Fort Hood - Lesson Not Learned

Fort Hood – Lesson Not Learned

Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
April 4, 2014

Fort Hood, Washington Navy Yard, Sandy Hook Elementary School, Sikh Temple (Oak Creek, WI), Aurora Movie Theater, Fort Hood, and Virginia Tech. The bells toll for them. Blood stains littered across America’s landscape have become more common along with a concomitant devaluing of life as a whole having become less disconcerting.

Once again tragedy has struck a “gun free zone.” While now may not be the most optimum time to lay blame as the nation mourns a second slaughter at Fort Hood in Killeen, TX, if not now, then when.

Certainly the liberal, anti-gun crowd will decry a lack of gun control as the reason Fort Hood is once again bleeding as Ivan Lopez, 34, an Iraq war veteran murdered three innocents before turning the gun on himself. Yet, that is precisely the reason for the unnecessary deaths of three American soldiers and wounding of 16 more on Wednesday, April 2.

Army Sgt. Danny Ferguson, 39, of Florida, Army Sgt. Timothy Owens, 37, of Illinois, and Staff Sgt. Carlos Lazaney Rodriguez, 38, of Puerto Rico were the victims whose names should be long remembered instead of that of the killer’s.

Because of a Clinton administration decision, Federal law, via the Department of Defense dictates that military bases are “gun free zones.” The same is true of all the aforementioned sites. Undoubtedly President George W. Bush could have pushed for a repeal of this misbegotten law. But more responsibility falls on the narrow shoulders of Barack Obama who could have demanded its revocation following the November 5, 2009 terror attack at Fort Hood by Nidal Hasan. Yes, that’s right, terror attack, not that weak-kneed, politically correct “work place violence” nonsense traipsed out by Obama for fear of offending Muslims.

“To call it work place violence is disgusting,” said Sgt. Howard Ray, who saved nine lives during the 2009 Fort Hood massacre.

These gun free zones should go the way of the Edsel – and just as quickly. For as long as they exist, members of the military, students and staff at schools, as well as employees and patrons of other such businesses are and will be sitting ducks – vulnerable at such soft targets.

“Our troops are being sacrificed at the altar of political correctness,” said former Navy SEAL Carl Higbie, a Connecticut Republican seeking election in the fourth Congressional District.

Many lives have in fact been sacrificed because the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution apparently is not recognized on military bases or schools. Members of the United States armed forces should absolutely be permitted, nay, required to carry their sidearm on the bases. Schools should be armed by reservists, retired police officers, or retired servicemen.

Clearly, the gun free zone is a concept ignored by the murderers and terrorists who seek to commit mayhem and destroy the fabric of American life. After all, criminals flout the law at every turn and it is the law abiding who suffer. Time is long overdue to turn those tables, reaffirm people’s rights and freedoms and save lives as well.

The continuing saga of mass shootings in “gun free zones:”

April 2, 2014 – Fort Hood, Killeen, TX – three killed

September 13, 2013 – Washington Navy Yard, DC – 12 killed
December 14, 2012 – Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown, CT – 26 killed
August 5, 2012 – Sikh Temple, Oak Creek, WI – six killed
July 20, 2012 – Aurora Movie Theater, Aurora, CO – 12 killed
November 5, 2009 – Fort Hood, Killeen, TX – 14 killed*
April 16, 2007 – Virginia Tech University, Blacksburg, VA – 32 killed
*This number includes the unborn baby of PFC Francheska Velez, 21.

At times like this, remember Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy mantra – “Peace through strength,” it is just as effective at home.

Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN