Fort Hood near Killen, Texas came under fire yesterday afternoon, but not by any foreign enemy or terrorism group. Nidal Malik Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, opened fire on base, killed 12, and wounded 31. A female police officer was the first to exchange fire with Hasan, who was shot four times. The officer was shot herself, but both survived and are in stable condition. Hasan was apparently angry that he was being deployed to the middle east; he holds strong objections to US presence in Iraq. Obama extended his condolences to the families of those killed. People lined up outside of the hospital to donate blood to the victims of the rampage. Both papers felt it necessary to mention that Hasan hails from Virginia, but only the Post mentioned he graduated from Virginia Tech. I'm not too sure that move was in the best taste. The Post also mentioned the incredible pressure that soldiers are under and mentioned suicide statistics for Fort Hood.
Overall, I believe the Post covered the story much better than the Times. The Times seemed to be focused on tugging at people's heart strings rather than reporting the news. A lot of attention was paid to the condolences extended by the president and it reported more on the background of Hasan. This was a nice move, because it allowed the Muslim community to express their opinion on the subject which helps to some what alleviate the tension on this very sensitive situation.
No comments:
Post a Comment