Obama At Fort Hood

The President spoke at Fort Hood today and gave a hell of a speech.

It may be hard to comprehend the twisted logic that led to this tragedy. But this much we do know - no faith justifies these murderous and craven acts; no just and loving God looks upon them with favor. And for what he has done, we know that the killer will be met with justice - in this world, and the next.

These are trying times for our country. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, the same extremists who killed nearly 3,000 Americans continue to endanger America, our allies, and innocent Afghans and Pakistanis. In Iraq, we are working to bring a war to a successful end, as there are still those who would deny the Iraqi people the future that Americans and Iraqis have sacrificed so much for.

As we face these challenges, the stories of those at Fort Hood reaffirm the core values that we are fighting for, and the strength that we must draw upon. Theirs are tales of American men and women answering an extraordinary call - the call to serve their comrades, their communities, and their country. In an age of selfishness, they embody responsibility. In an era of division, they call upon us to come together. In a time of cynicism, they remind us of who we are as Americans.

Jennifer Rubin of course is upset that Obama didn't smear Islam as evil, declare war on all of the Islam world and vow to turn Iran into a molten pile of nuclear slag and takes that as a "very, very bad sign."

Go figure.

[UPDATE 9:50 PM] To their credit, there are those on the Right who found Obama's speech appropriate, timely, and moving. And there are those who did not.

After reading over the text of the speech myself, I am struck the most by how Obama focused on the greatness of America's armed forces, and what they have collectively done for this country so that we could have a nation where an African-American can become President. I've known guys who have come back from the "sandbox" over there, I work with them, had a roommate who was National Guard and who had seen two tours, and they are some of the best people you will ever meet. They've done things I have not, and I respect anyone who has made that choice to join the military to serve their country and its people.

Obama understands that, I think. He understands that the men and women he commands choose to follow him, as they choose to follow any Commander-in-Chief, and that the American military will be here long after any of us are gone. I personally don't agree with the wars these men and women are being commanded to fight, but I respect each and every one of the people who have chosen to join that fight, and they do so knowing that they represent a country where a civilian like myself has the right to disagree with those wars.

You have to step back and appreciate the greatness of these men and women, who are simply doing their job, and yet are doing so much more. Obama knows this, I believe.