[After the Fort Hood shooting eruption] a shroud of political correctness settled over the conversation. Hasan was portrayed as a victim of society, a poor soul who was pushed over the edge by prejudice and unhappiness.<\/p>\n
There was a national rush to therapy. Hasan was a loner who had trouble finding a wife and socializing with his neighbors.<\/p>\n
This response was understandable. It\u2019s important to tamp down vengeful hatreds in moments of passion. But it was also patronizing. Public commentators assumed the air of kindergarten teachers who had to protect their children from thinking certain impermissible and intolerant thoughts. If public commentary wasn\u2019t carefully policed, the assumption seemed to be, then the great mass of unwashed yahoos in Middle America would go off on a racist rampage.<\/p>\n
Worse, it absolved Hasan \u201d\u201d before the real evidence was in \u201d\u201d of his responsibility. He didn\u2019t have the choice to be lonely or unhappy. But he did have a choice over what story to build out of those circumstances. And evidence is now mounting to suggest he chose the extremist War on Islam narrative that so often leads to murderous results.<\/p>\n