Of course everyone is talking about the Virginia Tech murders. In reading a few
media accounts, I'm irritated, as usual, at their slant.It seems that any something like this happens,
the media basically blame all the authorities involved. 'They should have
locked down the campus,' 'why didn't they realize how disturbed he was,' 'why
weren't students warned'.
From everything I've read, it sounds like Cho Seung-Ho was given all the help that anyone can give to an adult who isn't really interested in help. He was considered a threat to himself, not to others. The young ladies who filed charges dropped them once he stopped pestering them, probably because they didn't think he was dangerous to others, just really bothering them, and he hadn't really done anything illegal, so the police couldn't do anything.
After the dorm murders, it was thought that the violence was over and the search for the killer was on. It is rare that a person kills a few people, waits 2 hours, then kills other, uninvolved people in another area. There was no reason to suspect that this was going to escalate, or that any escalation would happen so soon. Locking down the campus and 'warning' students would have caused panic that, in nearly every case would have been unfounded. Unfortunately, in this case it may have saved lives but it is unclear that this is true. Had Cho been confined to his dorm, he probably would have killed residents there, instead. He was on a mission in his mind. I doubt it mattered to him who he killed, just that he took people with him when he shot himself.
Working with students on a college campus I can empathize with the people involved with Cho. You see a person who desperately needs help but won't open up to people who obviously want to help. You make suggestions as to how they might alleviate their pain and they ignore it. You end up watching helplessly as their life spins out of control. Usually the person isn't a danger to others, but even if they are there is little you can do until they actually do something illegal or overtly threatening. These are young adults we are talking about. They have the right to refuse help, the right to create disturbing plays and poetry, the right to hate. They have the right to destroy their own lives. It is tragic and frustrating, and yet all we can do is continue to reach out to them and hope they reach back before it's too late.
My heart goes out to the victims, their families, their friends. I hope they can soon let go of any fear that there is more they could have done.
From everything I've read, it sounds like Cho Seung-Ho was given all the help that anyone can give to an adult who isn't really interested in help. He was considered a threat to himself, not to others. The young ladies who filed charges dropped them once he stopped pestering them, probably because they didn't think he was dangerous to others, just really bothering them, and he hadn't really done anything illegal, so the police couldn't do anything.
After the dorm murders, it was thought that the violence was over and the search for the killer was on. It is rare that a person kills a few people, waits 2 hours, then kills other, uninvolved people in another area. There was no reason to suspect that this was going to escalate, or that any escalation would happen so soon. Locking down the campus and 'warning' students would have caused panic that, in nearly every case would have been unfounded. Unfortunately, in this case it may have saved lives but it is unclear that this is true. Had Cho been confined to his dorm, he probably would have killed residents there, instead. He was on a mission in his mind. I doubt it mattered to him who he killed, just that he took people with him when he shot himself.
Working with students on a college campus I can empathize with the people involved with Cho. You see a person who desperately needs help but won't open up to people who obviously want to help. You make suggestions as to how they might alleviate their pain and they ignore it. You end up watching helplessly as their life spins out of control. Usually the person isn't a danger to others, but even if they are there is little you can do until they actually do something illegal or overtly threatening. These are young adults we are talking about. They have the right to refuse help, the right to create disturbing plays and poetry, the right to hate. They have the right to destroy their own lives. It is tragic and frustrating, and yet all we can do is continue to reach out to them and hope they reach back before it's too late.
My heart goes out to the victims, their families, their friends. I hope they can soon let go of any fear that there is more they could have done.
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