Obama's Remarks at the Memorial Service at Fort Hood

On November 10th, a day before Veterans Day, President Obama dedicates a memorial speech at Fort Hood to the loss of thirteen Americans. Obama mentions how tragic and painful it was for the Americans to have been killed within our own land. He goes on talking about families losing mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, sisters, and brothers. Obama makes further remarks about how the life duties of these Americans were to protect our country and freedom. He gives us some background on the thirteen Americans. Some like Major Libardo Eduardo Caraveo were doctors and nurses that helped treat veterans and current soldiers or were like Staff Sergeant Amy Krueger who joined the army after 9/11. There were even Americans like Private First Class Kham Xiong who had a history of military service. President Obama’s speech was both touching and commemorative speech I had a few disagreements with it. I disagreed with the way he says that our freedom is taken for granted, how he uses the term heroes, and his remark about the American’s not escaping the horror of war.

First, in Obama’s memorial service address he states that thirteen men and women were not able to escape the horror of war, even in the comfort of home. I think the way he used the word war in this statement was wrong and confusing. He made it sound as if there was a war within the United States and that they – the Americans –could not avoid the misfortunes associated with it.

Second, President Obama refers these Americans as heroes instead of victims. It’s true that the word hero is a more respectable or pleasant-sounding and that their families could have seen them as heroes, but I consider them to be victims. I’m not saying they weren’t heroes it’s just seems that they were there at the wrong place and at the wrong time. It was unexpected that someone who has coped with soldiers with their stress would become stressed himself and dealt with it in a violent way.