Wm. Beverly-Blanco, thank you for your service and I related so much to what you stated. I had a very good friend in the Vietnam war and due to him being specialized in some field he couldn't tell me about, he totally went berserk one night when we were giving him a going-away party the 3rd time he was being deployed. We found him in a ditch, ... See Moreshivering, incoherent and absolutely thinking seriously of going AWOL. I will never forget that night as long as I live. War is hell. My middle son was in the Marines for 8 years and honestly, I feel as though I walked it with him. He tried to keep stuff from me but I'm a nosy parent and wanted him to get it out instead of it driving him crazy being locked up inside. I was angry when hearing about the tragic events at Ft. Hood and so many people were speculating about a motive. A motive is kind of crazy in itself, there is no motive that could justify killing innocent people. None. I am sorry that you still have to deal with all the stuff going on inside of you. I can tell by your comment your war that you're fighting every day still has not beaten you. Thank God, you have compassion and a depth that a lot of people won't understand. Bc going thru that kind of stuff either makes you or breaks you. I am glad that it made you the person you are. God bless you and yours always.

To Victor and Teresa-Thank You for your kind words.
In the midst of chaos we must be still and reserve judgement...(Easier said than done) just this morning I read in the Post about Maj. Hassan being bullied and harrased at his off-post apt in a seedy part of town-his car being keyed etc. So I stand corrected and will endeavor to learn from this.
... See MoreThe repercussions of these Wars upon American will be with us long after they are over(if they ever will truly be....) far longer than the Debt and the Destruction. The repercussions will be with us in the Veterans, who have survived physically but are maimed, both physically and psychologically. How we as a nation care for and treat our veterans in our communities, not just our grossly underresourced VA hospitals, will be a greater testament of who we are as a people, than all of the ideological blathering that goes on and consumes so much energy and space.
May God(However you conceive of it/him/her) Bless us All, cause we sure as hell need all the blessings we can get.

I agree with Mr. Mark in his proposals.

It must have been very hard to be a Muslim psychiatrist in the US Army.

Two reflections - first, it is incredibly ironic that a psychiatrist went on a killing spree, which is, after all, the act of a madman; and second, the very madness of the actions is what is frightening - to kill AT ALL should require a very high bar before being contemplated or acted upon (someone raped my daughter, tried to kill me, for example) besides being THERE, the dead had done no injury to Hasan, so their death is anger provoking, because it seems (and is) particularly unjust

It is very sad to watch another soul of the human race despair in such a tragic way. May God have mercy on him and all the lives he has touched in this action.

What a terrible headline. He being a muslim individual had nothing to do with what he did. This will hopefully bring a higher interest in the stress the military puts on our family and friends.

@Elliot Samuel Volkman playing the Muslim/had nothing to do with it card? I don't think it plays. Who exactly was he praying to daily? Maybe THAT had something to do with it. Who was that Elliot? Hmm?

For those in the helping field, we can take on others emotions and hence have issues of our own to deal with. I understood from someone Katie C. interviewed that Fort Hood has had increase in suicides and shootings of those returning with PTSD.

Elliott, normally I'm right with you, but in this case, it appears that there were some writings of his that equated suicide bombings with jumping on a grenade in combat to save one's fellow troops. He may have come under the influence of radical strains of Islam.

Seconds Eliot's comments. It was my first thought. We're a country that needs so little inciting on race/religion. Here Washpost just added fuel to the fire. Here's an article that offers an alt position. http://www.alternet.org/media/143779/focusing_on_ft._hood_killer%27s_beliefs_are_an_easy_out_to_avoid_the_deeper_reasons_for_the_massacre

I think it would be FANTASTIC if ALIENS from outer space would try and invade our planet. Then we would all have to band together and the christians the jews blacks and whites and hispanics could all band together with the aliens and GO GET THE MUSLIMS!

@ Jennie Apter...your alternative article is 1000% spin from THE POINT which is: How could this guy be in the United States Military.

Jennie A, The Alternet coverage is a story about how 2 wrongs don't make a right. Most of us know that there have been similar incidents of Americans killing Americans. This WP story gives meaningful background information that readers want to know.

muslims want a war bring it on...let them all meet allah

I am so tired of the hateful, stupid things people say in response to violence. Violence begets violence; we must stop the cycle. Those who preach vengence, why don't you understand??

May God bring things about so that in the long run as a result of this incident fewer American soldiers will fall to cowardly Muslim extremists. Young American soldiers now have another motivation to pay close attention and quickly hone their skills even sharper for when or if their need should come because 2 Chronicles 32 tells who can easily finish this.

our enemies would kill you and your family given the chance as we have just witnessed...and you can have more excuses than a man on his way to jail to justify/appease the anger of our enemies... there is no peace in weakness...

Dig deeper and look for some true wisdom within.

The seventh paragraph of that story twists NidalHasan's Web posting. He talks about a "soldier being brave" for jumping on a grenade that would kill all his comrades.

Not that the rest of his posting is cheerful reading, but that paragraph puts a quote in the wrong context.

Not sure how you see me as an "extremist," Angela. Actually, I come from a family of veterans, all sincere peace-lovers, and like them, I belief in Peace through Strength. Self-respect, self-protection, self-regard. That's very different than going out and perpetrating violence against "Muslims."

Oh, and I never quite understand how it is that those who preach violence as a response (isn't that the same thing the extremist Muslims preach?) believe that "God" is on their side!!

Apparently some idiots still believe the nonesense republican rhetoric about "being infiltrated" which is completely bogus. Let us STICK TO THE FACTS SHALL WE: 1. MAJOR NIDAL HASAN IS AN AMERICAN. He was born in Arlington Virginia. 2. HE WAS PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF MAJOR LAST MAY. Clearly indicating that he has been serving in our military for ... See Moresometime. 3. THE BASE COMMANDER OF FT. HOOD LAST NIGHT ISSUED A STATEMENT SAYING, "THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT WOULD LEAD US TO CONCLUDE THAT THIS WAS A TERRORIST EVENT." 4. Other statements report Hasan's effort to remove himself from the army due to "BEING HARRASSED BY FELLOW SERVICEMEN". Racial Bigotry is rampant in our country and the republicans would love to continue dividing our country through fear. Major Hasan was more than likely bullied because of his name and Middle Eastern heritage. That, compounded with the horrific stories he's had to listen to through the soldiers he was treating that were returning from the Middle East made him snap and go "postal". He's a disgrace to the uniform, a murderer, a traitor, but he is still AMERICAN and not some covert foreign cell terrorist extremeist that faux news and the republicans will attempt to poison your mind.5. SEVERAL AMERICAN AND FOREIGN MUSLIM ORGANIZATIONS HAVE DENOUNCED HASAN'S ACTIONS AS DISGRACEFUL. Use your heads and do not speculate with the ill conjecture and lies faux news and the republicans will spew to continue fear mongorring and dividing our country. Remember, he's an AMERICAN born here and if military justice prevails ...he will also die here for his crimes.

Stunning how all the Muslim haters know exactly what happened and why. How about we wait for some facts? We have precious few at this point.

I agree with you Toni. Seems all we have so far is conjecture.

yea get a free education then bail...piece of shit...meet the devil soon coward

And suspicion!!!

These people here on facebook without a picture who have a ghost site...let me tell you something. If you cant stand behind what you say and how you feel...your input is not neeeded and it should be Flushed with what?....

This is just the tip of the iceberg.

Angela Lastra nice name also ...would translate it as "The Angel Star". I would have to disagree with you on your assessment of the situation on one fact you fail to mention. As reported yesterday, he was harrassed by fellow servicemen and obtained a lawyer to remove himself of service. The amazing amount of stress he must have felt having to treat... See More Americans while listening to the horrific experiences in the Middle East compounded by the racist bigotry that is propagated by the republican rhetoric and faux news to keep our country divided so they can manipulate our fears into believing we should waste more hard earned tax payer dollars on weapons we will never use to make a few republicans richer through no bid contracts and keeping the middle class starving at near bankrupcy levels. I have two friends who served whose last names aren't O'brien or Smith. I would not hesitate to crack anyone in the f'n jaw if they disrespected them because of their name or religious belief after one lost a kidney in the Army during his second tour and the other serving proudly in the Marines. Racist Bigotry has a great deal to do with our perception of this matter. He wasn't a foriegn covert infiltrator that trained in an Al Qeada camp out in some dessert on the other side of the world. He is an American born in Arlington Virginia who snapped under pressures yet undetermined. The Ft. Hood Base Commander clearly stated,"There is no evidence to lead us to conclude that this was a terrorist event". Muslims are not terrorists, though there are many who want buy into the hate talk of the far right. I would hate to hear that because of your last name "Lastra" it were to be misconstrued as "Lastari" -INDONESIAN in origin, and simple minded racists would then harrass, torture, and beat you and call you a terrorist and unAmerican because of this misrepresentation. It's unfair, but we cannot be quick to jump to conclusions without all the facts. All we know is this : He is an American. He is of Jordanian heritage. He is a Muslim. He is a coward. He is a disgrace to the uniform he will no longer wear. He will pay for his crimes ...possibly with his life. And that would be justice.

If you really need the money, go work a street corner.

Here's an interesting read (altho I wd've written it w less gloss & ideological tunnelling thruout but esp in the 1st few chapters; at the time, all in this bk was written w/o those things - very scary how fast we forget) ""The Man Who Sold the World: Ronalk Reagan & the Betrayal of Main Street America," William Kleinknecht, Nation Books, 2009.

I remember going through Check Point Charlie in December, 1977 when I was 19 years old. I can recall intimidating armed guards cautiously letting us drive through into this country that I only remember in colors: gray, brown, black. People there looked like they were living 30 years behind us. In West Germany, life was vibrant. In East Germany time stood still.

I ran a yellow light which turned red light and I got a $75.00 ticket!!!

@Lori Ward, I totally agree about the SW/SE camera. I got caught by that one. I never get caught speeding because I routinely do just less than they will get you for. I thought I was going a normal speed for that area, but apparently, it's not a highway...Stupid DC