Life on the Road – Trucking News Blog

We’ve all heard about the tragedy that occurred in Ft. Hood yesterday – the worst shooting on a US military base in history. It is something, unfortunately, that will be talked about about for months and years to come. The reasons, motives, causes and solutions all to be debated ad nauseam. Dr. Phil is already everywhere. None of the chatter of talking heads in the media will do anything to lessen the pain of the families that have lost their loved ones. Less than 24 hours later, this time in Orlando, an apparently disgruntled former employee of an engineering firm killed one person and injured others. The news labels it “workplace violence.”

Already, this afternoon, the politicians and bureaucrats have begun their rhetoric – “someone said: We want to take every step to see that nothing like this every happens again.” It is not too late for such a pronouncement? Were not the signs clear and subsequently and consistently ignored? Of course they were. Just like they were at Virginia Tech. And please, let’s just not bring up the issue of gun control. The shooter at Fort Hood – Major Nadal Malik Hasan – could have just as easily bought a hatchet at Lowe’s or Wal-Mart to kill his innocent victims. How he managed to get two handguns (one a Smith and Wesson .357 – the other a semiautomatic called by drug gangs the “cop killer”) with back up ammunition onto the base and subsequently carry them around unnoticed is a failure of army security, not another new flame for the gun control debate. I agree with Fox’s Bill O’Reilly  when he says: “Major Hasan is either a Muslim terrorist or a nut.”

Let’s back track here a second. Today, our nation’s unemployment hit 10.2% – the highest in 26 years. Ronald Reagan was our President the last time unemployment was that high. Approximately 17 million people cannot find jobs. The construction, manufacturing and retail sectors are hardest hit. Who knows how many folks have just given up trying. We are bogged down (for 8 years) in two Vietnam-type wars in two unstable countries in the middle of most volatile region in the world. Our President and his administration, one minute is pushing a controversial and questionably unpopular overhaul of our heath care system and the next, after almost one year in office, seems to be doing nothing about anything. Our country, essentially, has no leadership. Saying the country is on the upswing citing gains in the GDP (gross domestic product)  falls on deaf ears when people are defaulting on the mortgage, cannot find employment or can’t pay for adequate health care.

None of what I just said is any justifiable rational for hurting anyone else. This includes being bullied about your religion, the fear of being deployed overseas, how you dress, etc. Nobody forced Major Hasan to join the Army and get a free medical education. If you are at all familiar with the trucking industry, drivers, for the longest time, have felt just about every negative emotion that is humanly possible about everything – including their life, job, pay, working conditions, family, what they eat, how they sleep and more. Everyone know we whine about everything. Freight now is the worst its been in a very long time. Carriers are cutting everywhere and everything possible just to stay in business until all “this” hopefully all blows over. And with what I’ve just said, I’m surprised that a tragedy like Ft. Hood or Virginia Tech has not happened in the trucking industry. I’m amazed that a driver somehow hasn’t been pushed over the edge – a condition popularly known as “gone postal” – and hasn’t done something somewhere to someone or something. I’ve seen drivers angry and get violent, but it’s typically only been in a one on one situation inflamed by alcohol or drugs and ended quickly.

As much as “we” truckers are fiercely independent and can’t as a group agree on anything – it is my hope that perhaps we can agree to keep an eye on our fellow drivers. I have always known that depression and anxiety are rampant among truckers. The government wants to focus in on how we sleep and how large or bodies are, but should be more concerned about we think. I know their are Major Hasan’s among us. It would be foolish to think otherwise. Their flash points, thank goodness, haven’t been reached. But, this time of the year intensifies folks negativity. Factor in everything that is going on in the world, the horrible economy, the cold and dark of the winter (SADD), possibly being away from home during Thanksgiving and Christmas and the result is more anger, frustration, depression, loneliness and violence. Let’s all be vigilant.

PS/The photos of the victims from Ft. Hood are being released. When the collage of them appeared on my screen, I just stared at one young soldier – Jason Hunt – who looks like my son. Tears came to my eyes, then the anger. Are you are tired of all the death and violence? Please share your thoughts by commenting on this post. Thank you.

PS2/the photo above left is the “alleged” Ft. Hood shooter, Major Hasan.

The photographs used in this post are from The New York Times, CNN and other sources on the web.