Shootings at Ft Hood I don’t know what is the worst or the best case scenario

We left home this morning about 1130. All was far from right in the world but it was a beautiful morning.


After an easy drive to Johnson City we returned and borrowed books at the Johnson City Library. Leaving the library, we drove to Eastern Tennessee State University. Gloria plans to audit a class next spring, in order to learn more about metal smithing in jewelry design. I may audit a history course or some physical science course or a music course. Both of us filled out and submitted applications to be admitted as undergrad special students, not pursuing a degree or receiving a grade for any class we audit... We should be admitted and able to finish registration sometime next week.

Earth Fare is a short distance from ETSU. We had a late lunch at Earth Fare, bought groceries, and came home. The neighbor across the street was burning trash so we’ll need to stand fire guard tonight.

The horrid thing we heard about first on TV at about 1630, the shootings at Fort Hood, Texas, are incredibly disturbing.

Someone made their way onto a U.S. Army base and deliberately murdered at least 11 people. About 30 more are listed as wounded as of 1714 EST. One shooter is reported dead with two more in custody.

Is this crime something attributable to delayed stress? Did soldiers unable to deal with PTSD any longer choose this way to attempt to end their own pain? Did they plan and attempt a “suicide by MP” event?

Are these domestic terrorists such as McVeigh and Rudolph, driven by religious fanaticism and bigotry? Did they plan on stealing weapons from Ft. Hood? Is there the likelihood of more such attacks?

Or, are these attacks planned and carried out by soldiers of Moslem faith against non-Moslem soldiers such as happened in the run-up to the Iraqi invasion. This aspect particularly bothers me. If it becomes a prevalent or even rare occurrence it will question the ability of the Armed forces to enlist and deploy any troops of Moslem faith. That would not only alienate Moslem Americans but could further alienate black Americans.

Back to the PTSD causation theory:

Reports at 1730 indicate that the shooting took place at the “Soldier Readiness Center,” a pre-deployment processing facility designed to complete all processing and evaluation of the troops prior to shipping them overseas. This must include, mental health evaluation, medical, dental, financial, family networking, all those manifold things that each troop must check off as completed prior to being shipped out again. Apparently there were three soldiers who chose this center as their point of no return.

Another report has indicated that the incidence of soldier-on-soldier violence has increased at Ft. Hood. This source attributed some of that increase to lowered acceptance requirements for enlistment, criminal history and lack of education being less likely to exclude entry than in the pre-Iraq/Afghanistan period. I’m ready to believe this lack of higher caliber recruits is a serious factor in the ability of our troops to deal with combat stress. Yet, intellectual ability is not preventive for PTSD. Education is neither a preventive nor cure for combat stress related disorders.

We need to find better ways to diagnose and treat PTSD in our troops. Every one of them is at grave risk of suicide and is also more likely to harm others because of his or her PTSD.

These are my brothers and sisters in arms, part of the thin red line, the thin blue line, or the long gray line. They are hurting and many other veterans of other wars are hurting for them.

1754 – One shooter identified as Maj. Malik Nadal Hasan – Sleeper agent? Option 3 above?

Bullwinkle’s corner:

The Banshee Call



Riding on the storm winds, traveling the night,

The drums of war are beating, keeping tempo for the pipes.

We all go marching to it from the point of no return,

In half a hundred centuries you'd think we might have learned.

You might think we'd pay attention to those old and frightening tales,

Of the death and horror waiting out there where the Banshee wails.



Where a sister loses brother, where a mother loses son,

Where a family is shattered by the whining Maxim* gun,

Where a generation's gutted and a country's laid to waste,

But it's not a craving satisfied unless you've had a taste,

Of the killing and the dying and the trauma that it means,

Of the bodies that get broken while the Banshee stands and screams.



There's a few that comes to like it and, thank God, they're just a few.

There's many more who know it's just a job they have to do.

There're some who're born for leaders and they're some who must be led,

There're some who come home heroes but too many come home dead.

You can see the black stars, pasted on the windows of their homes,

You can see it yet again when the Banshee starts her moans.



But we can't ignore the piping; it's as if we're born to fight.

So we take our turns at bringing on the military night.

When the nations rise their banners and the drums begin to play,

You can see the boys come running, they can't wait to go away,

From the families that raised them up to be polite and clean,

But they cower in the mud each time the Banshee starts to keen.



The vultures and the jackals know the barking of the guns,

They see the bodies falling, see them blacken in the sun.

And the hearses start to roll again when we forget the tales,

Of the grim and bloody death that beckons where the Banshee wails.

But the piping and the drumming all give lie to what it means,

When you feel yourself fall dying while the bloody Banshee screams.



*Maxim gun

The first self-powered machine gun.