Why did I know the dissection of Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan's rampage would focus on him being a Muslim? Forget that he's a psychiatrist who listened to PTSD sufferers for a living (making a career out of peoples' depression sounds like great dinner table material). Also set aside that he was doing everything (at nearly age 40) to avoid deployment overseas and went so far as to hiring a military lawyer to find himself a way out (sound like a premeditating terrorist to you?). Instead, let's find video of him walking around in Arab garb, say that he attended weekly services, and sprinkle in a ALLAHU AKBAR and you've got all the material you need to keep Fox News in business. Why am I not surprised now that Fox News is asking whether we should have special screenings for Muslim troops? I totally agree. If we can't screen them effectively, then we could at least band those Muslim troops together, where they can pray and fraternize privately, safely away from everyone else. Winner winner, chicken dinner.

Let's face it. Muslims are the second class citizens of this country. I still remember the 2008 presidential campaign and the seemingly never ending question of whether Obama is a Muslim. The answer should have been more important than the question and it was botched. Instead of a unifying response like "It doesn't matter either way" (haha, yeah right?), it was more of a how dare you question my character, I'm an American! response, which alienated many Muslims, admittedly or not.

Maybe this is what the sane, peaceful Muslims have to put up with after certain whack jobs go on a rampage or blow something up. But they shouldn't be handing out apologies and condemnations. We sure as hell didn't get one from Pat Robertson or the evangelicals after Timothy McVeigh, so why does everyone wait for the "Muslim Outrage" after events like these?

Who knows, man. Maybe Major Hasan WAS motivated somehow by radical religious beliefs. But it's been proven, time after time, that once something goes down and a Muslim name is in the mix, there's nothing but religious investigation and Muslim condemnation going around. We need to help this class of citizens integrate fully into our society by giving them unequivocal support and understanding. Treat them for who they are: Americans. Undermining our trust with Muslims by questioning their motives (or, to be politically correct, "special screening Muslims") is not the way to go and the alienation will have its repercussions.

UPDATE:
Seems like the lack of integration exists within the Army too:

"They wouldn't treat him as if he is one of them. He was a major in the Army and other majors wouldn't treat him equally as a major should be treated," the cousin said. " 'Yes, you are a major in the U.S. Army, but you are still an Arab, a Muslim, you have your own traditions and values and we have ours.' He was bothered by that a lot. He wasn't respected as he should have been."

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