Government and military officials have issued statements since last week's shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas that have nothing to do with the reality of what occurred, what is occurring and what our enemies would still like to have occur all over the United States. Listening to them leads to the conclusion that these people were handed talking points because they are all saying pretty much the same thing; that we shouldn't jump to conclusions, stereotype or give in to paranoia.
As the quote says, "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you."
Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey is a good man and a faithful soldier. That's why it is difficult to believe he wasn't forced to say on the Sunday news programs, "As great a tragedy as this was, it would be a shame if our diversity became a casualty as well." Gen. Casey also spoke of his "concern" that a "backlash" might take place against Muslim soldiers, though there has been little that could reasonably be called a backlash since 9/11.
The alleged shooter, Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, was unimpressed by our diversity. In fact, it may have been diversity that set him off. Hasan and other Muslim extremists don't practice diversity. They mostly practice Sharia law, which backlashes against anyone who won't submit to their fundamentalist view of the world.
The U.S. State Department's Web portal, www.america.gov, provides a perfect example of the problem. The site bills itself as a place to "meet the people" and "explore the values and ideas that define the character of the United States." But when it comes to American Muslim organizations, that often means providing a U.S. government stamp of approval to organizations allegedly linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC).
Why do so many American leaders seem ashamed and apologetic about America? Holding to the view that America is unexceptional and that no idea, policy, belief, or practice is to be preferred over any other is not diversity. Rather, it is thin gruel; unappealing and unappetizing, and it robs us of our strength.
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