Thursday, November 12, 2009

Now I'm Concerned

I had stated in a previous post that I didn't want to turn the rampage at Fort Hood into blog material, but the latest headline has changed my mind. Many of us continue to think of and pray for those that have lost loved ones and for those that continue to recover. I am quite concerned about what I am reading regarding the alleged shooter, however. It seems several superiors were uncomfortable or displeased with his attitude and conversations and there had been some security concerns about him. I read that he was actually sent to Fort Hood because there would be enough coverage there to keep an eye on him. Now, I realize I'm getting my information from the media, so who knows . . . But I've noticed something else in this tragic situation. There's already talk and headlines using the word, "psychotic," which sounds like the ground work for an insanity defense. There is much conflicting information, but I guess I see both sides to the insanity defense. Can a human being decide to open fire in a crowd and be in their "right mind?" If someone premeditates that act, what's wrong with their mind, to begin with? And the fact that he's a psychiatrist tells me he'll know just all the right crazy stuff to do and say.
Ultimately the Department of Defense will have to make some sort of determination in this case as to how the citizens cannot even open a bank account without security clearance, but a man that has caused concern, and been rumored to be in touch with some anti-American sorts can have full security clearance in our military. And what about all those soldiers that he counseled? Where are they about now? How are they coping with this? What questions has it raised for their adjustment back to civilian life or back for another deployment?
Not to get too political here, but Robert Gates appears to be in the same shoes as George Tenet was in the Bush administration, from the Clinton administration. The "designated survivor" from the Bush administration to the Obama administration is at the head of sorting out how this tragedy may have been stopped but wasn't.
And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another . . . the Revelation

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