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Sympathy for the Devil

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by
mtpspur
, 11-09-2009 at 09:28 PM (1318 Views)
Been a rough week for the USA in general. I have found the Fort Hood incident interesting in that for once we have a shooter that's still alive and we might actually learn a thing or two. Have to be very very careful here as I state this but officers that are experiencing troubles DO NOT have the support system say that an enlisted person does. It's in the nature of the requirements for leadership. My experience in the Air Force was that (rarely) when an officer deep sixed their career it was on a spectacular level--bank robbery, suicide, drunkenness usually involving automobiles--I have three very distinct people in mind as I type this. To admit to any personal problems, financial, marital, and conscience are studiously ignored or undocumented lest a career is damaged or stalled indefintely. The expectations for an officer are 24/7 and expected to be above reproach. There is a tacit agreement almost to ignore a problem praying it does not emerge on a commander's watch. The commander at Fort Hood is reviewing HIS career path as we speak for surely some blame will be shoved his way. I do not excuse the shootings in the least rather I condemn the system that fails to allow humans the option to fail with dignity. Pride cometh before a fall and great is the fall indeed.

Updated 11-09-2009 at 11:57 PM by mtpspur

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  1. Virgil's Avatar
    Rich, I don't think this guy had personal problems, other than ideology. I do not think this was a guy who just "cracked."
  2. mtpspur's Avatar
    You may be right. I don't really KNOW. I was more pointing out the pressure to succeed officers have. He certainly had an obligation to make sure he could keep his commitments and professionalism intact. I really thought it was too easy to point to idealogy but evidence seems to be surfacing you are on the right track.
  3. qimissung's Avatar
    Um-m-m, I would tend to agree with your first assessment, mtpspur. I'm sure he did have problems with ideology, but even so he was c-r-a-a-a-z-y to do what he did, and as one psychologist put it, he probably left a trail of breadcrumbs signaling that.
  4. mtpspur's Avatar
    Agree also with you. This is what comes of thinking about one thing (my OWN son about to go to Officer school Wednesday) and writing about something else and NOT thinking it through--something I remain very guilty of. I appreciate the heads up--thanks. One serious problem the military has is their reluctance to follow the breadcrumbs to a perhaps painful conclusion. Failure on any level in the military is NOT accepted with grace and humility I assure you.
    Updated 11-10-2009 at 12:04 AM by mtpspur
  5. Maryd.'s Avatar
    I am a little angry, myself. Family and friends blame the system for such acts. The system blames upbringing. Whilst everyone is busy blaming everyone, nothing is getting done about such issues. I recently had a run in with a friend... She stated a police officer shot dead a 14yr old boy because he was a threat. Fine, so be it. But then she went on to say that poverty and an unstable life at home caused him to be this way. Yet I stated, so the police could have just gassed him or used some sort of lazer item. But to shoot a 14yr because of his poor upbringing is unacceptable. However she constantly stigmatised this poor boy and his family... Tearing them down like they were dirt. I was raised in poverty and an unstable life - a very unusual situation. Does that mean the police should shoot me for any mistakes I make because I am stigmatised. It just rubs me up the wrong way... this so called word BLAME!
  6. Virgil's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by qimissung
    Um-m-m, I would tend to agree with your first assessment, mtpspur. I'm sure he did have problems with ideology, but even so he was c-r-a-a-a-z-y to do what he did, and as one psychologist put it, he probably left a trail of breadcrumbs signaling that.
    Hmm. Was it crazy to fly planes into towers? Is it crazy to blow oneself up? Is any suicide bomber crazy? I don't see any difference between this and any suicidal terrorist act. This man was a doctor, had to pass medical school and he was promoted to a major in the army. These are no small achievements that require discipline and overcoming stress. He didn't "crack" going through medical school. He didn't crack in his decade plus enlistment in the army. He didn't crack here either. He planned this for months and executed his plan to perfection. It was a cold calculated act. If you read details, details I haven't even listed here, you cannot come to any other conclusion.