Posted by
Lee H. on Saturday, November 07, 2009 8:34:53 AM
Tragedy struck again as we watch the news. We see the sorrow and our bleeds for those whose families are hurting because of one man's affliction. Time and time again we have seen our presidents go before the American people with a solemn face, bringing hope in the midst of pain. We saw it several times with President Bush. As the tragedy of 9-11 broke our hearts, President Bush brought comfort and hope to the nation. Many tragedies later we now have a new president. I saw his attempt at comforting the broken-hearted, and the nation watching another calamity come before our eyes. This time, however, there was little comfort, and less hope. I watched two minutes of his address and nearly got sick. There was no compassion, or sympathy for anyone.
Our military is the backbone of our security. These men and women have volunteered their services to the nation, guarding us with their lives. The last thing they expect is to have someone gun them and their compatriots down on a military installation. Hasan had been under observation for several months, he was even dismissed from Walter Reed Hospital, and reassigned to Fort Hood because he was having problems. Other soldiers had turned in complaints against him because he was becoming radicalized in his faith. Those who were killed or injured deserved better than this. When a person becomes a danger to himself or others he must be put in a position where he cannot have access to firearms or any other harmful products. If it is shown that he was treated differently than anyone else because of his faith, you know, political correctness, there should be some head rolling.
When my father came home from WW2 there were brass bands all over the place. The soldiers were held in esteem. Honor and respect were the normal way of treating our soldiers. Vietnam was a sad commentary on America, because the soldiers took the blame for what the politicians in Washington did to them. It's called political betrayal. Now we have seen victory again in Iraq, and then there is Afghanistan. The politicians haven't learned much in 40 years, because they still want to micromanage the war effort. Politicians always think they know what they are doing, even when they don't. Our soldiers deserve all the respect and honor we can give them, and President Obama failed to do that with his address. That address is more of a slap in the face than a comfort and hope address. As Commander-in-Chief it is part of his duty as President to speak to the pain that those families feel. It is tantamount to betrayal of the trust that those soldiers place in him when he causes more pain than he heals.
Those soldiers at Fort Hood will deploy again, and they will serve with integrity, but there will be a scar on their heart. The scar will be for those who fell at Fort Hood, but it wiil be deeper because of the betrayal of their Commander-in-Chief.