How far do we go with diversity?

In the awful aftermath of the shooting deaths of 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, by a Muslim serving as a major in the U.S. Army, I was shocked at the words of the Army's top general, George Casey.

Gen. Casey's words, in which he declared that the shootings would not deter the military on its path to diversity, would have been better left unsaid. He should have spent his face time on television deploring the act of a mad man.

I watched with my mouth agape as Casey said diversity is building a strong society and a strong military. I ask him if diversity isn't now being given priority to building, training and maintaining the kind of military service needed to keep this country safe in a hostile world.

Gen. Casey should have limited his time to expressing his condolences to the families of those murdered and promising that the military would extact justice and retribution for this awful crime.

Watching Casey tap dance around the awful catastrophe at Fort Hood and go to mouthing the preachments of a society now being driven by liberal thought and speech at every level was too much for me.

I served in the Army long ago and am proud of my grandson who serves today as a captain in the same branch. I gave thanks that my grandson wasn't in the Fort Hood building that became a slaughterhouse.

While I agree that we have become a polyglot nation and must adapt to this changing world, promoting diversity is no excuse for the failure of Casey's army, or any other organization, to weed out those with religious and political agendas that drive most of them insane.

In the liberal world, conservatives, Tea Party protesters and those who disagree with the president and his administration are the real terrorists. Not so the Muslim radicals who are out to exterminate anyone who does not submit to Allah.

Because of this leap into diversity, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who coldly shot down and murdered 13 people, is being referred to as the "alleged shooter." Can you imagine that? Here's a man whose killing spree was witnessed by dozens, included among them the more than 25 he wounded, and he is referred to as the "alleged shooter."

Here is a classic case in which liberalspeak or legal speak takes precedence over the obvious facts.

Considering the current sad state of affairs in the American justice system, let me offer that the trial of Hasan will be a long time coming because of the Byzantine maze that has been built into the justice system, both inside and outside the military.

This Hasan case will be around for a long time. During the coming months and years he will be lionized by Muslim radicals around the world, even here in this country, as a hero who stood against the infidels. They will be aided by American news media, especially People magazine and the like, who will clamor for a chance to tell his story, complete with pictures. Today's seniors will be long gone before justice is done in this case, if ever.

But back to Gen. Casey. After listening to his comments about the killings of his soldiers, I am left wondering who he is taking his orders from and who is clearing his commentary. I must assume it is some bureaucrat in the Defense Department.

I am among those who believe that if diversity continues at the expense of common sense we are likely to lose our nation, the anchor of, for the time being, the free world.

Carl Langley

Aiken