Anderson Cooper The Journalist

Americans, by and large, are a funny people.  Since I have never lived in another country, I do not know how it is elsewhere, but here in America, we have some funny ideas.  This was brought out by the recent mass shootings of the past two days that occurred at Fort Hood and in Orlando. Florida, which happens to be where I am located.

Interestingly, Friday night’s AC360 afforded a considerable amount of time to the Fort Hood shootings but a much smaller amount of time to those in Orlando, giving the impression that the producers see advantage in trying to exploit the Fort Hood shootings because of its more interesting circumstances.  On news value alone, though, the Orlando shootings would be equal.

American reaction to the shootings is interesting.  The shootings were horrific and in no way can be justified or excused.  That needs to be stressed, because the feedback I am receiving tends to ignore that statement.  People want to jump to the step of calling Nidal Malik Hasan a “scumbag” and a “loser,” ignoring the circumstances leading up to his actions but not attempting in the least to understand that there was a reason for it.

That’s the true underlying lesson of the shootings at Fort Hood and in Orlando.  There has to be a reason that led the suspects in each case to do what they did, and on the surface, it seems to be that they had feelings of desperation.  Understanding such is not to excuse or justify what happened.  Not in the least.  But it is to seek to understand what happened and to try to avoid imbuing people with such feelings in the future.  Maybe the latter is impossible, but as the number of victims left in the wake of the recent shootings attest, it is well worth the effort to try.

One of the eyewitnesses to the Orlando shooting made an interesting statement about the shootings, saying that no matter what the circumstances, one does not resort to killing innocent victims.  Well, evidently one does, as shown the last two days at different locations.  More appropriately, the reaction to recent events shows one does not attempt to understand the world around them, settling instead for personal attacks aimed at the suspect, calling them various names.

It would be remiss not to point out how Christians have reacted, to the Fort Hood shooting in particular.  I have heard anti-Muslim remarks aimed not only at Hasan but also at his religion, and I have heard statements saying that forgiveness towards Hasan is not at all possible or desirable, due to the circumstances.  Perhaps I have misread my Bible, but the message I receive is that forgiveness is afforded despite the circumstances and, indeed, this should be kept in mind under the most difficult of circumstances.

Forgiveness is the essence of Christianity, and for both believers and non-believers, the essence of humanity.  In a twisted sort of way, American Christians are aiming towards Muslims the same form of hatred that they accuse Muslims of directing at them.

Somewhere, God must be watching and be very confused.  - George Curcio