As many analysts have noted, political correctness has insinuated itself into the analysis of the murders at Fort Hood, Texas. Far better to rationalize the atrocity by referring to the assailant, Major Nidal Hasan, as a deranged individual, rather than a radical Muslim intent on bloodshed.
It is self evident that not all Muslims are intent on violence, but as the history of the past few decades indicates, much of the premeditated violence can be attributed to radical Muslims.
Common sense tells us avoidance of this reality will lead inexorably to additional deaths since the power of politically correct assertions trumps all other considerations.
Why should this be the case? In the Korematsu v. United States decision that led to the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, Justice Jackson wrote “ the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution do not constitute a suicide pact.”
Applied to the present, this observance of common sense suggests that the Constitution, in this case the First Amendment, cannot be employed to excuse violence. Jihadism, in its oral form as well as its manifest reality, cannot be tolerated, even if proponents claim it is protected by the freedom of religion.
Islam may be a religion embraced by as many as 3 million Americans, but when there are calls for violence against apostates and non-believers, intolerance must be exercised.
George Santanna argued that the overarching responsibility for the tolerant man is to be intolerant of intolerance. Unfortunately this is a position many Americans have forgotten.
Had someone in authority at Fort Hood raised concerns about the Muslim psychiatrist, he would have been brought up on charges and opportunity for promotion would have been thwarted. Islamophobia is a demerit that is not overcome easily.
During the Cold War, President Reagan was excoriated for calling the Soviet Union “an evil empire.” The myrmidons of political correctness said this claim was undiplomatic, likely to offend, oafish, and worse. Reagan defied his detractors, realizing that the truth is a powerful antidote to political correctness.
But these are different times. Students have been proselytized by left-wing instructors with the belief that tolerance for designated groups must prevail despite the implicit danger in doing so. Courage is often defined as standing by these political shibboleths. But there are times when this adherence to correctness runs smack into common sense.
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