BERKOWITZ: A campus in grief distracted by media attack
By:Adan Berkowitz Posted: 4/18/07 In the wake of the tragedy at Virginia Tech, there's going to be a lot of people asking why this happened, or what could have been done to prevent this or keep it from happening in the future. I think pundits in the media and people on both sides of the gun debate would be wise to refrain from using the shooting to further their agendas. There's going to be a lot of people on both sides frothing at the mouth, saying this could have been prevented if only some of the students had been armed or if guns were made illegal or other such nonsense. Any group who tries to spin this into a crusade against violent media or for gun advocacy or for its own goals should be ripped apart by the press. Unfortunately, the press usually latches onto this kind of sensationalism and frames it as a crusade for some issue, instead of treating it as it really is: a monumental tragedy. As a journalism student and a person who believes in general good taste, I have to say I was nauseated while watching events unfold on the news, not only because of what happened, but because of the way the media seemed to be wringing every drop they could from the story. With 24-hour news coverage, this comes as no surprise. For hours, networks would loop a 10-second clip of blurry cell phone footage, followed by mostly baseless speculation, followed by a parade of talking heads ready to blame the shooting on everything from video games to rap music. Jerks like Geraldo Rivera talk their mouth off even without any new information about the story. The media is relentless when it comes to stirring up a frenzy. We can't even wait until the dead are buried before all sorts of scaremongering like Fox News's brilliant article: "Experts: Colleges Ripe for Attacks." CNN ran some pretty tasteless stuff, too, like "Students Slaughtered." I know that "if it bleeds it leads," but you can almost smell the media sniffing blood like sharks do in the water. At least wait before all the facts are in before people like Anderson Cooper bring on some idiot who says this was caused by Grand Theft Auto. I can only imagine how the kids at Virginia Tech must feel, being swarmed by reporters with cameras and microphones trying to capture a sound byte of their grief. All the facts haven't been released yet, but no matter what anyone says in hindsight, the sad truth is that nothing really could have prevented this. Virginia Tech officials are most likely going to catch enormous amounts of flak and lawsuits and probably lose their jobs, but who knows if there was anything they could have done differently. I have a feeling there's going to be a lot of sensationalist articles about college safety forthcoming in the media, and I sincerely hope that colleges don't turn into locked-down fortresses because of one incident. Safety is important, but realistically there's only so much that can be done to prevent something like this, and we shouldn't believe that by insulating students further we can avert every incident of violence. All the metal detectors and random searches in the world aren't going to stop a determined nutcase. I don't want to turn this into a debate about civil liberties, because this isn't about that. But people and officials are going to be scrambling to try and prepare for every contingency and start locking things up because everyone feels helpless and wants to think there was something they could have done. We want to be able to find reason in this, to view the shooting as part of an overarching trend, a result of our violent culture or our attitudes about gun control or whatever, because the truth -- that there isn't a reason, that there's no definite thing that would have stopped this -- is hard to accept. My condolences go out to everyone at Virginia Tech, and I can't imagine how they are dealing with this. Hopefully the media will cut them some slack and will give them some time to grieve before they swoop in and start throwing blame on everyone except the guy who did it. Those kids whose lives and dreams were cut short are what's important, not your agenda. Adan Berkowitz, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, is a weekly columnist for The Daily Free Press. -- Original Source:The Daily Free Press - April 18, 2007
Candlelight Vigil In Memoriam of Virginia Tech Victims
Ohio University holds a candlelight vigil in memoriam for the Virginia Tech victims. Original source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/adrians/464729235/in/photostream/ Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 2.0
Permission: Adrian MB Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 2.0
This photo was captured at the Ohio University vigil for the Virginia Tech victims. Original source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/adrians/464729227/in/photostream/ Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 2.0
Permission Adrian MB http://www.flickr.com/photos/adrians/464729227/in/photostream/ Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 2.0
This photo was captured at the Ohio University vigil for the Virginia Tech victims. Original source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/adrians/464729233/in/photostream/ Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 2.0
Permission: Adrian MB http://www.flickr.com/photos/adrians/464729233/in/photostream/ Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 2.0
Eroul de la sala 204, comemorat la New York
Corespondenta din SUA O comunitate indurerata si-a luat ramas bun de la unul dintre membrii sai, ucis in masacrul de la Universitatea Virginia Tech. Profesorul Liviu Librescu, cel care si-a dat viata pentru a-si salva studentii, a avut parte de o ceremonie emotionanta la New York, unde trupul sau a fost adus inainte de a ajunge in Israel. Zeci de membri ai comunitatilor de evrei ortodocsi si hasidici au participat la ceremonia funerara care a avut loc la capela "Shomrei Hachomos" din Brooklyn. Liviu Librescu a fost amintit pentru meritele sale ca profesor eminent, dar si ca salvator a zeci de studenti aflati luni la cursul sau de inginerie si carora le-a cerut sa sara pe geam in timp ce el a blocat usa in fata atacatorului. Librescu a fost nimerit de cinci gloante trase de asasin si a murit in sala de curs. "Eroul de la sala 204", cum a fost numit el de presa americana, s-a nascut in Romania si a supravietuit Holocaustului, dupa care a emigrat in Israel. El era profesor la Universitatea Virginia Tech de 20 de ani. Sotia sa, Marlena, ea insasi supravietuitoare a Holocaustului, a participat la ceremonia privata desfasurata in Brooklyn, vorbind de pierderea suferita dar si de abnegatia care-l caracteriza pe profesorul Librescu: "A fost un om muncitor care cerea de la toti dedicatie 100 la suta asa cum facea si el". Intrebata daca a fost surprinsa de gestul profesorului de a tine piept atacatorului, ea a raspuns simplu: "Nu, fiindca acesta era felul lui de a fi", adaugand: " Se lupta pentru ca fiecare sa fie bun, sa aiba un loc de munca, era intotdeauna de ajutor". Doamna Librescu a amintit si de dovezile de afectiune ale studentilor, care continua s-o sune si sa-i transmita mesaje de imbarbatare: "Am primit atatea emailuri si atatea telefoane in care toti spun: "Era ca si tatal meu". Membrii comunitatii evreiesti din New York s-au rugat minute in sir in fata sicriului infasurat intr-un steag negru, exprimandu-si respectul pentru profesorul-erou. Unul dintre participantii la ceremonia din Brooklyn, Michael Lamont, a declarat pentru Hotnews.ro ca a venit sa se roage pentru "acest om bun" caci "indiferent de religia lui, el va ajunge direct in paradis". Conform traditiei evreiesti, trupul profesorului Librescu nu a fost autopsiat, el urmand sa fie ingropat joi in Israel. Liviu Librescu a fost prima victima a masacrului de la Universitatea Virgina Tech al carei trup a fost incredintat familiei. HotNews.ro, Adrian Novac, New York, 19 apr 2007 -- Sursa Originala: http://www.revistapresei.ro/articol_70255-Eroul-de-la-sala-204-comemorat-la-New-York.htm
Cristian Pantazi(cristian.pantazi@hotnews.ro)
Profesorul erou din America a plecat din Focsani
Data: Wednesday, April 18 @ 05:39:57 EDT Topic: sa pastram ce avem mai bun Despre profesorul Liviu Librescu s-a spus ca a fost un adevarat erou. Profesor de aeronautica la Universitatea Tehnica din statul american Virginia, dascalul a murit dupa ce l-a infruntat pe atacatorul care a produs cel mai mare masacru din istoria scolilor americane. Chiar daca regimul Antonescu i-a trimis tatal in lagarul de exterminare din Transnistria, profesorul Liviu Librescu iubea Romania si vorbea cu placere despre Focsani Profesorul erou din America a plecat din Focsani De Silvia Vrinceanu, 18.04.2007 Profesorul Liviu Librescu, impuscat mortal intr-un amfiteatru al Universitatii Virginia Tech din SUA, este originar din Focsani, unde a trait pina la 14 ani u de asemenea, sotia regretatului profesor este fiica unui stomatolog evreu din Focsani u ambii au supravietuit Holocaustului si au emigrat cu greu in Israel in timpul regimului comunist u in masacrul de luni, de la universitatea americana, au fost omorite 32 de persoane si alte 29 au fost ranite u Ziarul de Vrancea se afla in corespondenta cu renumitul profesor in vederea publicarii unui articol despre opresiunile antisemite din copilaria sa Putini stiu ca masacrul care a ingrozit planeta in cursul zilei de ieri are legatura cu Focsaniul si cu prigoana evreilor care s-a produs in aceasta zona a tarii in timpul Holocaustului. Liviu Librescu, Ã®n virsta de 76 de ani, profesor de aeronautica la Universitatea Virginia Tech din Statele Unite ale Americii, care a fost ucis in atacul de luni, alaturi de 31 studenti, a copilarit mai multi ani la Focsani, unde tatal sau, un avocat evreu repudiat, a avut domiciliul fortat, in timpul prigoanei antiseminte. La Focsani, unde a urmat cursurile Colegiului Unirea, profesorul Liviu Librescu a cunoscut-o si pe cea care i-a fost alaturi toata viata, sotia sa Marilena. Ambii au fost supravietuitori ai Holocaustului din Romania. Chiar in aceste zile, cind comunitatea evreiasca din toata lumea se pregateste sa comemoreze revolta evreilor din ghetoul de la Varsovia, unul dintre simbolurile de rezistenta si eroism in timpul Holocaustului, reporterii nostri se aflau in corespondenta cu apreciatul profesor univesitar pe tema ororilor din timpul celui de-al doilea razboi mondial. Potrivit studentilor sai, citati de presa internationala, profesorul Liviu Librescu a cazut la datorie, Ã®mpuscat de un bursier sud- coreean, Ã®n momentul Ã®n care se pregatea sa Ã®nceapa cursul Ã®n amfiteatrul universitatii. Stirea despre carnagiu a facut inconjurul planetei si a facut sa curga lacrimi in America, unde profesorul preda si locuia cu sotia, in Israel, unde are doi fii si multi prieteni, dar si in Romania. Despre profesorul Liviu Librescu s-a spus ca a fost un adevarat erou. Profesor de aeronautica la Universitatea Tehnica din statul american Virginia, dascalul a murit dupa ce l-a infruntat pe atacatorul care a produs cel mai mare masacru din istoria scolilor americane. Chiar daca regimul Antonescu i-a trimis tatal in lagarul de exterminare din Transnistria, profesorul Liviu Librescu iubea Romania si vorbea cu placere despre Focsani, orasul in care a trait mai multi ani si unde venea adesea inainte de razboi pentru a-si vizita bunicii din partea mamei. "Imi face placere intotdeauna sa primesc stiri care imi amintesc de orasul in care am petrecut multi ani, desi au fost ani de suferinta, cind tatii nostri, al meu si al sotiei mele, au avut domiciliul fortat in Focsani. Au fost vremuri foartegrele pentru noi! Tatal meu a fost deportat de aici in Transnistria dupa ce a lucrat o vreme la Soveja, intr-un batalion de munca", ne-a povestit profesorul Liviu Librescu cu putin inainte de tragedia in care avea sa sfirseasca. La Focsani, Liviu Librescu si-a cunoscut si sotia, pe Marilena Semian, fiica unui stomatolog cunoscut in orasul acelor vremi, cu care s-a casatorit in anul 1968. Sotia sa, medic de profesie, a urmat liceul de fete din Focsani, dupa care a absolvit facultatea de medicina. Ulterior si-a urmat sotul in Israel si mai apoi in Blackburg - SUA, unde a primit o bursa. Cei doi au avut impreuna doi fii, Arie si Iosef, de profesie ingineri, care traiesc in Israel. "Munca obligatorie la Focsani" "In anii copilariei, scrie profesorul Liviu Librescu intr-unul din e- mailurile sale, inaintea inceperii razboiului, Focsaniul a constituit pentru mine orasul in care veneam cu parintii sa-mi vizitez bunica, Paulina Finkelstein, mama mamei mele, si de asemeni, familiilesurorilor mamei mele, Ianconescu si Filderman. Impreuna cu parintii mei, Izidor si Mina Librescu, locuiam atunci la Ploiesti. Tatal meu era avocat, dar din motive rasiale, in tot timpul razboiului, a fost radiat din baroul de avocati. Tatal meu a fost dus la lagarul de la Teis. Dupa desfiintarea lagarului, a fost trimis cu domiciliul fortat la Focsani. In 1942, ne-am mutat la Focsani pentru a ne reuni cu tata, dar vremurile potrivnice au facut ca el sa fie trimis la munca obligatorie la Focsani, apoi la Soveja. Dupa Soveja, a fost deportat in Transnistria. Dupa razboi s-a intors cu sanatatea mult subrezita si cu moralul foarte scazut. Tata a reintrat in barou, dar in anul 1948, cind regimul comunist s-a instaurat la putere, a fost din nou radiat pentru motivul ca s-a opus "democratizarii baroului". Au fost ani foarte grei pentru noi", scria profesorul Liviu Librescu. Fortat de comunisti sa demisioneze In ciuda nenumaratelor probleme pe care le-a intimpinat in copilarie, profesorul Liviu Librescu a urmat politehnica la Bucuresti, sectia de aviatie, pe care, dupa cum ne-a spus, a absovit-o in anul 1953. Dupa o cariera prodigioasa, a ajuns un nume in domeniul sau, obtinind zeci de premii si titluri onorifice internationale. Pentru a ajunge in Israel, pe vremea comunismului, a trebuit sa renunte la tot in Romania. "Pentru a putea depune actele de emigrare in Israel a trebuit in anul 1975 sa-mi dau demisia si am fost fortat sa stau trei ani fara lucru", a tinut sa mai spuna profesorul. "In Israel am fost atestat profesor la Tel-Aviv University. In anul 1985 am plecat in Â«sabaticalÂ», la Virginia Polytechnic Institute in U.S.A. De atunci, lucrez aici ca profesor la Engineering Sciens and Mecanics Department. Am desfasurat activitate stiintifica materializata prin trei carti si peste 300 articole aparute in reviste internationale de specialitate", a continuat cel care avea sa fie ucis in timp ce incerca sa tina piept atacatorului care a omorit 32 de persoane si a ranit alte 29 in campusul universitar. Aproape deloc cunoscut in Focsani, profesorulLibrescu este recunoscut in SUA ca fondatorul teoriei si aplicatiilor in domeniul structurilor de tip sandwich. Munca sa de cercetare, dupa cum se arata si in impresionantul sau CV, publicat pe site-ul universitatii, a inclus domeniul aerospatial cu aplicatii NASA. Facea parte din consiliile editoriale ale mai multor publicatii de specialitate si a prezidat numeroase congrese internationale in inginerie mecanica. Invitat la Focsani luna viitoare Apreciatul profesor a fost coleg de scoala la Focsani cu alti evrei cunoscuti, printre care si cu Zvi Ben Dov, fost director al aeroportului din Tel Aviv, actualmente director general al organizatiei A.M.I.R., care are ca scop infiintarea unui muzeu al evreimii romane. Fosti colegi la Colegiul Unirea, cei doi tineau in ultimul timp legatura prin Internet, dat fiind ca Zvi Ben Dov a scris in Israel, in limba ebraica, doua carti despre comunitatea in care s- a nascut si i-a reunit aici pe toti focsanenii israelieni. Liviu Librescu ne-a spus ca de oameni ca Zvi Ben Dov sau Matei Grisaru il leaga amintiri de neuitat din anii de scoala primara. Pentru ca a reintrat in legatura cu prietenii din copilarie, astazi cetateni ai statului Israel, profesorul Liviu Librescu a fost invitat in luna mai sa viziteze Focsaniul, alaturi de cei dornici sa revada locurile copilariei. "Inainte de Paste i-am trimis lui Liviu felicitari si mi-a rapuns cu multa amabilitate. I-am scis ca plecam la Focsani sa ne vizitam orasul copilariei noastre si l-am invitat sa vina cu noi, intr-o excursie de suflet. Liviu mi-a raspuns ca din pacate nu poate sa fie cu noi, pentru ca era implicat in unele proiecte la universitate, desi i-ar fi placut sa revada locurile copilariei. Am vorbit cu prietenii nostri si saptamina viitoare o sa fie adus aici, in Israel, unde va fi inmormintat. Eu am sa fiu acolo", ne-a spus Zvi Ben Dov, "motorul" comunitatii de vrinceni din Israel si cel mai focsanean dintre israelieni, cum a fost numit de cei peste 300 de membri ai comunitatii evreilor plecati din orasul de pe Milcov. Ura violenta, ucis de violenta Profesorul Liviu Librescu ura violenta si dorea sa arate tuturor ororile Holocaustului, in special cele din Romania, unde au fost exterminati peste 500.000 de evrei. Ca o ironie a sortii a cazut prada furiei violentei chiar in timp ce dorea sa ne faca tututor cunoscuta tragedia care a cuprins si meleagurile noastre acum 60 de ani. Fara indoiala, acest carnagiu ne arata ca intelegerea Holocaustului este mai necesara ca oricind, pentru ca astfel de evenimente sa nu se mai repete. In acest context, trebuie spus ca profesorul Liviu Librescu se numara printre cei care au cerut insistent Institutului Yad Vashem din Israel, memorialul dedicat celor sase milioane de evrei omoriti in timpul Holocaustului, decorarea reginei mama Elena cu titlul de "Dreapta intre popoare". Titlul se acorda de catre statul Israel celor care si-au riscat viata pentru salvarea de vieti evreiesti in perioada Holocaustului. Iata ca dupa mai mult de 60 de ani, profesorul Liviu Librescu avea sa-si sacrifice propria viata pentru a-i salva pe studentii sai de la Universitatea Tehnica din Virginia. (Silvia VRINCEANU) Acest articol este trimis de Romania-Israel http://www.romania-israel.com URLul pentru acest articol este: http://www.romania-israel.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1034 -- Sursa Originala: http://www.romania-israel.com/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid=1034
Silvia Vrinceanu;silvia@ziaruldevrancea.ro
Jonathan Watts in Goyang Friday April 20, 2007 The Guardian The brooding silence of Cho Seung-hui was so impenetrable it disturbed his family even when he was growing up in South Korea, relatives of the Virginia killer told the Guardian yesterday. His grandfather feared that at the age of eight he might be mute; the boy's great aunt worried that he had mental problems. And his mother, Kim Hyang-im, spent much of her time in church praying for him to snap out of his unhealthy taciturnity. "She was heartbroken," said his mother's aunt, Kim Yang-soon. "After they moved to America, she hoped his silences would ease as he grew older. But in fact they got worse." The poor family had a difficult start. Cho's mother was forced into an arranged marriage with a man 10 years her senior - Cho Sung-tae, who came from a poor family in the south but had worked in Saudi Arabia for 10 years on construction sites and oilfields. Hyang-im was from a well-educated family of North Korean landowners who had fled during the Korean war. "She didn't want to marry, but she gave in," said Yang-soon. No one in the family recalls any violent behaviour from Cho that might have hinted at later carnage. But they were unnerved by his sullenness. "My grandson was shy even as a little boy and he would never run to me like my other grandchildren," his maternal grandfather, Kim Hyong-shik, told the Hankyoreh Daily. "I thought he might be deaf and dumb." Schoolmates told local media they remembered Cho as quiet. But the father doted on his children. "He would have done anything for them," the grandfather said. "But now this has happened. It's as if everything they've done, the reason for their whole existence has been for nothing." The family moved to the US in 1992. During their eight-year wait for a visa, they fell short of money, selling their second-hand shop and home to make ends meet. They had visited Hyang-im's family before they left, an occasion that was only the second time the grandparents had seen Cho. Yang-soon said of the boy: "He would not talk even when I called to him. He was so quiet I remarked he must have a very gentle nature. But his mother told me he was too quiet. Soon after they got to America, he was diagnosed as being clinically withdrawn. It amazes me he ever [got] into university. I guess he must have had some mental problems from birth." Cho's family worked hard in the US. His father worked in a laundry, to fund his children's education. His mother, a part-time waitress, attended the Korean church in Centreville, where she implored the pastor to help her son. When Cho started at Virginia Tech, his mother took his dormitory mates to one side to explain his character and asked them to help. "She was worried that he spent all his time in his room, lost in a world of video games," the paper quoted the pastor as saying. "[Cho] came to bible studies for a couple of years, but rarely spoke and never got along with the other youths." "I just wish he would have talked," said Yang-soon. "There is an old saying in Korea that people who won't talk will end up killing themselves. That is what happens when the resentment builds up." On Guardian Unlimited Full coverage of the Virginia Tech shootings Gun violence in the US Gun violence in Britain Full US coverage Related articles Virginia massacre gunman named Unofficial list of shooting victims emerges Massacre on campus Q&A: US gun laws World news guide North American Media Media CNN New York Times Washington Post Government Virginia state government portal US government portal White House Senate House of Representatives Copyright Guardian News & Media Ltd 2007. -- Original Source: Guardian Unlimited http://www.guardian.co.uk/usguns/Story/0,,2061777,00.html
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Der TÃƒÂ¤ter hatte zwei Stunden Zeit fÃƒÂ¼r sein Todeswerk
18.04.2007 Bei dem Massaker an der UniversitÃ¤t in Blacksburg im Bundesstaat Virginia sind noch viele Fragen offen - unter anderem das Motiv des AmoklÃ¤ufers WASHINGTON taz Fast wirkte es gespenstisch, wie routiniert die US-amerikanische Ã–ffentlichkeit mit Amoklauf in Schulen und UniversitÃ¤ten umgeht. Erste Handy-Bilder im Fernsehen. Kurze Zeit spÃ¤ter eine Armada von Ãœ-Wagen und Reportern, schlieÃŸlich die ersten bestÃ¼rzten Augenzeugen, die immer wieder sagen, sie kÃ¶nnten es nicht fassen und alles sei so schrecklich. Auch die US-Politiker wirkten traurig, aber so, als habe Leben in Amerika eben seinen Preis. PrÃ¤sident George W. Bush, Parlamentschefin Nancy Pelosi, alle sprachen sie Ã¼ber das Unfassbare, Tragische. Alles klang, wie schon manches Mal gesagt. Nur Stunden nach dem, was die US-Medien als "Massaker in Blacksburg" bezeichnen, schwÃ¤rmten Trauerbegleiter auf den Campus der kleinen Stadt im US-Bundesstaat Virginia. Psychologen und FBI-Profiler gaben ihr Wissen in Interviews zum Besten, und erste Warnungen vor Nachahmungstaten machten die Runde. Vielleicht ist es auch nur das, was man zu einem so kaltblÃ¼tigen Amoklauf wie dem vom Montagmorgen sagen kann. Die SchÃ¼sse, berichteten Augenzeugen spÃ¤ter, seien so regelmÃ¤ÃŸig erfolgt, dass manche zunÃ¤chst glauben, sie kommen von einer nahe gelegenen Baustelle. So, als treibe ein Kolben ein Stahlrohr in den Grund. Ein Schuss folgte dem anderen, manchmal mit Pausen. Das waren die Momente, in denen der TÃ¤ter sein Magazin nachlud, um dann ebenso ruhig und regelmÃ¤ÃŸig weiter seine Kommilitonen abzuknallen. Die Bluttat sei von einem sÃ¼dkoreanischen Studenten namens Cho Seung Hui verÃ¼bt worden, sagte der Polizeichef der UniversitÃ¤t, Wendell Flinchum. Der 23-JÃ¤hrige habe mit einem AuslÃ¤ndervisum an der Virginia-Tech-UniversitÃ¤t Englisch studiert und in einem Wohnheim auf dem Campus gelebt. Der TÃ¤ter hat 33 Studierende und Professoren erschossen sowie 15 Menschen verletzt. Die Bluttat fand in einer Deutschklasse statt. Beim Eintreffen der Polizei habe sich der SchÃ¼tze das Leben genommen, sagte Flinchum. Der junge Mann soll sich von hinten in den Kopf geschossen haben, von seinem Gesicht ist nichts mehr Ã¼brig geblieben. Zu seinem Motiv gab es keine ErklÃ¤rungen. Nichts. Vor dem Amoklauf waren am frÃ¼hen Montagmorgen eine Studentin und ein Student in einem Wohnheim auf dem Campus getÃ¶tet worden. Die Polizei untersucht nach den Worten von Flinchum, ob beide FÃ¤lle in einem Zusammenhang stehen. Eine Augenzeugin sagte, es handele sich um einen jungen Mann asiatischer Abstammung. "Er war wie ein Pfadfinder gekleidet", sagte sie im Fernsehen. Schnell richtete sich die Wut vieler Studenten gegen die Polizei, die nach der ersten SchieÃŸerei, der eine junge Frau und ein junger Mann zum Opfer fielen, eigentlich nichts unternommen hatte. Sie hatte zugelassen, dass der Lehrbetrieb fortgesetzt wurde. Weder wurde der Campus abgeriegelt, noch wurden die Studenten geschÃ¼tzt. Der AmoklÃ¤ufer hatte fast zwei Stunden Zeit, den Campus zu Ã¼berqueren und sein Todeswerk in einem anderen GebÃ¤ude der UniversitÃ¤t fortzusetzen. Vertreter der UniversitÃ¤t rechtfertigten das Verhalten damit, dass die erste Bluttat als Einzelfall bewertet wurde. Viele der Betroffenen werfen den Verantwortlichen deswegen vor, sie hÃ¤tten viel zu spÃ¤t vor dem AmoklÃ¤ufer gewarnt. Ãœberhaupt tauchte im Laufe des Montagabend noch die Nachricht auf, die Polizei habe zwei Bombenwarnungen auf dem Campus zu Beginn des Monats als Routinedrohung abgehakt und keine verschÃ¤rften SicherheitsmaÃŸnahmen angeordnet. Der Amoklauf begann einem Mitstudenten zufolge nach einem Streit des TÃ¤ters mit seiner Freundin. Der SchÃ¼tze habe seine Freundin im Streit erschossen, berichtete am Dienstag ein taiwanesischer Student in einem Interview des taiwanesischen Kabelfernsehkanals CTI aus den USA. Einen Mann, der den Streit schlichten wollte, habe er ebenfalls getÃ¶tet. Am Schwarzen Brett der UniversitÃ¤t hatten Studenten spÃ¤ter eine Botschaft angepinnt. "Unsere Gedanken und Gebete sind bei der Technischen UniversitÃ¤t von Virginia und bei allen, die von den Ereignissen am 16. April betroffen sind." Das Blutbad in Blacksburg gilt als das schwerste Massaker mit Schusswaffen in der Geschichte der Vereinigten Staaten. ADRIENNE WOLTERSDORF "mit freundlicher Genehmigung der taz - die tageszeitung" -- UrsprÃ¼ngliche Quelle: taz, die tageszeitung http://www.taz.de/index.php?id=archiv&dig=2007/04/18/a0141
Adrienne Woltersdorf / taz Entwicklungs GmbH & Co. Medien KG
A Facebook message I received on April 18th from a girl with my same name who attends school in California: Dear Aislynn, This may be a lame attempt to bridge some sort of metaphysical gap with a complete stranger, but here goes. I am a world away from you, here in California where the sun was shining bright and unassuming overhead on the day that terror ravaged your campus. There were murmurs of violence by midmorning, but by the hours of the late afternoon, everyone knew. I don't have anything else to say other than I don't know what to do with myself as the hours continue onward - everything I worried about yesterday seems too trivial for words... I can't imagine how you feel or the aftershock of the cataclysmic events you and your peers endured yesterday. I just feel as if nothing is real- except for Virginia Tech. I do not know you, or anyone who lost their life in yesterday's events. But there is something profound I feel - my thoughts and prayers are with you and your peers. I feel very small knowing of the devastation that must grip you, but not actually being able to empathize, to begin to conceive such momentous grief. You and your peers- all those who are broken as a result of yesterday's events- you are in my heart and on my mind constantly. Nothing else is as important as the profound and enduring message of love and human camaraderie. From me to you, across the country, I send all of my love and support. I realize these are intangible sentiments, but they are all I have to offer. Love, Aislynn A message from a girl I went to high school with: aislynn- lately, you've been on my heart a lot and i have been meaning to get ahold of you to see how you are, but as lame as an excuse as it is, i've been busy with school. today i went over to tech and visited the tent on the drill field, as i was going around i caught sight of a coffee cup with message on it that was just heartbreaking. i thanked God for not letting this person be harmed and though how hard it must be for the person who wrote it and how confused they must be. and then i saw that it had been written by you. and i lost it. i want you to know that i am so thankful that you were not in norris. i want you to also know that i know your heart is weary as is mine and that it is ok to be confused and sad. you're are such a wonderful person aislynn!! i love you soo soo much and miss you like crazy. i met karla at young life camp about two years ago and she said she knew you and i thought that was so great because i remembered having drivers ed together and how much lame fun we had :) if you need anything, please let me know. i'm praying. peace, logan
Status Anxiety and What Happened at Virginia Tech Pt. 1
By now the mass media has inundated you with coverage of the Virginia Tech massacre, but I don't want to rehash the details of the event. I want to take a deeper look at a possible motive. Some people will argue about gun control, or the failure of the mental health community. While these are salient issues they miss what I gathered from the videos to be an overarching reason behind his rampage. He like many school gunman before him felt inferior to his peers. He turned this "status anxiety" inward until it manifested in a maniacal rampage. Status Anxiety, I'm pretty sure that the people living in Rublyovo know all about it. From what I've heard Los Angeles is right up there too (I'll let you know this summer). Increasingly and unexpectedly another type of high status local has begun to emerge in previously quite towns like Bloomington, IN. That's right, university towns are working hard to be included in the same breathe as other high status locals. It used to be that college was a time when people ate ramen and being "poor" was rite of passage. Not anymore. I'm sure that some students still have a tough time at college, but increasingly the term poor college kid is a joke. Youth and excess money make these towns the perfect starting place for status anxiety. Before we go on lets give a quick explanation of status anxiety before I am labeled a communist and you quit reading. The basis of the problem can be summed up by William James's simple equation Self Esteem = Success Expectations The problem is that in our modern society expectations continue to rise at rates that are unattainable for most people. This creates a rise in levels of status anxiety which translates into a rise in levels of concern about importance, achievement, and income. What happens then is that self-esteem suffers. People feel anxious about their lives. They feel that life is not amounting to what they expected. In the worst case scenarios like the one at Virginia Tech people take out their frustrations on others who they perceive as having the success they so desire. One University of Kentucky student put it this way "I think the biggest pressure would probably be social. Being at the right bars or parties on the weekend and then for girls the right fashion, outside the sorority I guess it would probably be the same." These feelings are all part of a trend that has been going on for some time now. One author Alain de Botton in his book titled Status Anxiety identifies the ignominious nature of this problem. He notes that the sharp decline in actual deprivation found in many western societies paradoxically increases the sense of deprivation and fear of it. Even in America a nation blessed with riches and possibilities far beyond those imaginable to our ancestors we continue to believe that nothing is ever enough. Now you might being say to yourself I have no desire to be Donald Trump, but what if one of your closest friends got rich. Take for example this weeks episode of the HBO uberstatus series Entourage. In the episode Ari (rich Hollywood agent) has an old friend come for a visit. He believes that his old frat buddy is managing a Hooters somewhere back east. When he finds out that he made 65 million dollars from stamps.com and got a beautiful young fiance he gets jealous. Botton makes note of this psychological phenomenon that sees us comparing ourselves mostly to our closest friends our "reference group". It is their relative successes that creates the most status anxiety. In Part 2 tomorrow we look more closely a Bottons reasons for how we got here and how we can break free from our status anxiety. Pt. 2 Tomorrow (Click Here) Posted on Wednesday, May 2, 2007 at 12:26AM by AJ Meyer -- Original Source: http://www.hiphoosier.com/the-beat/2007/5/2/status-anxiety-and-what-happened-at-virginia-tech-pt-1.html Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5.
Status Anxiety Pt. 2: How Did We Get Here...How Do We Get Out
Yesterday we talked about Status Anxiety and how it related to the Virginia Tech shootings. Today we continue talking about it and focus in on Alain de Button's book by the same title Status Anxiety. Part of understanding Status anxiety is viewing the transition from status that was given by heredity to a system where people who don't earn status are seen as failures. The example used in Alain de Button's book is that of Christianity the major religion of western societies and the one that the VT shooter ranted about in the infamous videos sent to NBC. The gospels have three stories that Jesus told during his life time that provide an example of how people were viewed. The first story is summarized as, "The poor are not responsible for their condition and are the most useful in society." The second story says, "Low status has no moral connotations," and the final story says, "The rich are sinful and corrupt and owe their wealth to their robbery of the poor," aka, "It is harder for a rich man to enter heaven than it is for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle." Now contrast those with the stories that have emerged in our western societies. The first of these says, "The rich are the useful ones, not the poor." The second says, "One's status does have moral connotations," and the final alteration to the stories surmises that, "The poor are sinful and corrupt and owe their poverty to their stupidity." This is a form of meritocracy. In this system, "all persons, however humble, know they have had every chance...If they have been labeled dunce repeatedly they cannot any longer pretend...Are they not bound to recognize that they have an inferior status, not as in the past because they were denied opportunity, but because they ARE inferior." All of this plays into the recent shootings because something of this magnitude generates questions that demand answers. Questions like, how could this have be prevented? What causes people to act out in such a violent fashion? Is there anything that we can do to prevent these types of incidents in the future? The shooter at Virginia Tech really doesn't stand out from other recent school shootings because in each case the shooters had similar personalities. Whether we are thinking of the killers from Columbine or the most recent shooting at Virginia Tech the common thread is people who are unhappy about their status in life. So how do we stop this from happening again? How do we beat this. Alain de Botton shares some suggestions that have worked in the past and continue to work in various degrees. He lists these as philosophy, intelligent misanthropy, art, Christianity, and finally bohemia. The book goes into great detail on each of these solutions, but the common theme is that they help people find value in their lives despite what those around them might be saying or despite what society at large is pushing upon them. John Ruskin is quoted in Button's book and in my estimation does a good job summing up the problem and the solution. He says, "There is not wealth but life, life including all its powers of love, of joy and of admiration. That country is richest which nourishes the greatest number of noble and happy human beings; that man is richest who, having perfected the function of his own life to the utmost." My hope is that the few people that read this stop comparing themselves to everyone else and start living their lives. John Lennon famously said, "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans. " Could this be translated as 'life is what happens when we're comparing ourselves to others?' I know I too have experienced this reality. The hope is that in the future we will learn to recognize more situations that are happening right here right now. Personally I would be fine with becoming successful or popular or even having money. In fact I think status anxiety in moderation is a good thing. I just don't want you and I to HAVE to get rich, famous, or powerful to view our lives as a success. I'm sure that the VT shooter was a disturbed person and might have needed hospitalization, medication, and more but there are other people out there right now who just want to be recognized for the person they are . Can't we do more of this? I for one am going to try. Posted on Thursday, May 3, 2007 at 12:29AM AJ Meyer -- Original Source: http://www.hiphoosier.com/the-beat/2007/5/3/status-anxiety-pt-2-how-did-we-get-herehow-do-we-get-out.html Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5.
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It's a tribute done and aired shortly following the events of Virginia Tech on WUSY in Chattanooga, TN. It includes music from Kenny Chesney and Martina McBride with audio from news accounts and the service held on campus with President George W Bush.
VT Written by Al Shoemaker In memory of those who died at Virginia Tech, May they always be with us This poem is dedicated to all that were lost, Because someone wanted power and lives were the cost For all the ones that sat there in fear, For all the ones that shed many tears, And for the ones who lost their loved ones, so kind and dear We give a salute to all of them that tried to protect, From a foolish madman that had a defect Admiration should be given to all those that went to a better place, Because their bravery shined, that moment they looked death in the face For all the ones that suffered grief, We hope very much that their pain will only be brief Many sat there in caution, petrified like stone, As that bad man took many lives, before he took his own This is for all the ones who managed to stay so strong, During that horrible moment, that felt so very long They had to be so brave, to be so filled with hope, And we wish good for the families, who are now trying to cope Now is the time to spread peace and love, In remembrance of the ones that now float above No one knows why this era has already become such a sad time, But now we must stand up, to prevent such similar crimes We must stop other things from going on now, How this became such a scary world, no one really knows how We need to stop murders, racism, gang violence and gay bashing, And we need to stop theft, violence, and window smashing So let's help all the victims, families, and survivors and show that we all care, Help them on their feet and help them recover from this scare, And clean this death and sorrow out of our air, So now we want to give love, to those whose dreams were wrecked, And everyone else, who was there at Virginia Tech -- Author's Comments It was very tragic, what happened a few days ago at Virginia Tech, so I wrote this poem in honor of the victims, survivors, families, and everyone else related to Virginia Tech, and to inspire others to help the cause. May all the lost ones rest in peace. -- Original submitted to deviantart.com on April 18, 2007: http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/53501916/ Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 License.
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By: Alaina Busch Posted: 4/30/07 Representatives from Ohio's colleges and universities will meet today as part of a statewide effort to address campus security issues and concerns. Today's meeting is the first for the Campus Security Task Force, formed at the request of Gov. Ted Strickland after the Virginia Tech shootings. "The effort is to ensure the communication and response efforts are better than adequate,"said Strickland spokesman Keith Dailey. The Ohio Board of Regents organized the discussion-based group composed of more than 70 representatives from Ohio's public and private colleges and universities. The representatives will meet by videoconference at eight sites throughout the state, including the Ohio Supercomputer Center in Columbus. The Board of Regents is a nine-member panel that coordinates higher education policy in Ohio and makes recommendations to the governor and General Assembly. Chancellor of Higher Education Eric Fingerhut said each university's president and board of trustees are legally responsible for their campus safety. He said the task force will first identify the best practices available and then decide what the state can do to be more helpful. "There is value in sharing plans," Fingerhut said. The task force will compare safety practices and recommend future actions to the governor based on their findings. Depending on how the group's ideas evolve, the outcome could include a statewide coordination of safety practices or a legislation proposal, said Fingerhut. Rick Amweg, assistant chief of University Police, and Todd Stewart, director of OSU's program for International and Homeland Security, represent OSU along with students Sean McKinniss and Jamie Levine. "Students are on the front line in the efforts to prevent," Fingerhut said. "Students bring a very important perspective to this." Levine, a first-year MBA student, said it is important to compare resources and share ideas. "The causes are bigger than one university," she said, citing gun control policies and mental health issues as areas of consideration. Levine worked in downtown Washington D.C. during the Sept. 11 attacks as an undergraduate student at American University. She said she experienced first-hand campus safety issues when her campus was evacuated because of bomb threats. "In reality, there's no way to prevent this," she said. "You can do things to mitigate them, but you can't live in fear." Alaina Busch can be reached at busch.61@osu.edu. -- Original Source:The Lantern - April 30, 2007
Por Alberto Benegas Lynch (H) 6 de junio de 2007 DespuÃ©s de mucho escrutar con atenciÃ³n buena parte de las reacciones que se sucedieron a raÃ­z de la masacre en la Universidad de Virginia Tech en Estados Unidos, me surgen dos consideraciones. En primer lugar, observo que estÃ¡ muy generalizada la idea de que el problema radica en la tenencia de armas de fuego. A pesar de esta difundida creencia, quisiera destacar que siempre son los asaltantes y criminales los que tendrÃ¡n armas y que la prohibiciÃ³n de contar con armamentos desarma a las vÃ­ctimas. Se suele caricaturizar el problema con un pÃ³ster en el que aparece el rostro de un monstruo bajo el cual se introduce el siguiente interrogante: "Â¿usted permitirÃ­a a que esta persona porte armas?", sin percibir que ese es, precisamente, quien las portarÃ¡ en desmedro de sus vÃ­ctimas. En EE.UU. la ConstituciÃ³n garantiza la tenencia y porte de armas debido a que tradicionalmente los ciudadanos de aquel paÃ­s han visto a gobernantes como simples empleados para protegerlos. Estiman peligroso desarmarse, del mismo modo que las personas considerarÃ­an peligroso desarmarse y entregar todas sus armas a los guardianes que contratan en un barrio. Por otra parte, CÃ©sar BeccarÃ­a, el precursor del Derecho Penal, sostiene que prohibir las armas a particulares "serÃ­a lo mismo que prohibir el uso del fuego porque quema o del agua porque ahoga [...] Las leyes que prohÃ­ben el uso de armas son de la misma naturaleza: desarman a quienes no estÃ¡n inclinados a cometer crÃ­menes [...] Leyes de ese tipo hacen las cosas mÃ¡s difÃ­ciles para los asaltados y mÃ¡s fÃ¡ciles para los asaltantes, sirven para estimular el homicidio en lugar de prevenirlo ya que un hombre desarmado puede ser asaltado con mÃ¡s seguridad por el asaltante". No es por casualidad que los Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, Mao y Castro de nuestro mundo, como primera medida, confiscan las armas de los gobernados. No es por casualidad, que los mayores exponentes de la sociedad abierta son partidarios de la tenencia de armas entre los particulares, como, por ejemplo, es el caso de CicerÃ³n, Ulpiano, Hugo Grotius, Locke, Algernon Sydney, Montesquieu, Edward Coke, Blakstone, George Washington, George Mason, Adams, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson y Jellinek. En segundo tÃ©rmino, en estas lÃ­neas quiero destacar el coraje del profesor de la mencionada casa de estudios Liviu Librescu quien ofreciÃ³ su vida por defender a sus alumnos del asesino serial, hoy por todos conocido. El ingeniero Librescu, por su condiciÃ³n de judÃ­o, habÃ­a estado en un campo de concentraciÃ³n en Rumania, su paÃ­s natal, a manos de los sicarios nazis. A travÃ©s de la historia aparece muy manoseada y bastardeada la expresiÃ³n "hÃ©roe" ya que se la suele aplicar no para hazaÃ±as que revelan coraje moral sino para ciertas sandeces guerreras que nada tienen que ver con la heroicidad. En este caso, debemos rendir tributo a un genuino hÃ©roe, quien, ademÃ¡s de sus cualidades intelectuales, ha demostrado que los padecimientos generados por la canallada nacionalsocialista, en lugar de amedrentarlo, reforzaron un notable sentido de dignidad y respeto por las vidas que salvÃ³. En Virginia Tech, los alumnos y profesores le rindieron justiciero tributo a este memorable personaje, es de desear que la masacre no desvÃ­e la atenciÃ³n hacia propuestas que en nada ayudan a resolver la hecatombe que horrorizÃ³ a todas las personas civilizadas del planeta. -- Fuente Original: El Instituto Independiente http://independent.typepad.com/elindependent/2007/06/de_armas_y_hroe.html
Gabriel Gasave Reasearch Analyst Center On Global Prosperity The Independent Institute ggasave@independent.org August 01, 2007
Artist's Comments ? Lay me on the ground Fly me in the sky Show me where to look Tell me what will I find... Teach me how to speak Teach me how to share Teach me where to go Tell me will love be there Will love be there? - Shine by Collective Soul This is Seung-hui Cho aka "Question Mark", the gunman of the Virginia Tech Massacre. -- Original submitted to deviantart.com on April 24, 2007: http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/53906656/ Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 License.
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Publicado por Alex 4/19/2007 10:13:00 AM Veintitres aÃ±os. Treinta y dos cadÃ¡veres. Una Universidad y un resentimiento compartido que vuelve a reabrir el debate sobre las armas de fuego en los Estados Unidos de AmÃ©rica y su uso tan poco controlado como aseguran las propias vÃ­ctimas y familiares de la matanza del Virginia Tech. Cho Seung-Hui es un estudiante surcoreano que estuvo ingresado en un psiquiÃ¡trico en 2005, un hecho que hace preguntarse a los afectados un "porquÃ©" al tan poco control de esta situaciÃ³n, un "porquÃ©" al tan facil acceso a las armas de fuego (simplemente con un cuestionario a la ARF y las huellas dactilares es suficiente en la mayorÃ­a de los Estados, 18 aÃ±os necesarios para armas largas como rifle de uso habitual para caza y 21 para armas de mano (EFE) El homicida, ahora vilipendiado y criticado ahÃ­ donde se oye su nombre, tenÃ­a desde hace tiempo una conducta violenta y que sus compaÃ±eros llegaron a temer; y que ahora se preguntan si todo esto no se podrÃ­a haber evitado. A lo largo de Internet, este apoyo masivo no se llegaba a conocer desde los atentados del 11-S o del 11-M, y ahora la simple menciÃ³n de Virginia en logs de todo tipo o anuncios en principios informativos se ha convertido inevitablemente en un primer resultado en todos los buscadores de la net. Es mÃ¡s, a lo largo de los blogs como en el que estamos ahora mismo se han dejado caer una serie de comentarios de lo mÃ¡s variados, como podemos ver aquÃ­, o aquÃ­. (No es de mÃ¡s ver que en technorati, una herramienta que une a gran parte de los blogs que existen en el mundo la matanza de Virginia Tech es lo mÃ¡s buscado) Desde aquÃ­ y desde casi toda la net, se han repetido una continuada serie de avisos, comentarios y apoyo a los afectados. Entre ellos, por ejemplo podemos ver los comentarios dejados por los lectores de El PaÃ­s, o de cualquier otro log o lugar improvisado a lo largo de la red que se ha vuelto en un apoyo masivo en una lanza de crespones negros, palomas al viento y que cada vez recuerda mÃ¡s al movimiento popular y humano que se ha generado tanto dentro como fuera de las fronteras estadounidenses, mas dentro de estas cabe destacar el ya popularmente conocido como "movimiento naranja", por el uniforme universitario del equipo de rugby, un movimiento que tocÃ³ su hito mÃ¡s importante en la concentraciÃ³n de familiares, alumnos y profesores en los pasados dÃ­as en los que se encendieron cientos de velas como recuerdo a los fallecidos. Ahora bien, con tal de que comprendais hasta dÃ³nde ha llegado este hecho, quisiera vincularos una serie de pÃ¡ginas en las que se referencia este trÃ¡gico hecho, como periÃ³dicos en los que se habla de esto a lo largo del globo como es el caso de El ClarÃ­n de Argentina, El Comercio de Ecuador, o El Universal de MÃ©xico en cuanto al habla hispana que compartimos, pero de igual manera quisiera relacionar una serie de pÃ¡ginas que me han llamado la atenciÃ³n por la repercusiÃ³n no ya mediÃ¡tica sino humana que conlleva, desde el apoyo incondicional de estudiantes de todo el mundo como sucede en facebook, un lugar de encuentro; casi rozando el morbo con la publicaciÃ³n de unas obras de teatro de caracter macabro del homicida; hasta un artÃ­culo en la wikipedia que sin duda ayude a recordar este trÃ¡gico suceso, mÃ¡s allÃ¡ de cualquier controversia. -- Fuente Original: Vade Retro http://norvae.blogspot.com/ Licencia de uso: Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial-SinObraDerivada 2.5 EspaÃ±a.
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Letters to the Editor - Shootings shed light on Taser incident
Monday's tragic shooting at Virginia Tech is the kind of event that provokes a nationwide outpouring of support, sympathy and questions - questions about the killer, his motives and what could have been done to prevent 33 students from needlessly dying. Campus security, in particular, has received a lot of scrutiny. Why were classes allowed to continue after shots were fired and students were killed early in the morning? The problem with such questions is that it is easy to ask them accusatorily in the wake of so many deaths. When nobody dies - when security clamps down on threatening behavior before it reaches such a drastic extreme - the questions asked are very different. In November, here at UCLA, there was another incident that received nationwide coverage - the use of a Taser gun on a student. Hundreds of people are in the campus library late at night, paying little attention to their surroundings. Per school policy, campus security officers perform student ID checks. One man refused to show his ID. Now stop and think: Is this man an unarmed student or an unstable psychotic with a cache of weapons in his backpack? At this point, you don't know and neither do the police. The police only know that he is uncooperative and cannot prove that he has a right to be in the library. So they use their Taser guns. If the police had found weapons in the student's backpack, they would have been hailed as heroes. Instead, they were vilified. We know the odds are against the student being a homicidal maniac, even if he is uncooperative with police. But should the police have taken a chance against an uncooperative individual? When a campus is open, like UCLA's, anyone can walk onto school grounds armed to the teeth. The beeper may go off when you try to carry a book out of the building, but not if you walk in with a pair of handguns. The aphorism "better safe than sorry" exists for a reason. Alex Fineman UCLA law student -- Original Source: The Daily Bruin - April 23, 2007
By: Alex Sanders Posted: 4/25/07 Once the chaos at Virginia Tech subsided, students began to seek answers. Questions rapidly arose after authorities discovered Cho Seung-Hui was the cause of the tragedy. Of course, one of the first questions was, why did he do it? Immediately after the shooting, the university worked with the authorities, sifting through student interviews and Cho's medical history, to figure out what could have possibly influenced somebody to carry out the largest mass shooting in U.S. history. ABC News reported, "in December 2005 - more than a year before Monday's mass shootings - a district court in Montgomery County, Va., ruled that Cho presented "an imminent danger to self or others." That was the necessary criterion for a detention order, so that Cho ... could be evaluated by a state doctor and ordered to undergo outpatient care." However, while receiving outpatient care, the doctor specifically evaluated him as a threat to himself due to mental illness, and not a threat to others. Because of this, his records were kept confidential and by law, the university didn't have a right to know, and they certainly didn't have the right to pull him out of school. This case provides significant evidence that privacy laws concerning mental illness need to be changed. We will never really know if the Virginia Tech shootings could have been prevented, but if the privacy laws concerning mental illness are altered, it is highly unlikely that a shooting of this nature will occur again. Numerous signs pointed to Cho as a possible danger. He had complaints of stalking and sending threatening messages, thinking suicidal thoughts, and writing violent stories. Granted, the state cannot remove a student from school for being troubled or behaving oddly, but they should at least be allowed to alert the university. Instead of strict privacy laws, counseling centers and state institutions should be able to flag students with suspicious behavior or concerning mental illness symptoms. They do not have to breach confidentiality by explaining symptoms or problems, but they can subtly and vaguely alert the university so that it can keep an eye on the student. This way, the school is safe rather than sorry. In Cho's case, I think confidentiality should have been violated, and I also think it should be violated in the future if necessary. If a few people suspect odd behavior in a student, that may be a cause to alert the university and have them watch the student closely. But in Cho's case, numerous people noticed his odd behavior and almost tangible rage expressed through his macabre writing. Because so many people noticed Cho's behavior, the university should have been alerted of his full symptoms. Although it is a breach of confidentiality, it could have possibly saved 32 lives. Consider the fact Cho committed suicide after the massacre. Once deceased, confidentiality is no longer an issue. Hence, if a student is suspected suicidal or homicidal, confidentiality should most certainly be breached. Privacy should not matter when others' lives are at risk Cho fit the typical profile of someone who is homicidal. His personality was identical to other school shooters. According to CBS News, a study was done after the Columbine massacre showing a pattern in the personalities of the shooters. "Most school attacks come from loners with some kind of grievance," the report said. Many attackers felt bullied or persecuted by others, the study also said. More than half had revenge as a motive." Cho, like the shooters at Columbine, was seeking some sort of revenge. Cho did not make it clear against whom he was seeking revenge, but his writings told of an allegedly fictional pedophilic and homicidal stepfather. In his story, he devoted a paragraph to condemning his stepfather to death. The story reads, "Must kill Dick. Must kill Dick. Dick must die." Although writing is therapeutic, and it is healthy to express pent-up anger through writing, the rage the expressed was nearly palpable; he did not simply show vivid emotions. Additionally, many students do not express such violent thoughts in school assignments. Many write in a journal so they are able to express their thoughts while keeping their emotions private. The expression of Cho's violent thoughts should be seen as a cry for help or a warning rather than a simple worry about emotional problems. If privacy laws are changed, tragic massacres like the one that occurred at Virginia Tech can be prevented. I am not saying that confidentiality laws are pointless, but there are ways state mental institutions and counseling centers can compromise with the university or school. Counselors already warn students that they may have to take action if they suspect suicide or homicide. They should add schools and universities to the list of people alerted to the patient's condition. Even if counselors do not have proof of suicide or homicide, they should have the right to legally disclose suspicions to the university. Many people will not outwardly admit they are suicidal or homicidal, but they may give hints. Because of this, it is much safer for counselors to hedge their bets on suspicions rather than to risk students' lives. Unfortunately, school shootings are becoming ever more common. Because of this, we need an updated privacy policy that simultaneously ensures pubic safety while keeping some form of confidentiality in effect. -- Original Source:The Daily Campus - April 25, 2007
I left Blacksburg close to three years ago after attending Virginia Tech for both undergraduate and graduate school. I never thought that my sleepy alma mater tucked in the Blue Ridge Mountains could be the site of such a horrific tragedy. My friends from VT have all expressed a desire to be in Blacksburg right now to take part in the grieving. We also agree that for now it is the place of the current students and faculty to deal with the loss within the local community. Since I couldn't be at the candlelight vigil tonight, this is my small display of solidarity. I'm thankful that my remaining friends in Blacksburg are safe. My thoughts go out to the current residents of Blacksburg and everyone that is involved personally in this senseless tragedy. Original source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/outcircuittheend/463434996/ Photo Courtesy of Alex Taylor
Permission: Alex Taylor http://www.flickr.com/photos/outcircuittheend/463434996/