I got a little worked up after Ft. Hood at the suggestion, raised by some on the right, that “political correctness” inhibits the God-given right of American Jews or Christians to inflict collective punishment on American Muslims for Nidal Malik Hasan’s crimes. Screening American Muslims in the military is a particularly insulting proposal. But it seems like there isn’t enough awareness of their service, which is nothing less than a reminder of the openness of America.

So this was the Thanksgiving story I wanted to write for the Washington Independent: a story about the pressures after Ft. Hood placed on Arab-Americans and Muslim-Americans serving this country in uniform. Bill Kristol had the balls to say it was “deplorable” of Gen. George Casey to say on TV that the post-Ft. Hood Army couldn’t be inhospitable to American Muslim service. I wonder if he’d ever have the nerve to say that to the face of Sgt. Jamal Baadani, USMC.

Baadani declined to comment on developments in the Senate, saying he wanted to focus on engaging and educating those who distrust Arabs and Muslims, rather than appearing political. “I approach it from the perspective of tearing down a wall, and the only way to do that is to respect one another,” he said. “I just ask people [to] hear me out. That’s the approach I always take, and the example I set. You can’t change someone’s mindset by calling someone a racist — they get defensive, draw lines, dig their heels in.”

Instead, Baadani said, he hoped APAAM would continue to provide information on its website about Arab and Muslim contributions to America. But he added that he felt the environment for Arab and Muslim-Americans is much better now than after 9/11, even in the aftermath of Ft. Hood.

“The backlash towards our community is nowhere even close,” Baadani said. “I attribute that to the intellect and the resiliency of the American people. And that’s why I’m proud to be an American.”

The service of Baadani, and that of perhaps 3500 Arab-Americans and 6000 Muslim-Americans, to their country is something I’m thankful for.