YOUR COMMENTS

Bryce--Spike's right, this is how diversity programs work. His point in both posts is that "fitness," in terms of one's physical and intellectual capabilities--together with psychological state--are no longer the foremost criteria by which to gauge an individual's readiness and qualifications for a job. Instead, race, color, gender, and religion are used, exclusive of all other factors. "Equal Opportunity" is a misnomer. Quotas are the rule.
- Susie, Horseshoe Bay, TX (NH native)

My husband is retired military and he was thoroughly disgusted with the scripted, PC comments by Casey. He was also disappointed by the president's treatment of the incident as an ordinary homicide, rather than an act of domestic terrorism akin to Timothy McVeigh's murderous rampage in Oklahoma City. According to the U.S. Terrorist Code (2-d), Hasan's attack on his fellow comrades was, indeed, an act of terrorism, given that it was politically-motivated. I would not be at all surprised if the victims' families were to file a lawsuit against the government on the grounds of gross negligence--citing PC as the probable cause.
- Susie, Horseshoe Bay, TX (NH native)

I'd guess that the officers were not just concerned about political correctness, but also about retaliation from groups that would accuse them of being racist or anti-Islam. Even though that would likely be untrue, nonetheless it's a consideration that probably factored into the overall equation--is this really going to be worth the headache?

That's what I think is the larger problem--the ease with which groups throw out gratuitous accusations of racism. Face it, those accused will face the stigma from some even if undeserved--would be an ugly situation to have to go through.
- Ben, Baton Rouge, LA

Muslims comprise about 0.18% of our military forces. Keeping track of the much smaller percentage of radicals should not be that difficult. Let’s assume the 1.0% are radical Muslim extremists. That equates to about 33 individuals in all the Armed Forces. How hard could it be to keep tabs on 33 people out of 1.8 million?
- KBinMN, Minneapolis

It looks like both the Army and the FBI were too invaded by political correctness to remove an obvious threat to our own soldiers.

I'm thankful every day that my husband is retired from the military and out of this mess.
- Sheri, Huntsville, AL

The military mirrors the nation, there are myriad crazies in both. You could name hundreds of murderers who were in the armed forces at some time. These are people who are trained to use weapons and are under stress. So, it should come as no surprise when chickens come home to roost.
- John, Conway

I thought Spike's post on a similar editorial the other day on this shooting was horribly offensive (he claimed that women shouldn't serve in active duty, non-christians shouldn't serve and then added a homophobic comment for good measure). This really shows the worst that America has to offer and Spike's up to it again. What a joke; just go away!
- Bryce Olsen, Nashua, NH

I think that blaming this one on the president is indicative of the mind set that creates such bigotry and hate as demonstrated by the majors hoorrific crimes.It is not a case of being P.C. by his superiors it is perhaps a case of being ill prepared to deal with the situation of mentally unstable officer regardlessof his religious affiliation. as a u.S.air Force veteran I exxperienced first the anti-Catholicism at the Air Force academy in its blatant bias towards right wing fundamentalists who openly tried to convert others with the help of installation commanders, I do not know enough about this situation to give anyone advice,all I can do is pray for all involved and for our country that we become less polarized and as a united people attempt to better serve our military and nation,
Rick
Hampton
- Rick, Hampton

Hey Dick, people disagreeing with your point of view is not hateful. Also, I didn't mention anything about the ACLU. Had I wanted to bring up a subversive organization that is relevant to this story, I would have mentioned CAIR.
- Ron, Manchester

The Obama DOD frets over gays in the military rather than attend to troop reinforcements, while the cloaked Jihadist promoted Major, murders our own. But don't jump to conclusions, the administration hacks will do that, remember Professor Gates & the Cambridge police "acting stupidly"? The Obami tribe votes present, again...
- Mae, Plaistow

Ron: if you can't see the hate against Muslims pouring out of many of these posts, I feel for you. I agree that the Army should have done a much better job of following up and removing this man from its ranks. By the way, I think the UCLA Bruins would be much offended by your remarks. I'm pretty sure you meant the ACLU.
- Dick, Concord

PS to "black saint"--Roger that. You don't just have a "diversity program" in the Army consisting of good intentions and good faith. Programs involve measurement and verification that you are attracting, retaining, and promoting Muslims (among other "diversity" groups). All other things being the same, the program is either meaningless or it involves promoting certain individuals despite relative unfitness for duty. That is the goal for which General Casey implies we should accept the occasional murder of personnel.
- Spike, Brentwood NH

Robert from Manchester, why do you and so many assume Timothy McVeigh was a Christian funsamentalist? Is it because you think he MUST have been in some sort of " violent political whiteman =Christian right wing bigot" type of kneejerk? McVeigh was atheistic and agnostic and turned his back on Christiantity openly. Wake up and read and research,please.
- Peter Gee, Nairobi KENYA

When are we going to stop worry about offending nationalities, races and religions? None of them ever worry about offending Americans? This is an issue exclusive only to here in America. See what the UCLA and other left wing organizations have done to us with their political correctness! Time for us to wake up and take the appropriate measures to defend American interests, our country and ourselves!
- Rob, Manchester

PC has long existed in the military I remember many years ago the DOD ordered that minorities would be hired and promoted based on their race not on there ability or qualifications!
- black saint, norman, OK

If Hasan was a known radical why didn't the Army confront it???
- Harry, Atkinson

Cline summary question is answered "of course." But even his well thought out editorial falls victim to PC inanity. While it is technicaly and factully accurate to call Hasan the "alleged shooter", it is misleading. We all realize, from the facts Cline accedes to, that he is the actual , as well as alleged, perpetrator of this massacre. That also makes him a murderer as well as a shooter. An honest description of him would be "Hasan, the Barbaric, Islamist killer".
- Mario, Brookings, OR

Diversity never did anything for anyone. Hiding behind this philosophy
will bury us.
- Jim, Doylestown, Pa. 18901

I think this too complicated to blame on political correctness.
- Tom, Keene

I served as an officer on active duty for 24 years, retiring in 2005. I can state as an absolute fact that political correctness exists in the military; primarily due to careerism and the bureaucrat's desire to avoid anything that might impact their career. When we significantly increased the number of women in the military, we went through a period where it was very risky to say anything remotely negative about females. We had many instances where unnaceptable behavior by some women was overlooked...for fear of being labeled anti-female. And god help you if you do/say anything remotely negative with respect to other minorities. My only hope is that we can get a legit investigation of what happened with Nadal. I'm doubtful though, as the administration appears to be falling all over iteself to "prove" this had nothing to do with islamic terrorism.
- JohnR22, Michigan

You are mistaken about McVeigh. He was not religiously motivated. In his last interview he professed his atheism.
- One Phool, San jose, ca

Dick, no one has been hateful. What people want are common sense policies that don't prevent "one" radical muslim from being investigated and kicked out of the military because those in charge are too worried about offending the rest of the muslims.
- Ron, Manchester

It's good to see at least one blogger here has kept his head on straight and not jumped to the conclusions that this article so blindly led the rest of you to. Thanks, Steve B. for keeping your head on straight when all around you jump to hateful conclusions.
- Dick, Concord

Funny, we did not hear about the tight associations of Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols with Christian radicalism from the Union Leader. I wonder why conservatives were not showing their concern for the safety of the american people from religion then?
- Robert, Manchester

Tracy, he wasn't mentally ill. He was a steadfast adherent to the Muslim religion.

Unless you're suggesting that being a steadfast adherent to the Muslim religion makes you mentally ill.
- Ron, Manchester

Politically Correct is an oxymoron.
- Michael Layon, Derry

The attempted whitewash of this terrorist attack is failing. A full investigation must be conducted and everyone who failed to perform their duty with regard to this incident must be rooted out.

PC liberalism is endangering national security and getting American killed. It must stop.
- Tom, Campton

This is what General George Casey, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army said about the attack on our troops at Fort Hood: "Our diversity, not only in the Army, but in our country, is a strength. And as horrific as this tragedy was, if our diversity becomes a casuality, I think that's worse."

The General is saying that if we must suffer mass-murder from time to time to maintain our "diversity" then that's a price he's willing to pay......are the rest of you so inclined ?

The West is dying. America is on the edge of a darkness that we may not recover from as long as the elites who run this nation think like this man. This is a disgrace.
- Jay Collins, Laconia

Wake up!! The Promulgation of political correctness over the last 30 years is akin to wearing a blindfold.

The Obama Administration reminds me of the 3 Wise Monkeys that ‘"see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil"

The Liberals & their PC Surrogates will tie themselves in knots trying to explain everything but the obvious - Islamic Terrorism attacked our soldiers on Ft Hood. Plain & Simple.
- Dan Lloyd, Kingston, NH

I don't seem to recall hearing about German- or Italian- Americans going on shooting rampages during WWII......
- Jim B, Manchester, NH

No, Bush is to blame.

Seriously though, PC is not to blame, the psycho who killed the soldiers is to blame plain and simple. The signs got lost in the red tape once again. And we want big gov to take care of health?

Small and controlled is always better.
- CJ, Bedford

This is what happens when you give people with foriegn backgrounds access to our military.
Close the borders!
- Pauline, Franklin

Politcal correctness run amok is affecting just about everything we do. It has replaced common sense.
- R, Raymond

What is missing in this story is when the students complained to the faculty about Hasan's anti American comments is what policy or regulation guided the decision of the chain of command at the school not to report this. I don't doubt there is someone in the DOD and the White House trying to cover this up(remember the USS Iowa).

General Casey the Army Chief of Staff who is so concerned about Muslims in the army, was the former theater commander in Iraq before the surge. He is another guy rewarded for failure during the Bush administration.
- Chris, Merrimack

It is absolutley PC gone wrong. How can a Major be promoted to Major and have as many bad reviews as he did? Answer, you don't. This was all about PC. He owed the Government for his schooling and offered to pay it back. He should have been released from the Military and obligated to repay the Government/Army for his education. He also should have been followed by the Feds because of his activity in his private life. Just becasue someone is in the MIlitary does not mean they will uphold their oath of allegiance.
- Michael King, Epping

It is good to see that the hard-core readers of the UL now consider the US Army a bunch of PC liberals who are destroying our country. Let me try to be specific here..... we need to be vigilant against lawbreakers and criminals and dangerous people. We don't need to be stupid about thousands of good, old-fashioned muslims who serve admirably in the armed forces.
- Steve B, Derry

General Casey has stated that "it would be an even-greater tragedy if our diversity becomes a casualty." Do you hear him? Ending a desk-jockey's pet program would be a greater tragedy than the murder of 13 servicemen. If those are his values, perhaps General Casey can engineer more deaths of servicemen to further mold American public opinion?

"In the name of what," Peter? Not in the name of defending the nation--In the name of making us feel good about ourselves.
- Spike, Brentwood NH

13 people dies because an officer became mentally ill and those around him were npt equipted to effective deal with the situation in time. It happens to white christians too.
- Tracy, Manchester

Heads in the sand - buried under sand castles. That is liberalism in a nut shell. So London becomes Londonstan. French cars are set aflame nightly by 'unemployed youths' and now even US soldiers on a US base are endangered by foreign thinking extremists.

In the name of what?
- Peter, Manchester

Of course PC is the cause fo these deaths.....diversity is our strength don't you know. The reason most of these career service people did not press the brass too hard about this individual is that they knew in this PC climate that their careers could be harmed if they came across as to "insensitive" to his culture,

In the name of Non-discrimination we will treat all people & all cultures the same.....even if it kills us. That's the poison fruit of leftism that is killing Western Civilization.
- Jay Collins, Laconia