Source: Richmond Juris Publici | November 16, 2009
By Qasim Rashid | Richmond, VA
Every soldier in the US military takes a solemn oath to protect our nation against all attacks, foreign and domestic. On November 5th, we turned on our televisions to find that sadly, our soldiers in Fort Hood, Texas were forced to defend our country from a domestic attack launched by Army Major Nadal Malik Hasan. Far from an anomaly, the term "fragging" is used to describe such tragedies; i.e. when one soldier kills his fellow soldier. In fact, Chris Hedges, author of What Every Person Should Know About War, writes that during the Vietnam War alone there were over 230 documented incidences of fragging, with another 1400 officers killed without explanation.
However, as we mourn the passing of 13 of our departed, we celebrate the soldiers who took action to resolve this crisis to the best of their abilities. In remembering the fallen who lived in constant readiness to sacrifices their lives for our country, let us not forget the heros who stopped this massacre for they too are to be commended for their bravery.
While the present case at Fort Hood has received much publicity, it is not the first incident of fragging of the Iraq/Afghan wars, or even of 2009. In May of this year, Sergeant John M. Russell, a 15 year senior officer of the Army serving his third tour of Iraq, fatally shot five soldiers. That Major Hasan's intentions have been tied to his faith is disappointing. It would be a dire mistake to believe his motivation had anything to do with the peaceful teachings of Islam. By that logic, one could foolishly argue that Sergeant Russell committed his mass murders in the name of Jesus. Rather than pointing the finger at any religion for the actions of a disturbed individual, take the moment and sincerely thank those heroes of Fort Hood, and our military at large, who readily put their lives in harms way so that we can live in safety.
Upon closer inspection, Sergeant Russell and Major Hasan share striking resemblances that have nothing to do with their faith or nationality. Five years ago the University of California, San Diego conducted an intensive study of 64 individuals recognized as mass murderers between 1949 and 1959. The research showed that most of these individuals were loners, all were male, nearly two thirds were heavily involved with weapons and/or war, and their average age was 38.3. Sergeant Russell received orders for mental counseling prior to his attack, he was 44, and certainly heavily involved with weapons and war. Likewise, Major Hasan was a loner in need of mental counseling, he is 39, and certainly heavily involved with weapons and war.
Some would like to believe that religion motivated Major Hasan to commit this atrocity. The facts make clear, however, that this was a textbook case of a mass murderer who tragically was not recognized and stopped in time. Such people are not exclusive to any color, religion, or culture. Rather, they cross all boundaries of the human race without regard to the havoc they wreak as they go. Accordingly, only by joining together as a human race can we emphatically stop such people from advancing their goals. While stopping foreign attacks may well be exclusive to the hands of our leadership, let us ensure our hands our joined together to stop domestic attacks once and for all.
Read here: Fort Hood: Faith and Fragging | Richmond Juris Publici
Qasim Rashid is a 1L at Richmond Law as well as a free lance writer on topics ranging from religion and philosophy to human rights. He has been published in numerous national and international papers including USA Today, The Washington Post and The Hartford Advocate.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for your comments. Any comments irrelevant to the post's subject matter, containing abuses, and/or vulgar language will not be approved.