"If Hasan wants to die as a martyr, why not give him what he wants? What Would Jesus Do? Prosecutors obtained the death sentence they sought against Nidal Hasan, the Army officer who was convicted of a 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood. It appears likely Hasan received what he was seeking with the sentence as well. The Associated Press reported he leaked documents during the trial to journalists he told military mental health workers he could “still be a martyr” if executed. Many believe martyrdom is what he is seeking. Hasan acted as his own attorney in his military trial but essentially made no effort to present a defense. He made a brief opening statement where he admitted he was the shooter, asked questions of only three of the prosecution’s 90 witnesses and rested his case without calling a witness or making a closing statement. The Army psychiatrist, who held the rank of major, was convicted of the premeditated murder of 13 people and the attempted murder of 32 others. During the sentencing phase of the trial, Hasan didn’t call any witnesses or make a statement. The prosecution presented heartbreaking testimony from the survivors of some of Hasan’s victims. The judge, Col. Tara Osborn, questioned Hasan outside the presence of the jury in the sentencing phase to establish he understood what he was doing by offering no defense. “It is my personal decision. It is free and voluntary,” the defendant answered. A standby military attorney assigned to Hasan, told the judge Hasan’s goal was to remove impediments or obstacles to the death penalty. All things considered, it’s easy to understand why observers believe Hasan wanted to be sentenced to death. In his twisted view of his religion, he believes he did the right thing. The AP reported he said he carried out the attack to protect Muslim insurgents on foreign soil. In the view of Americans — and I hope in the view of decent Muslims everywhere, and in spite of what some Christians may think, there are some decent Muslims, although misguided in their religious beliefs, decent people, he committed shameful and cowardly acts against unarmed people. He deserves death. Testimony showed he spent weeks planning the attack, which was in a Fort Hood medical center packed with unarmed soldiers leaving for or arriving from overseas combat deployments. Hasan didn’t survive the shooting spree unscathed. He was shot by an Army civilian police officer, and was paralyzed from the waist down. If he is seeking execution, it isn’t likely to be soon. A lengthy appeals process lies ahead, one in which could take a long time, according to a former lead civilian counsel of Hasan’s. One of the most shameful things Hasan did was cast suspicion on fellow Muslims. He was born in Virginia, well-educated and rose to a high rank in the Army. But he was secretly an America-hating terrorist disguised in an Army uniform. How many Americans has he made wonder since then about other secret terrorists like him living among us? With his conviction and sentence, it’s time to stop using the title of major in front of his name — it’s an insult to the many Americans who have served in that rank honorably. The rights of victims need to be considered, too, and Hasan should pay for his crimes. If death is what Nidal Hasan seeks, I wish him every success in achieving his goal and I hope the death sentence is carried out as soon as possible.
Posted on: Sun, 01 Sep 2013 12:44:45 +0000
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