On this eve of Veterans Day, it still seems surreal to me that we are in mourning over the killings at Fort Hood, TX. Killings that were done by one brother of his fellow brothers and sisters in the Army. Each day when I go to work, I see how deep and strong the bonds are between the soldiers. Even though the veterans I work for may have been in different companies or fought in different battles, they share a common history and experience that will forever keep them close. They may get into heated arguments over politics or the direction that their beloved club should take in the future but I know that even now, if they had to risk their lives for each other (or for any one of us in their 'ohana), they would do so without hesitancy or thought. Their minds would go into autopilot to a time nearly 70 years ago when it was their duty to not leave anyone behind. Even with the horrific combat experiences they have lived through - the carnage of war, witnessing the deaths of their friends, coping with PTSD - each one of them still maintains a strong sense of dignity, humanity, compassion and kindness. They are the first to tell you they are not heroes, they were just doing their jobs.
I do not think that back in WWII, the thought of being killed in cold blood by their fellow soldier would even have been fathomable. That kind of hazard was not even a consideration. From what they tell me, guys who "snapped" did not become violent or attack others. They simply went catatonic, curled up in fetal position and were on the first plane home.
As I listen to the reports on Fort Hood, I wonder how the boys of the 100th and 442nd who were subjected to the sorts of taunts and harassment as the Fort Hood Murderer managed to cope and keep their heads above the ugliness. To this day, when the veterans talk about experiencing racism and being called the J-word by Caucasian officers , they will always shed tears. The men who can speak of bloody battles without blinking an eye fall to pieces when they recall being the victims of racism. They can barely get though a sentence about these experiences without falling apart. So much for sticks and stones can break my bones but names can never hurt me.
What I fear though is another round of Muslim-phobia. The kids and I had a long discussion in the car today (yes, I know I am raising three militants. I keep having visions of my kids as Michael Evans in Good Times raising the black power fist ) about why criminals who are of color are always identified as such (Muslim-American, African-American, Latino) but this never seems to happen when the criminal is Caucasian. You know every little bit about the history of the Fort Hood Murderer, even what type of Islamic dogma he adhered to, but what do you know about the cultural or racial backgrounds of America's most notorious white criminals? What is Charlie Manson's ethnicity? Where did Jeffrey Dahmer's ancestors come from? If you are killing for Jesus, that seems plausible but if you have even a hint of non-Christianity in your background or an elevated melanin level in your genes, it's over.
When 9-11 occurred, I thought that living in Hawaii, anti-Muslim sentiment would not rise but I was wrong. We had a friend who fainted as she was exiting from an airplane. Rather than take her immediately for medical assistance, they kept her on board for a prolonged period of time, fearful that she was acting or was somehow plotting an act of terrorism under the guise of unconciousness. I don't think I even have to tell you that she is not white nor Asian nor Hispanic. She "looked Muslim" to the flight crew so she was automatically suspect.
We have to remember to blame the person, not his culture. He is evil, pure evil and that is that.
But more importantly, never forget the brave men and women of Fort Hood. Those who passed away, those who are injured, those who continue to serve our country in the face of such horror in their own home, those who support and love them.
Please thank any man or woman in uniform not just tomorrow but every chance that you get. Whether you support or oppose our current state of the military, we need to let them know that we support the people. I like to say that I am anti-War but pro-soldier.
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