Reasonable and Unreasonable Responses in the Wake of Fort Hood

The responses to the murders at Fort Hood continue to interest me, from the outrage expressed over the apparently flippant attitude of the President on national TV shortly after the shootings, to the concerns expressed regarding anti-Muslim backlash, to the efforts of some to use them as a basis on which to question American foreign policy.

It may be argued that each response is understandable, given human nature.  That may well be true.  But such responses also raise questions regarding what response is reasonable, and what should be of primary concern.

After stopping the killer, the first concern, obviously it would seem, should be taking care of the wounded.  That is being done.  It's even possible that all may agree this is the case, even in this curious, disconnected world.  Determining why and how this happened is a legitimate concern, correcting mistakes made which could have prevented it from happening, if any, is another; taking steps to prevent such things from occurring in the future is yet another.  The law should take its course.  Those seem to be reasonable responses to the killings.

One might feel outrage that the President acted inappropriately on national TV, and say so.  That may at least be an understandable immediate response.  Continuing to express such outrage, and writing about it repeatedly, or commenting on it before cameras repeatedly, however, doesn't seem a useful response, and clearly is not intended to address the event itself and its aftermath.  Concerns regarding anti-Muslim backlash may also be understandable.  However, such concerns as well do not address what happened, or how to prevent such things from happening in the future.  The same may be said regarding criticism of foreign policy.

As to the latter two, it may be argued that they do address potential causes of such killings.  Some are claiming that the shooter was reacting to being harassed for being a Muslim, or that such things are to be anticipated when we are in conflict with Muslim countries.  However, neither such harassment, if it occurred, or the foreign policy involved, can reasonably be said to justify the killings.  People who feel they have been verbally abused in some fashion, or disagree with U.S. policy, should nevertheless not kill people.  The fact that they do so is not in any legitimate sense caused by the verbal abuse, or foreign policy, unless we are to take the position that murder is a legitimate, or somehow necessary or probable, response in those circumstances.  Why, then, emphasize such things in responding to the killings?  What purpose does it serve to do so?

When not directly involved in a horrible event, we generally, and those in the media in particular, tend to use it in some fashion to make points we/they consider important in some sense, but which ultimately fails to address the event.  We lose sight of the event itself; it diminishes in importance, and our often disconnected opinions and concerns take priority.

Explanation, Justification and Blame in the Modern World

An army major kills several of his fellow soldiers at Fort Hood.  Instantly, efforts are made by the media and bloggers, and others, not simply to report what happened, but to "explain" it.  Indeed, it seems that very shortly after such an event occurs, reporting becomes a secondary concern.  With "explanation" comes blame, and justification.  Technology is now such that this all occurs instantly, as well.

The speed with which this all occurs discourages critical thinking.  Analysis is instant as well and, because it is instant, it's not thoughtful, and may be misinformed.  But, it is there, and exists permanently, in cyberspace, for all to see.

One must be well-informed, and have the opportunity to think, in order to think well.  Because time is of the essence (to use a well-known legal phrase) in today's media and culture, and on the Internet, not only is critical thinking discouraged--thinking itself is discouraged.  There simply is no time to think.  One must get one's thoughts and words out there, as quickly as possible.  Ultimately, nothing else is as important.

Does the speed and ease with which we can all now communicate induce us to express our thoughts, desires, hates, etc., without taking the time or trouble to actually think about them?  In other words, does it encourage us to proclaim to the world at large what is most irrational in us?  If this is the case, we may become completely reactive in our participation in the world, and react unthinkingly.  Conduct will be blamed, or justified, without reasonable basis.  We may come to judge the appropriateness of our own conduct with the same thoughtless speed as we judge the conduct of others, and as we see others judge the conduct of others.  Then, we may act accordingly.  That is something to be feared.