Hindsight in dealing with mass tragedy is a marvelous thing. We never expect it at the Pentagon, a major military base, or to affect people we know. But obscene events like the Ft. Hood massacre happen - purposely on the part of a crazed few, and to the awful shock of others.

They happen because the mightiest military organization on the planet, including the United States Army, is made of human beings. Hundreds of thousands of them, who wear the American uniform for reasons as diverse as the country is, but all approaching what is called patriotism. They choose to serve, and to place themselves in harm's way, for our defense. We owe them all far better than they got last week in Texas.

I once was privileged to know one of these martyrs, who stood in a lot of long lines before he became the G-1: Deputy Chief of Army Staff for Personnel. General Tim Maude, great poker player, lived next to his boss, General Shelton, and regularly beat him at cards. Many loved Tim, including his staff, who died with him on September 11, 2001, trying to figure increased survivor benefits for Army widows. Blown away in a fireball with over 100 other Defense personnel, incinerated in the bunker-like basement where I had been teaching two days before.

I expect to be trying to finish that seminar for the rest of my life, every time I stand in front of soldiers and talk about communication. I owe them - the ones who died, and those who didn't. So do we all.

Several good people since have stood in Tim's boots. But the former one then was made to stay on, while Congress, for reasons of its own, refused to confirm him. The usual Hill politics? Maybe, but the result was: With no permanent Army head or personnel boss in place, many assignments, performance reviews, etc., ground to a halt.

Who's going to believe a returning, PTS'd soldier's complaint that his Army psychiatrist, supposed to stop him from having nightmares, is an out-and-out nut? So what if the guy is nearly 40, single, an eccentric loner who wears desert dress to the 7 - 11, has odd ideas and whose fanaticism scared his own Imam?

As a member of an ethnic and religious minority group, most of whom in the United States military are far from crazed, Maj. Hasan has protected status, and knows it. Complain about him, he'll sue for harassment. Ignore him and he decides you're on his hit list........hence, the Ft. Hood massacre. This man knew well some of the people he shot. Preventable? Yes. But it may again not be, given the legislative jockeying in Congress, making the bravest military officers uneasy and on guard where excess caution should not be required.

Elected representatives of a nation founded on religious liberty and social tolerance have run amok with the founding fathers' ideas and made it a career-crashing offense to voice honest exception to the dominant party's political views. Hence, the hush-up on the "funny major" who posted online blogs identifying suicide bombers as religious and political heroes.

An embarrassment at Walter Reed, Hasan was transferred for overseas posting where he wouldn't be as visible. Well, we've all seen him now, and he'll be a lot more in the news, recovering from what he considers combat wounds while we bury the 13 good people whom he shot to death and pray for recovery of 38 wounded survivors.

Have you ever seen how automatic weapons fire can shred a body? Yes, the major made his point, earning his trial, his right to become a flashpoint for other fanatics, and his ultimate end, which remains unknown as the president of the United States has final say on military death penalties for crimes in uniform.

Now comes the question - do we forgive this man? Emphatically yes, for our own sakes; when stark evil makes us also hate, hasn't it won? Excuse his motives? No way! As for his consequences, tune in next month when his trial starts, and pray for him as well as his victims' families - for no soul blasted with such hate has lasting peace.

Linda Berry is a Northsider.