It's disappointing to see Matt Apuzzo's AP article making the rounds today that has the narrative of the Virginia Tech mass murderer as victim. He wasn't -- at least no more than any other person who ever existed has been. He'd been writing the script of his life for a long time and input from any characters other than himself wasn't necessary. As Gavin De Becker noted in his book "The Gift of Fear", a scriptwriter asks the questions, answers them for you, then gets mad when he doesn't like what he hears. His "manifesto" is no different from any of the dozens of others we've seen in the aftermath of workplace violence: it offers a justification for the unjustifiable and presents as unpreventable something that was entirely within his control. A violent psychopath doesn't need you to do anything to him before he hates you, and wouldn't appreciate a kindness from you if one were offered. Whatever you do is suspect because it's being filtered through a twisted mind.
Don't waste any more sympathy on this creep than you would for a workplace murderer. There's nothing magical that this happened on a school campus. Cho was a grown man who went postal.
A different and more accurate narrative has been put forth by Cho's grandfather:
US university campus killer Cho Seung-hui "deserved to die", his grandfather was reported to have said in UK papers today.Kim Hyang-Sik, 82, told the Mirror Cho was a "trouble-causer who has destroyed his mother's life".
Speaking from his South Korean home, Kim said: "Son of a bitch. It serves him right he died with his victims".
A son of a bitch who destroyed a lot of people's lives.
Due to all the coverage, particularly the airing of Cho's videos, and the new narrative of Cho as a po'baby, expect in the next few weeks more attacks. These incidents come in clusters and feed off each other. Cho referenced the Columbine killers; the next killer will reference Cho.
And as more interviews are done with his family, expect a picture to emerge of a spooky man who'd been a spooky little kid.
Posted by floridacracker at April 20, 2007 05:11 AMMickey Mantel was a boozer, but I never knew that he was puking in the locker room because at that time the press had the good sense to filter the news a little bit. I'm all for freedom of the press, but I'm just as glad that my 9 year old ears didn't hear any of the bad stuff about my hero.
But two days after this piece of crap goes on a psychotic rampage, the Ramboesque image of him holding a pair of guns in his outstretched arms has become iconic. How long before we see that same image on a tee shirt, with Buckwheat's head, and a caption that says 'Kill dem rich kids....O'-Tay'.
Stop showing the video. Stop showing his picture. Stop using his name. These things only serve to glorify this ass-wipe. He should be relegated to the dustbin of history before he becomes the poster boy for the next piece of crap........
Posted by: mike the bike at April 20, 2007 08:10 AMStart showing pictures of the victims. Start showing the names of the victims.
The victims are victims. Cho is a killer.
Posted by: Retread at April 20, 2007 03:11 PMPart of success in life is finding a way to survive
without 'lording' over others, AND not being one of those 'eternal victims'...you know.
Cho suffered from a well known ailment :
He was an egomaniac with an inferiority complex.
Obviously, he had a touch of terminal uniqueness, also.
I say he wasn't victimized enough- I know I wasn't the first to get my ass kicked, by people a lot bigger and meaner, and way more cruel than the routine shun he only got a taste of.
MOst of the really strong, well adjusted people I know faced way more adversity than Cho did..he just found a way to keep from admitting he was just like the rest of us.
And now, since the social engineers have us swallowing so much crap in the school system, why not 'Cho was the victim' ?
Everyone has been picked on or shunned at one time or another, and if they havent they need to be..lol.
I question that, since the school system has eliminated ALL the fun ways to pick on people, from when I was in school. I don't think he got his ass kicked enough.
Posted by: csason at April 21, 2007 06:25 AMAhhhh......the pussification of America theory....
I was going to bring that up, but figured I was already over the 'rant' line....
Posted by: mike the bike at April 21, 2007 08:49 AMThere is no possible justification for providing a stage for Cho.
I no more needed to see his gestures and expressions or hear his ranting to understand that he and his actions were evil than I need to see video of a drunk driver vomiting on himself before heading off down the road to take the lives of innocents. I pray that the sick among us will not draw "inspiration" from Cho's audio-visual assault.
Posted by: tfhr at April 21, 2007 03:38 PMThe public would never have been satisfied unless they had seen who this was, his "motivation", and what made him tick.
Your right about the twisted mind...the heart does color everything it sees and hears.
Others will come along and reference him of course, but he sited Jesus Christ. Other murderers have too, as well as drawn inspiration from literature, music, movies etc... It all depends (?)
What I have seen this week reminds me of "The Picture of Dorian Gray". The words, text, and images reflected his soiled, putrid heart, which also made the deaths of the victims even more tragic. I think that's why everyone has seen enough.
I agree with the other writer, he needed his ass kicked more often.
Instead of being shunned, I think it would have been the social stimulation he was craving.