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Virginia Tech Questions
Posted by: sj on April 20, 2007 at 8:29AM EST

As the news coverage of the Virginia Tech tragedy continues, more facts are coming to light about what a troubled boy the shooter was. Which leads to so many questions that probably don't have satisfactory answers. I haven't watched full coverage-- I really can't bear to stay focused on what happened, but I have seen the photos of the shooter with his guns, and heard that much of what he wrote is disturbing and angry. I guess the most troubling aspect, is the fact that his behavior has concerned many people over a long period of time, and very few took any action to get help for Cho to protect himself and others. The people that did try to do something seemed to hit deadends in their assistance. I know it is easy in hindsight, to say something should have been done, but how do we stop people like this from falling through the cracks? How many times have I walked around or away from people that made me uncomfortable? Whose job is it to pay attention? Is it mine, or can I say it is someone else's fault? How do we learn from this?

(2) Answers
Posted by: Linda Major-Zellars on April 21, 2007 8:36PM EST
The reason for so much violence; the reason there are so many school-shootings; even in colleges & universities is because people today do not take mental health seriously. We, too often, push the mentally ill aside, sweep them under the rug; as if they don't matter. We tell ourselves, "They are all crazy anyway." Then they 'crack', and it's too late.
What we need to do is stop avoiding the mentally ill. Embrace them, help them, give them the support that they need to rise up into the ranks of normality. Unless we change our attitudes, and reach out to the mentally ill, these kinds of school massacres are never going to end.
Linda R. Major

Posted by: Daisy on April 20, 2007 9:22AM EST
That's a very good question, Whose job is it to pay attention? I don't know. We have been taught through experience to be so cautious of people and situations that make us uncomfortable so the natural reaction is to walk away and take yourself out of the situation. That is exactly what I tell my children to do. I guess I would have to say that it looks like the administration did everything they could do, as well as campus police in investigating these past allegations and concerns, sooo... my question is , where were his parents and family in all of this? Surely they had to have seen signs of his mental instability. So where were they?

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