Anderson Cooper The Journalist

Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan

It would be easy to dismiss the widespread shootings Thursday at the Fort Hood military base in Texas as the work of a single madman who had gone over the edge and unjustly took out his frustrations on other innocent people.  In one sense, that is exactly what happened, and if looked at only in that way, it is difficult to have sympathy for Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the alleged gunman.

But if one looks further into Hasan’s background, one finds a history of his concerns being ignored, until he returned to the base with several guns and killed 12 people while wounding more than 30.  The developments leading up to his outburst have the classic traits of workplace violence, which, in essence, this was.  As is usually the case in workplace violence attacks, the aggrieved returns to the place of employment and starts shooting, asking in essence the question of “Why don’t you ignore me now?” as he begins randomly shooting and ultimately killing.

This is not to excuse Hasan’s actions, nor, in any way imaginable, to justify them.  But it is to seek to understand them and to try to prevent future similar occurrences as a result of the same details leading up to it.

From what has been reported so far about Hasan, he was born in Virginia to parents who had emigrated there from Jordan.  He has been described a s a devout American who loved his country.  He also has been described as a devout Muslim who was very faithful to his religion.  Thus, in his mind, he found himself on both sides of the conflict being waged in Iran.  Even worse, he was soon to be deployed there by the United States Army as one of its soldiers.  Even worse beyond that, rather than experiencing the best of both his worlds, he was receiving the worst.  According to Hasan’s cousin, someone keyed the word “Allah” into Hasan’s car last week, which was then reported as a “hate” crime.

A devout Muslim.  A good American.  Now, an accused mass murderer.  The folly is that leading up to his rampage, no one likely cared about Hasan’s mental conflicts, which apparently were tearing him apart.  To the point that he snapped.

Now, the focus for most people is on the tragedy at Fort Hood, and indeed, it is one.  There should be sorrow for the victims and their families, and, in way, anger towards the suspect is easily explainable.  But, in a way, Nidal Malik Hasan is as much a victim as anyone else.  The focus on that aspect of the shootings should not be ignored. – George Curcio