Last Thursday (November 5, 2009) Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a U. S. Army physician, who specialized in psychiatry, terrorized the soldiers and civilian workers at the Fort Hood U. S. Army installation near Killeen, Texas.

So far, three days later as I write this article, there is no evidence available to the public the doctor acted other than alone.  Acting alone did not immediately ring a bell in my head that told me the man is a terrorist.  However, he is.  He is simply because he terrorized. 

Now, the media and individuals throughout the land are debating whether he actually conspired to commit an act of terrorism against the United States.   They raise two points about Mr. Hasan for the possibility: Mr. Hasan’s Muslim faith and he attacked not just a military installation but a large installation - reportedly second in size to Ft. Benning - as well.

I tend to reject both arguments.

First, his Muslim faith.  Muslims make up about one-fourth of the world’s population.  I maintain some of them do not like the United States, some do but most are neutral toward us.  His faith did not cause his act of terror any more than Timothy McVeigh’s religion - he was raised Catholic - caused him to destroy the Alfred P. Murrah Building. 

As far as I know, and I will put money on it, religions recognized as legitimate do not condone murder.  Maybe self-defense but not murder.

Second, his violence on the country’s military installation.  I reject it as well because he was already there when he committed his act of terrorism.  He did not come from outside of Ft. Hood as I would expect of any person or group executing a planned attack against the United States of America.  Further, an enemy of the United States would likely attempt to destroy, or at least cripple, the Ft. Hood operation instead of sending one person to kill as many people as he or she could with a couple of handguns.

So the questions of why he did it and was it a premeditated act remain.  My guess is he is perceived to have “snapped” but the killings were really premeditated due to months of aggravation that caused him to build up a head of steam.  Too, judging from my personal experience with mental difficulties due to bipolar disorder, I think it is safe to say there was an element of premeditation in play.

I have experienced times when anger built up to the point I no longer cared to control the anger.  On one occasion I took off with a handgun vowing to get even with a neighbor who for months refused to honor my request to turn his music down.  I was fortunate in that I was stopped before completing the act.  After about 65 years and many suicide threats I learned I was bipolar.  The last threat ended with police intervention, hospitalization and medication - medication I still take.  People knew something was wrong when I vowed to find God and “ream the ******* a new one.”

As I look back after almost twenty-five years, I realize if I would have “taken care” of my neighbor, the act would have been judged in court as premeditated.  With anger building up over time and taking off with a loaded handgun, how could it be considered just a snap?  It couldn’t.  However, an outsider would call it a snap because to an outsider I was one of those who “was such a nice guy that would never do something like that.” 

My experience reminds me so much of the Army doctor’s experience.  From what I have learned, he had been building up a head of steam for some time due to his anger of having to go to the war zone.  Finally, off he went with two handguns and loads of ammunition.

Will we ever know what really went wrong with Major Hasan?  Will we learn all the whys?  Perhaps but perhaps not.  He might not even live.  We might never know what happened with Major Hasan.

One thing is certain.  There will be a lot of speculation.