VA Tech Shootings...The Discussion Thread- Page 5

[iflitifloat]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 12:31am

I learned that lesson early on, as a former student at Kent State back in the day...

[Dark_Angel]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 1:29am

"It's easy to live in this country for 20 or 30 years and never gain mastery of the English language if you live in certain ethnic enclaves in most major US cities."

So true - I live in Miami and I deal with the public and I can't count the number of times I answer the phone in English and get back (in a thick accent): "Do you e-speak e-spanish?"

Now, before anyone here labels me a racist my parents are Puerto Rican and they lived in the US for 20+ years and they made it their business to learn the English language.

[trinaaron]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 7:38am

"I wish that they hadn't made the killer's "manifesto" public because it only highlights the utter senselessness of what happened. Nothing that could possibly give insight into the crime can be gleaned from those things other than that the killer was incoherently delusional and insane. And now his deranged ramblings will be the fodder of media "expert" analysts for days to come. It would have been better for everyone if Cho hadn't gotten this recognition that shifts the focus away from his victims and immortalizes him. Exactly like he wanted."

I agree 100%. I can't stand the credibility that is being given to his words. HE WAS CRAZY. It doesn't matter why HE said he did it. He was not a rational person. He did it because he was crazy, not because he felt picked on, or what have you. There is no way to predict what a mentally ill person will fixate on. He could just as easily have said the pineapple in his refrigerator went rotten too soon, so he had to kill people, and it would have been just as logical.

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 7:46am

when discussing the media coverage, it's good to bear in mind seung-hui's (and for the record cho is his last name, like margaret cho, korean names list the last name first followed by the first) own prophetic words, "thanks to you i died like jesus christ, to inspire generations of the weak and defenseless people."

[caitiesus1522]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 8:36am

I kind of agree with the Iraq comment, but then again I understand the distant feeling thing. I saw my brothers away message that said

"wondering why everyone is so concerned with the victims at VT when hundreds die every week in Iraq and Darfur"

and I think the is kind of offensive to the victims since he mentioned them specifically. I am nOT happy with his comment at all.

Kind of related, how many people mourned for the 40 US soldiers who died last week in Afghanistan and Iraq?

[iflitifloat]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 10:40am

This is just a comment, and not meant to stir up trouble. This morning I found myself thinking about Cho's family. They are victims, too, and are probably experiencing a special brand of hell. I can't imagine the agony of having your child do something like this. They've lost their son, they have the tremendous burden of living the rest of their lives in the wake of what he did, and the guilt of feeling like somehow it must be their fault. I wouldn't presume to lay blame on their doorstep. Not enough is known, and I truly believe that often, the parents are the last to know when there is trouble. Who knows...

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 12:23pm

from firedoglake.com, "welcome to what the people of iraq go through every day."

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 12:50pm

I agree completely with you, iflit. In some ways, I think their grief must be worse because someone somewhere is going to be blaming them for what their son did. They are alive and he is dead, so who better to scream at, rail at than the family.

I'm so sick of the media coverage. I wish at least one channel would take the high road and refuse to broadcast it anymore. There's no need for recaps. We all know what happened, have seen the photos and the tears. It's just enough.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 1:07pm

Now we learn that he was a fan of an Oscar winning (Korean?) film which had violent images that eerily matched his "manifesto." Then the CNN expert on such matters railed against the role films and video games play in inciting such psychotics. How the films are culpable. The same man who argued against denying him a gun. I find this irony interesting -- deny him access to movies about guns, but give him the guns.

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 1:24pm

I hate when people blame movies and music for violence. I love Kill Bill, which is supremely violent, but I have yet to kill people. And the only thing I have against music is that I think rap music degrades women and seems to promote random violence. But I don't think that it's to blame for violence, just that it glorifies it. God, I'm digging myself into a hole. Bah!

[beacon1]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 1:25pm

I haven't heard any interviews with his high school teachers or guidance counselors? Did they observe odd behavior back then?

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 4:47pm

I am listening to All Things Considered on NPR right now and a reporter was interviewing the roommate of the shooter. He asked, "Do you wish you would have done something?" I am INFURIATED! What an a--hole question to ask! I emailed them to tell them I may not be listening anymore. I am so disgusted.

[wickedfiyeroofoz]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 7:37am

So I was walking in school the other day, and someone said
"Did you see what the VT killer looked like"....trhe other guy then responded..."Yeah he looked like some ugly chinese loser" I think I lost repect for humanity...If that's the best way people could think to describe him, it's not surprising that he harbored so much resent for people.

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 8:18am

when i was living in sunnyside, my wife (who's korean) and i were going into our apartment one afternoon as an indian family, a mother, two daughters around 10 or 12 and a young son about 6 or 7, was walking past. the girls loked so cute in their saris. i smiled at them as they past. the young son looked up at me smiled and pointed at my wife and said, "look mommy, look at the chinese monkey."

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 8:27am

the backlash in the hokie nation.
leave our town

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 9:00am

Good for them!

[bdwaygirl]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 9:06am

I heard on the radio this morning that the Korean Embassy fears for the safety of Cho's family. They're being moved around on a daily basis. Tried looking for a link, but couldn't find one.

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 10:17am

What a great article, papa! I'm proud of them! There's a difference between wanting to know and being concerned about what's going on at the school and smiling and licking up the blood as the media seems to be doing.

And, papa, I can't believe someone said that to your wife! Did you say anything back?

[caitiesus1522]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 10:23am

What is worse for his family, a major newspaper (I forget which one) publushed the address of their business

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 10:24am

it was a 6 or 7 year old kid. what do you say? "shut up ya little sh*t before i smack the dot off yer mom's head?" "shut up ya little **** or you'll be reincarnated as a dung beetle?" i mean a kid that age? that's all the parents. no child comes up with that on their own. i did look at his mother and say, "nice."

but then, i didn't have to say much as my demure and dainty spouse unleashed a torrent of obscenities upon them in a wonderfully eloquent mix of korean and english.

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 10:32am

I'm dumping you, papa. I'm officially in love with your wife.

[Jane2]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 10:37am

"I hate when people blame movies and music for violence. I love Kill Bill, which is supremely violent, but I have yet to kill people"

But you're sane, aren't you?

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 10:38am

Well, I haven't been evaluated yet...

[Jane2]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 10:40am

[SuzyQzy]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 11:31am

Does anyone else find it eerie that the Shool Shooter Summit after Columbine was only 25 miles away from where Cho lived?

In July 1999, the FBI organized a major summit on school shooters in Leesburg, Virginia. They brought in many of the world's leading psychologists and psychiatrists, and representatives from each of the recent school shootings, including a large Columbine contingent