Speak Out!
What Could Have Been Done?
Sun, 04/22/2007 - 11:31 | Virginia Tech Shooting
Ever since the Virginia Tech shootings, people have been wondering what could have been done to prevent Seung-Hui Cho from going on his rampage. The New York Times reported that Cho had shown signs of having problems every since his youth:
From the beginning, he did not talk. Not to other children, not to his own family. Everyone saw this. In Seoul, South Korea, where Seung-Hui Cho grew up, his mother agonized over his sullen, brooding behavior and empty face. Talk, she just wanted him to talk. “When I told his mother that he was a good boy, quiet but well behaved, she said she would rather have him respond to her when talked to than be good and meek,” said Kim Yang-Soon, Mr. Cho’s 84-year-old great-aunt. When his parents announced when he was 8 that they were going to America, their relatives were gladdened. “We thought that it would help the boy gain confidence if he moved to the United States’ open society,” said an uncle who asked to be identified only by his last name, Kim. And yet when he and others heard from Mr. Cho’s mother, it was the same dismal story, a buried life of silence. In church, she told them, she prayed for God to transform her son. By now, the world knows what Seung-Hui Cho became, how on a gusty, snowy morning last Monday at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., he massacred 27 students and 5 teachers before killing himself.What measures should be employed to identify and help disturbed students before they harm others?
Never Mind Success...Go For Greatness
Comments
It would be in everyone's
It would be in everyone's best interest to take a closer look at prejudice on all levels. We are living in a superficial world, where people will exclude anything that they feel does not fit the criteria of their inner circle. Black people for four-hundred plus years have been in exile, forced to live in two Americas - alienated from American social cycle, and yet we have dealt with it mentally when every day has presented a challenge.
I wonder can I now ask my (white) brothers and sisters how do they feel being executed from society being labeled as a misfit. Is the retaliation part of a reaction when one feels as though America has betrayed them with their biased thoughts and prejudiced minds? Do my white brothers/sisters feel as though the only way to right a wrong is to kill up the people that wrong you? HMMM?
Is it Karma that has come back to hunt America Imperialism? I guess that picture will still be in denial. We have to be very careful how we handle our brothers and sisters. Now I am not a fan of illegal immigration and the word illegal is what I cannot get past. However, I know the real reason White America is so terrified of this illegal immigration issue and the answer is simply, it all falls between the numbers. If the numbers keep adding up White America will no longer be the majority, scary thought-you say. However, for Black America we just simply cannot figure out the legal system. If we sneeze, especially our brothers, blue lights are chasing us down. Therefore, I think as Black America we may have a completely different outlook on illegal immigration.
When Imperialism was birthed, America has enjoyed the nurturing partnership of its growth and has yet to confess that it even exists. However, Karma has recorded every tiny detail of the fans of Imperialism has done and the reaping is here. Can’t say that Karma is wrong because Karma is doing its job, it has gathered all of America’s wrong and swooped it up in its arms to quickly distribute to those that have planted the evil seed of Imperialism their great rewards. Hmmm?
Therefore, when you see things happening around you in White America-it makes you think-what if this is Karma, righting the wrong?
STOP THE PREJUDICE-BEFORE IT STOPS US!
Within every experience there
Within every experience there is a Higher Universal truth that is relevant to each and every living thing in creation. Am I my brother's keeper goes far beyond the notion of physically taking care of someone in need... but is the heart of our inseparable connection to the One God-Source energy: One World, One Heart, One Mind. Cho Seung-Hui is of the exact God substance as you and I (in the image of the Divine) and as revolting as his actions on earth seem, we cannot alter his Divine inheritance.
For me, the motivating question in this tragedy is how can an innocent baby born into our world grow up to enact such pain on his fellow man. The potentially grave error is that the general public is quickly dismissing Cho’s actions as that of a madman. I have watched interviews of varying psychiatrists offering their theories of his mental condition, but what was painfully clear is that not one of them could give their diagnosis with any definitiveness. They all pre-empted it with: “we think, he may or may not have been, some may suffer from this but others don’t”… In essence, we exist for millions of years and essentially know very little about the human mind. Countless explorations into outer space, the far depths of the sea, to the top of highest mountains and yet, cannot state unwaveringly about the processes of our own human mind. Therefore, the question ought to be, what is it in our beliefs, as human beings that tarnishes our God-mind which causes many, like Cho to choose to use their energy in such a destructive manner?
What we do know of our psychological development is that children do live what they learn therefore; we have to breakdown the process and evaluate the information being fed to our children from their birth. If we raise our children in a loving, nurturing way with positive reinforcements so they foster an empowered sense of self, then we will raise children who become strong and loving adults. We don’t realize that every word whether negative or positive becomes a part of that child’s belief system about himself and the world. Needless to say, the abundance of child abuse taking place every day causes tremendous havoc on these young minds. In addition, society must take responsibility for our obsessions and what we deem important. A study from the American Psychiatric Ass. show that 59% of children who suffer child abuse become depressed. Presently, we encourage (by the mere fact that we watch them) television shows filled with violence, mean spirited, rude people as if these are our accepted modes of behavior. Our music is laced with violence and hatred for anyone we view differently than ourselves, video games (which most parents think are innocent enough) where the player becomes the hero depending on how many people they kill. We are fixated with body image, plastic surgery and superficial values causing an epidemic rise in eating disorders amongst our young girls. Whatever we focus on becomes our reality. What are we doing to our children and ourselves? Very few of us engage in meaningful and fulfilling occupations, and fewer still give any thought to finding a life purpose that in some way benefits humanity.
It is time we start connecting the dots and unless we do, every generation will slip deeper and deeper into mental darkness and chaos. It is said, a people without vision…will perish. I pray that we shall rise with a collective consciousness intent on steering humanity towards greater kindness, compassion and love.
I leave you with some other staggering statistics on the state of America's mental health:
30 percent of the population suffers from varying mental health disorders, findings from the University of South Carolina indicate a shocking number of young women age 15 to 24--about 20 percent--is affected by major depression. In 2005, 25% of students at Boise State University suffer from serious depression with 12% of these having considered suicide.
These statistics do not indicate a lone voice crying in the wilderness but more like a tormented roar from a species in crises.
The comment posted by Renee
The comment posted by Renee Baker really speaks volume. Much of what we see going on in our nation is the result of broken relationship and fellowship with God because we have rejected the spiritual aspects of the soul and spirit component of our human make-up.
Our soul is made up of: MIND, WILL, IMAGINATION, EMOTIONS, INTELLECT.
Does the components of your soul speak to love, kindness, compassion for your neighbor or the opposite. It is obvious that this young man was deficient, severely, in this.
Our spirit is made up of: PRAYER, REVERENCE, PRAISE, WORSHIP, FAITH, HOPE.
If we would reverence God as the Creator of everything good, then we will worship and praise Him and have faith and hope that our prayers to Him will affect everything bad that we see in our nation.
It is obvious that FIRST, this young man was angry at the things that were going on in part of the world and as with many of us we want things to be good and perfected, but only God has the power to affect change when things are out of order through those who are submitted to Him. We need to seek God for the stuff we are seeing, and then listen for what His answer is in how to change what we see.
It is also obvious that this young man was mentally disturbed because he allowed himself to be overwhelmed with his issues and he chose a horrible and tragic way to deal with them, causing many to suffer. This was not the will of God.
Look to our foundation of
Look to our foundation of education and theological teaching and many of our concerns are rooted in these 'institutions'. Within the two areas of study, there is usually a preferred or demonstrated controlling position of one point of view over another that can be observed at any time in our history.
Our knowledge of human behaviour is only now breaking through many of the false beliefs and misconceptions of human development. It will be a long time before our legislative system both at the federal and state level and our emotional need to care for one another merge to provide a comprehensive approach to addressing such issues.
Cultural, social and plain old human evolution demands that the strong survive. If we do not establish the 'emotional need to care factor', then our best efforts and outbursts of horror will go unanswered. Can we learn to use differences as benefits for human growth? If we are living in such a litigious environment that we are afraid to act then we need to look at the legal restraints we have allowed to be placed upon ourselves.
Remember, the Megan law in New Jersey still has no real enforcement for the community to protect itself. This speaks to the heart of our true value of such issues.
Showing restraint, managing ourselves, taking responsibility for our own behaviour (accountability) and that of our neighbours/communities is a sign of maturity, care and human development. Ignore your neighbour and tomorrow could be your turn to reap the apathy of your fellow human.
Communication, Communication, Communication.
I believe this is related to
I believe this is related to the overarching issue of how mental health is treated in this country (and the world for that matter). If someone is having a heart attack, or is in a car accident, you do not ASK them if they want to go to the hospital. You do not hold a COURT HEARING to determine whether or not they should go to the hospital. YOU CALL 911 and TAKE them to the hospital. We need to change the way we see mental/psychological distress so it is treated with the same seriousness and urgency. I know there are complicated issues of civil rights, and I definitely respect and support those. But why in the world does it make sense to leave the assessment of the need for care to the one who is mentally ill/distraught in the first place! We don't seem to have moral debates on whether it is ok for someone who has been in a car accident to be whisked away in an ambulance. Of course we should ensure that someone who is distraught not buy a handgun. But how about making sure that someone who is distraught get help before they act on their distress?
As an educator, it is far too
As an educator, it is far too difficult to get something done when you know something is wrong with a student. Whether that student is depressed, violent, or mentally ill, our choices are limited. Once reported to a crisis counselor(if the school has one), the situation is out of our hands. If they send the student back to class, you can't do anything else about it except continue to teach. Authorities tell us teachers that we are required by law to report abuse and children at risk, but when we do, nothing is done.
By the way, the new site looks good!
This applies to the Virginia
This applies to the Virginia Tech murders too...
Guess our national leaders didn't expect this, hmm? On Thursday, Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colorado, was invited to address the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee. What he said to our national leaders during this special session of Congress was painfully truthful.
They were not prepared for what he was to say, nor was it received well. It needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher, every politician, every sociologist, every psychologist, and every so-called expert! These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful, penetrating, and deeply personal. There is no doubt that God sent this man as a voice crying in the wilderness. The following is a portion of the transcript:
"Since the dawn of creation there has been both good & evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers.
"The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used.. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart.
"In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don't believe that they are responsible for my daughter's death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent.
I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy -- it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best. This was written way before I knew I would be speaking here today:
Your laws ignore our deepest needs,
Your words are empty air.
You've stripped away our heritage,
You've outlawed simple prayer.
Now gunshots fill our classrooms,
And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere,
And ask the question "Why?"
You regulate restrictive laws,
Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand,
That God is what we need!
" Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, mind, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational
systems for most of our nation's history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact. What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs -- politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts.
"As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, he did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America, and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you who would point your finger at the
The following words are not mine however they mirror my sentiment.
This applies to the Virginia Tech murders too...
Guess our national leaders didn't expect this, hmm? On Thursday, Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colorado, was invited to address the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee. What he said to our national leaders during this special session of Congress was painfully truthful.
They were not prepared for what he was to say, nor was it received well. It needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher, every politician, every sociologist, every psychologist, and every so-called expert! These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful, penetrating, and deeply personal. There is no doubt that God sent this man as a voice crying in the wilderness. The following is a portion of the transcript:
"Since the dawn of creation there has been both good & evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers.
"The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used.. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart.
"In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don't believe that they are responsible for my daughter's death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent.
I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy -- it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best. This was written way before I knew I would be speaking here today:
Your laws ignore our deepest needs,
Your words are empty air.
You've stripped away our heritage,
You've outlawed simple prayer.
Now gunshots fill our classrooms,
And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere,
And ask the question "Why?"
You regulate restrictive laws,
Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand,
That God is what we need!
" Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, mind, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational
systems for most of our nation's history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact. What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs -- politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts.
"As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, he did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America, and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA -- I give to you a sincere challenge. Dare to examine your
own heart before casting the first stone!
My daughter's death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!"
Do what the media did not - - let the nation hear this man's speech. Please send this out to everyone you can.
Tavis your page is
Tavis your page is awesome-good job! With that being said we have entirely far too many laws that prohibit leadership from taking action when trouble has been detected. Sueng-Hui Cho was clearly a very disturbed young man. What has saddened many American's is the writing that was on the walls of Virginia Tech. It was as if the cry for help was known, addressed, and soon forgotten. This incident can be compared to the broken law and justice system all over America, it never protects the defendant-but almost always enable the accuser. A lot of things could have been done to prevent this horrible incident:
1: After all the efforts on counseling this young man didn't prove to be efficient-he should have been taken out of the school immediately. There were signs of harassment that should have been address more seriously...
2: Why was he given a slap on the wrist?
3: Why were charges never filed against this young man for harassing the young ladies when he took pictures of their legs?
4: Why was he allowed to stalk these young women and no charges were filed? Stalking is against the law...Instead of preventive measures taken against this young man, the school officials said nothing could be done...wrong answer
I can remember a five year old black girl that was handcuff and removed by police for being a threat to her school. But Seung was taken for counseling, for something way more serious than a baby (five year old) throwing tantrums...
Someone needs to be accountable for ignoring serious warning signs that could have made a life saving difference for the students that were killed... Maybe the we need to address the laws that are in place that’s clearly not working for the people. When this young man killed the first two people that morning why wasn't the school shut down immediately? Sueng went back to his dorm room and soon after that went to the postal office, returned and continued killing... If he had all of these automatic weapons-upon returning to the campus- where were these weapons? Where were the cops at this time? Too much time not accounted for.... He even locked some of the doors to the campus-how did he do this without someone seeing him? The first shooting should have prompt a police squad surrounding the entire campus, but for some reason it didn't. These are questions that I'm sure many are asking, but to prevent these kinds of incidents from occurring, leadership must be accountable for what goes on in the schools environment. If safety was top priority-much of this could have been avoided...We don't have enough people that are serious about safety of human life, but will send a person to jail over a animal... go figure...animals rights more important than human rights. This is the problem... We got our priorities mixed...