Fort Hood

1. What are your thoughts, feelings, etc, as you read these articles?

I think that this is a tragic moment that will definitely change a lot of people's lives. What happened is definitely a rising trend as more and more shootings are happening. A lot of the shooters have the same traits and people need to be more alert and looking for people like them.

2. What role do you think terrorism played in this massacre, if any? Why? Do you think that there was an terrorist organization behind the shooting?

I think that terrorism does have a role in this, but I don't think that it should. Obviously if someone middle eastern shoots a bunch of people from America, people are going to think that something with terrorism triggered. But the truth is that he was a US citizen, and shouldn't be looked at any differently then anyone else. I do not think that there aas a terrorist organization behind the shooting. I think that he was having the same problems that any of the other people who have done similar acts like this.

3. What role did racism or religious persecution play in this incident? Why?

I think that the fact that the Army that he was apart of was fighting a country with similar religious views may be a factor in why he shot so many people because this was probably a touchy subject, but he definitely could have handeled it better.

4. Do you think a lot of Muslim Americans have the same feelings as this man? Why or why not?

Probably. However, they don't have to hear all of the stories that happened in this war, and they are not dealing with being in the army. I think that that is another key factor in why he did this. But you still have those feelings even if you aren't fighting or working with people who fight.

5. What do you think the military could have done to prevent this from happening? Why do you believe this? Were there signs that this man had the potential to do something like this? What were they?

Some of the warning signs that they could have seen is the fact that he was harrased after 9/11. Almost all of the shooting incidents have shooters who have been bullied a lot. I think that if he was so against the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, then he should have withdrawn from the Army. If people noticed this, they should have said something and tried to help him, but it could have been that he kept these problems to himself, and to the public he didn't have any problems.

6. Talk about the leadership of Kimberly Munley (the woman who stopped the shooter). What did she do? How would you have reacted in the same situation?

Kimberly Munley did a very heroic act that saved a lot of lives. She is the one that stopped the shooter, when she could have just ran away and probably ended up safe. She put her life on the line to protect the rest of Ft. Hood and I'm sure that a lot of people couldn't do that. If that was me, I would think that I would shoot at the guy too because I know that I would be saving a lot of lives. You have to be able to put others before yourself in that type of situation.

7. What does this incident say about race relations in America? Specifically with Arab-Americans and Muslims? Is there a reason that Muslims and people from the Arab world feel a certain way about America?

I think that this incident brings up a lot of tension. A lot of racism has been going on between Arab-Americans and Americans. It really is racist because that shouldn't matter. Each person should be considered an American and their race shouldn't matter. I thinki that there is a reason why Muslims and people from the Arab would feel a certain way about America because they have been rediculed a lot about their race, but what the guy did at Ft. Hood was totally out of proportion and should never be taken that far.