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A most terrible tragedy, but what are we going to take away from this as a realistic and practical lesson for the future. It is understandable that all angles of this incident will be examined and lots of could have and should have commentary will be exhaustively presented. The reality is that there is and always will be people capable of commiting extreme and irrational acts of violence. There is no way to effectively screen and identify a good amount of them and then of course our system of social and criminal justice will not allow for identifying and segragating individuals based on probabilities. As a few posters have already correctly surmised we cannot fall into the trap of playing the blame game. Our schools at all levels cannot really become maximum security fortresses and any attempts to make them so, especially college campuses, will fail. The sad reality of life in our world is that we all live with a level of risk and it is this risk that requires us to reflect on possible scenarios of unexpected chaos and violence and how we can best react to maximize chances of surviving. A good many of us were not brought up to envision being involved in traumatic and stressful incidents and how to react, but it makes sense to open up dialog on how to at different levels fight back at aggressors to minimize loss of life. Reliance on security and law enforcement to eliminate the hazzard or interevene effectively at all times is not going work all of the time. I spent a career in law enforcement and in military service as well and have seen too many victims. Now is the time to mourn the loss suffered by so many at VT, but life goes on and unfortunately history shows that horrific acts are a part of life.
Osjo73-I have to agree with you in questioning the whole "lock down" thing-your right-you could lock the shooter in How terrifying to be in that situation. What an unbelievably selfless man that professor was. This incident is just heartbreaking. I have a lump in my throat and tears stinging my eyes as i'm watching CNN-so sad
The only good thing is the gunman committed suicide. They should've thrown him into the looney bin when they first determined he was nuts. You see what gun control gets you, ambushed.
Why should the Korean government even BE SORRYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am about to have a heart attack!
The cold-killer was American.... American of Korean descent you could say.. But logically American!
I have only heard once about concern of a backlash of Koreans.
Let me take you on a history lesson...
Back to the early 1990's...
Remember the Riots?
How one lady slipped [even after a girl stole something from the lady and punched her]
.... and caused thousands of Korean stores to be looted and destroyed....
Don't you think Koreans have reason to be on alert even in a small way...
Have you seen the candlelight vigils, sorrow, tears in Korea for the victims?
Have you seen the deeply affected hearts of the Korean people?
This is truly sad for America, Korea, and the whole world.
Korea has such a bad image in this world. Everything just seems to go wrong. But the Korean people are a strong people. How could Koreans survive without being strong? First the genoicide of the Nazis, the division of Korea at America and allied country's/Soviet hands without a Korean say in thing's, thousand's South Korean people killed by American troops during the Korean War because of accidental poisining, the deaths of two young school girl's, the list goes on.
Thousands of Koreans died in the Nagasaki/Hiroshima atomic bombing as they were working there as Japanese slaves.
So you see, there are bad people everywhere.
Just learn to live, forgive, and remember those who lost their lives including the angels at Virginia Tech. It is impossible now to express the emotion I am feeling now.
Race should not be a matter, we are all people and in America, we are all Americans!
Totally agree. Cannot understand the media's need to stress his ethniticity. Creating trouble and animosity if you ask me.
Watching the news tonight, I do not think the media is focusing on the fact that Cho was a South Korean national. The footage of his "manifesto" and the photos he took of himself menacing the camera--they make me feel very sorry for him. He repeats themes about being raped many times, once on camera on two times in his plays. This indicates that he may possibly have been molested as a child. Also it seems he was deeply angry with his father.
Cho also referred to the Columbine killers, hinting that he felt that he, too, was the victim of bullying.
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How terrifying to be in that situation. What an unbelievably selfless man that professor was. This incident is just heartbreaking. I have a lump in my throat and tears stinging my eyes as i'm watching CNN-so sad
