Yes I disagree in the sense that 'legal' is a social construct and under different circumstances one might have a different legal system. Each would be legal. Hell, the Inquisition was legal as were the soviet political capital murder trials.

Nevertheless, I prefer our own system, given the various alternatives.

But none of that is the question I asked.

Is Major Hassan the man who killed and wounded all of those people?

I would also ask if there is doubt why he did it, given his own statements?

Yeah, there are forms to be followed and rituals to be performed. I get that. It is even probably that justice will be served. But not certain. One thing you can say about a lynching, it's certain. Just or not.

And of course you will hold the same position once, and if, Staff Sgt. Robert Bales is brought to trial.

What in "civilization" is not a "social construct" as you say? So, your criticism of legal is that it incorporates civilization and societal norms? I'm not sure I understand your criticism.

Again, not sure what you're getting at. As to your first question, I did answer that the answer that counts will be made at the courts martial, every other answer is kibbitzing. Same applies to his statements, other than there is less doubt if the statements are admissible.

Hard to keep political interests out of these events as well. I also at the same time agree with much of your post. Stability of an overall system is what is threatened currently.

This runaway costs on far too many fronts is an issue for me. How many millions of dollars could have been spent more productivily if he had just turned his gun on himself at the time as well?

If it were just the legal and justice systems excessive costs it would not be that serious. I unfortunatly see too much money spent where much less would accomplish a simular outcome. Health services and the pharmacitical industry being a prime serious example.

If a country cannot do things within it's sensible financial means does result in all kinds of serious social issues and reprecussions eventually. The primary one being a removal of the perception of an individuals sense of security and stability in my opinion. This further heats up so called class warfare as well.

Fewer and fewer people can afford what is needed eventually. The so called level playing field becomes even further tilted. Ballance has to become an serious objective politically. Hopefully sooner than later. Or what we have known is over.

The alternatives otherwise are really too serious to contemplate over the medium to long term picture. One is socialisim in north america as the course of getting there is well underway already. We seem unable to learn from history. There has to be common sense applied somehow to many fronts currently as an evolutionary process. Rampant greed on many fronts as is being practiced is certainly no substitute for it.

In this case there is absolutly no doubt in anyones mind that he did shoot and kill others.

I have no problem whatsoever with a trial. Everyone, no matter how scummy, deserves a fair trial.

In this case, however, EVERYONE knows he did it. Even HE knows he did it. What's the hold up? As soon as he was stable enough to sit up in a wheel chair, the trial should have taken place and a good ol' Army firing squad should have long since done its duty.

IMHO, the REASON that this has turned into such a circus stems from what the General eluded to at the Fort Hood Memorial Service. His words were laced and riddled with political correctness.

Political correctness has ABSOLUTELY NO PLACE in the Army. The job of the Army is to kill those who have been determined to be the enemy by civilian leadership. It would help if LWNJ's like this Major would kill the enemy instead of his comrades in arms.

Very popular at one time in your "neck" of the woods, or so I'm told.:rolleyes:

You know he's right . . . no record of any verbal or written complaints from the honorees at the necktie parties . . . except when they accidentally survived.

James Cameron Obituary

Mr. Cameron, who kept a piece of the rope that had scarred his neck moments before he was spared, was the only known survivor of a lynching attempt. An astute student of history, he lectured widely and in 1988 founded the Black Holocaust Museum in Milwaukee.

When was the last time the UCMJ system actually put someone to death ? April 13, 1961, so I would not hold my breath. Right now, I hope this POS is lucky #7 on death row and he can join Allah sooner instead of later. I hope I am still alive when they pull the switch. I hope they air his execution on TV and bleed the feed thru Al Jeezra (AJE) and I want someone like Rush --or more inflammatory-- to narrate the event. And, I hope a bunch of my Army buddies excercise their 1st Amendment rights and wipe their azz's with the Koran. Yes, just excercising their rights since that is very important to highlight. That would be a great night of TV ... better than Honey Boo Boo