"Being politically correct is like taking a test where you are given all the answers...Neither one requires one to think." Author Unknown
- I've written a few pieces on political correctness. Perhaps the article with the most feedback was entitled, "Political Correctness Is For Punks And Pussies." More recently, I wrote a piece showing that it takes courage to be politically incorrect. For example, it took courage to be politically incorrect in 1930's Germany if you supported Jews. During the Cold War, many citizens living behind the Iron Curtain paid with their lives for not towing the party line.
- But the article that also received an impressive amount of feedback was the piece I wrote about political correctness infiltrating the Pentagon and the military. For example, Gitmo is riddled with politically correct policies and appeasement to our enemy. In Gitmo, the American flag cannot be raised anywhere it can be seen by prisoners (remember, this is an American military base). Only Muslim librarians are permitted to handle the Koran (no Bibles allowed). There are other absurd policies but I don't want to ruin your dinner this evening.
- But nowhere has political correctness been exposed in our military and Defense Department more than in the murder trial of Nidal Hasan (I refuse to entitle him with "Army Major"). As many know by now, the attack by Hasan on military personnel at Ft. Hood in November of 2009 has been designated an act of "nonpolitical workplace violence" rather an act of terrorism. Hasan entered the processing center at Ft. Hood and killed 13 people and wounded 32 others. most of them soldiers. (Ft. Hood is a major center for soldiers being deployed to Afghanistan).
- The designation of workplace violence remains to this day even though Hasan himself referenced religion and war. At his trial last week, he said: "Evidence will show I was on the wrong side of America's war, and I later switched sides."
- But it's not even necessary to rely on what Hasan himself admitted to show the absurdity of the workplace violence designation. BEFORE the shooting spree at Ft. Hood, the Army knew he was a religious fanatic. They knew he was visiting jihadists websites. The FBI even knew Hasan was emailing with known terrorist leader al-Awlaki. They also knew he was an incompetent psychiatrist.
- To add more insult to the injuries and deaths, the military victims are not eligible for Purple Hearts and survivors do not qualify for specific benefits because of the workplace violence designation. In fact, Hasan himself is not being tried as an enemy combatant. As a result, he still receives his Army paycheck.
- To be fair, even Pres. Obama called the Ft. Hood shooting a "violent Jihad." Congress also labeled the attack as an act of terrorism. Only the Pentagon and the Army are refusing to call the attack terrorism.
- As retired Army SSgt. Shawn Manning, a Ft. Hood shooting victim, wrote recently: Hasan's conviction would be one step on the path toward justice. But the journey won't be complete until the government tells the truth about the attack, provides proper support for the victims and takes measures to ensure that the mistakes won't happen again." Manning took six bullets that day and the Army still won't give him combat benefits.
