanders on the ground. You KNOW she would. Obama? Uh, yeah, NO. That is unconscionable, just unconscionable.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is just devastating, Rev. And likely could have been prevented, from everything I've read, if law enforcement had done their job and investigated Hasan more completely. Poor performance evaluations, "difficulties" that required counseling and extra supervision, internet postings praising suicide bombers...and he's a psychiatrist supposedly trained to HELP the combat troops? Seems to me our men and women going to/returning from combat deserve a whole lot more than the "help" they got from Hasan.

And I listened to O's little speech, which he finally got to after all his "shout-outs". It was easy to see that he was reading the words from a piece of paper. The President of the United States, so incapable of speaking from the heart, this so-called eloquent and brilliant orator who could not find the words within himself but had to read from a piece of paper. Hillary would, we know, not only have given a heartfelt and beautiful speech, she would have done it FROM FORT HOOD.

Hat's off to the brave Sgt. Munley. No one had to tell her how to do her job or how to respond...too bad we don't have a president with the same level of experience, courage, and heart.

My heart breaks for all those whose lives were lost, and their loved ones.

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy said...

SF, great comment. You are so right on how they missed the boat on this man. My niece, who worked at Legal Aid near Fort Hood, said there are so many issues facing these people, including high levels of domestic violence, which does not surprise me. The point being that there is lots going on already, especially since so many of these people have returned form war, or are going to war. To then have this man foisted upon them, someone who was supposed to HELP those folks, but instead, literally turned on them.

And what happened there is just devastating indeed.

YES - you said it so well, SF - the "brilliant orator" who has to read from a scrap of paper. Please. And why couldn't he get to Fort Hood? So he could twist arms for his ill-fated health care reform bill while unemployment SKYROCKETS. So glad to see he has his priorities in order - NOT.

Sgt. Hunley is an amazing woman, indeed. She apparently got hit in the right hand very early on. As I understand it, she saw Hasan - he had shot and wounded someone and was going after them, I presume, to finish the job. She started firing, he turned on her - she was shot in the hand, both thighs, and one other place. She kept firing at him, and another police officer joined her. What unbelievable bravery and courage. Oh, and the first thing she said when she woke up from surgery (one of the shots severed an artery)? She wanted to know how everyone else was doing. WOW. What a true American.

And then there is Obama, Mr. Blinkety Blink Blink Shout Out ("Holla!"). Dang.

Anonymous said...

Really interesting post by Phyllis Chesler, giving a new slant on Hasan and the murders he committed:

http://pajamasmedia.com/phyllischesler/

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy said...

Thanks so much, SF. I'm going to go read it right now.

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy said...

Okay, I'm back.

YES, I heard Obama say that, too, abt not jumping to conclusions. His message was quite clear, I thought.

The post also makes clear that this was an act of terrorism. This was premeditated and calculated. He called his next door neighbor at 5:00AM to tell him good bye the day he terrorized Fort Hood. No doubt, absolutely no doubt he planned it, and apparently, it was his jihad moment. His call out to Allah before he started shooting pretty much makes that clear. No matter what Obama says.

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy said...

Btw, Kimberly Munley was shot three times, not four - at least two of the bullets used were "cop killers". More on this later, but she was shot three times, and Hasan four times.

Anonymous said...

I think it's pretty clear that Hasan's attack was premeditated terrorism by a jihadist. With cop killer bullets, he meant to kill, and to kill as many as he could. And O can wait until hell freezes over, but nothing he can spin will change the truth.

I'm surprised that I'm not seeing a photo op of O sitting by the bedside of the courageous Sgt. Munley, being the caring kinda guy he is. Blech! I can't even find an article where he actually identifies her by name, just lumps her in with his trite comment,"We saw soldiers and civilians alike rushing to aid fallen comrades...".

I love this editorial in the Las Vegas Review Journal (complete article here: http://tinyurl.com/ycyvsya):

Sgt. Munley appears to have been the first armed representative of law and order to walk in on Thursday's ongoing bloodbath in the auditorium.

Sgt. Munley identified the shooter. She did not ask him to share his feelings. She opened fire.

Sgt. Munley's boss, Chuck Medley, told The Associated Press on Friday that Hasan then spun around and charged the sergeant, a gun in each hand.

Could Sgt. Munley, hit in the wrist and both thighs, really be blamed if she'd ducked for cover?

She didn't. From all reports, she stood her ground under fire, calmly reacquiring her sight picture, putting four rounds right where she wanted, in the advancing murderer's center of mass. She fired until he dropped. The killing ended.


Damn. I want her in my corner if I'm ever in trouble!

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy said...

I know, right? Seriously, this woman is my hero.

I'm probably going to write more abt this, but what kind of person does that? Stands her ground, and she DID stand, even though she was already shot, not only assessing the situation on the fly correctly, but diverting the attacker's attention from someone already wounded onto herself?? It was a situation in which MOST of us would have taken cover. Not her. She finds him, she takes him out. Wow.

So, yeah - of course Obama just lumps her in with everyone else.

Are the Obots there finally getting a clue abt this man NOW?

Great comments, SF - thank you!

Fr. John Mary, ISJ said...

This woman is such a hero...I mean, really, a hero.
God bless her heart!
This is such a wonderful witness of commitment, bravery, heroism and I believe, sanctity...she is truly a "mulier fortis" (a courageous, strong woman).
May we have more of her kind.
God bless her and her family!!
Prayers and love.

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy said...

Nazareth Priest, you said it beautifully. Thank you!