Sure, no problem, here's the article (a little revised since I mentioned where I got my quotes from differently)
Okay, so I feel like maybe I should reflect on the Virginia Tech shooting.
I'm not American, but I've found myself stuck watching the news, and CNN ever since it happened. Cho Seung-Hui, he looks pretty normal, don't you think? Just looking at the photos of him. He doesn't remind you of the stereotypical killer, does he? I don't know, when I see photos of him, you can tell he's shy. I think the stories I've heard about his history, it puts pieces together, as to why he would go on a rampage like he did.
Thanks to
this link, I'm going to use some of their quotes from students on it.
"He was a loner, and we're having difficulty finding information about him," school spokesman Larry Hincker said.
Do you think that Cho was called a loner a lot? I do. It's been reported that he came to America, in 1992. He was young. I remember when I was in elementary, and highschool, we had our own little groups. When new students came to our schools, I remember we'd make fun of them, alienate them. We acted as though we were better than the new student, just because we were too young and stupid to take the time out and get to know them. Eventually, the new kid would make some friends, but there were always new kids I remember, being "Loners" because we would never let them become a part of our group of friends. Don't you think that's a little messed up of us to decide who should be friends, and who should be stuck by themselves because we're too afraid to go out of our own comfort zone to make someone feel welcomed and a part of our schools?
I think that it's ridiculous that students, even though they've been traumatized, to alienate their school and teachers because of this incident. Of COURSE you're going to be shaken up, but also, Cho killed himself, so it's not like he's on the loose and you're still in danger. How is it anybodies fault that this young man decided he couldn't take anymore and killed people? It's noones fault. I don't even believe that Cho should be 100 percent of the blame for this incident.
Do you think that maybe if Cho had had a better experience when he came to live in America, that he wouldn't have had depression problems? Or maybe he wouldn't have been a loner if someone had gone up and tried to be his friend? You need to look at it from his side of this. In 1992, Cho would have been roughly what, 8 years old? At 8, it's traumatizing to feel as though noone likes you, you're different, that makes you a bad person.
From what I've read, Cho didn't have any siblings, but I could be wrong. So if he didn't even have siblings, or any friends in America, what did he have exactly? He had nothing. His parents owned a drycleaning business, so of course, they weren't home all of the time.
The Chicago Tribune reported on its Web site that the note railed against "rich kids," "debauchery" and "deceitful charlatans" on campus. ABC, citing law enforcement sources, said that the note, several pages long, explains Cho's actions and says, "You caused me to do this" <p>
So I think one could assume, that Cho wasn't perhaps as well off as other kids he grew up with, maybe they made fun of him? One student commented in the article about how they even joked about him before this incident;
"We always joked we were just waiting for him to do something, waiting to hear about something he did," said another classmate, Stephanie Derry. "But when I got the call it was Cho who had done this, I started crying, bawling."
So do you think that Cho didn't hear these people talking about him? Making fun of him? He had no friends, so if it's reported that he stalked women, can you figure out why? If Cho had nobody, why wouldn't he cling onto anyone he had? There are all kinds of reports of children being brainwashed by video games at a rough age of 15,16 years old, and reports where some have killed others, as if they were in a real video game. But then when these children grow up in the jail system, they explain how they were young and did not know any better. I think this would be the same case for Cho.
His impression of America seems to be pretty crappy if you ask me. People talked about him, they never got to know him as a person, they commented on how he was so weird and wrote gross stories. Maybe he did need help? But where is anyone to help this lost soul?
Poor Cho, I don't think he would've been like this, if it weren't for us as a society, thinking we are better than someone, and letting our children make fun of someone because they are new and different.
I think deep down, he's not a killer, I think deep down Cho was probably really nice, and he was maybe even funny, or a really smart man. But how are we to know, when we snub our noses at him?
America, and even Canada, or anywhere in the world. I think we need to open our eyes, and look at how the things we do and say can affect someone who is new to our ways life. We should not belittle, or gossip about someone because of where they come from, who they are, how much money they have, or don't have.
I do not think we should act as victims because of what happened. We don't have the right to judge someone because of what he did. The victims who did infact suffer death, or were injured because of this, they did not deserve it. Time will heal all wounds, and we will always remember the poor souls who had to leave our earth, after this terrible incident, but why should we be afraid of reality? This was indeed a horriffic event, but why should we hide from it, and not move on together and learn from it? Yes, when the first incident happened, the school should have been closed for the day. The school should have mourned the loss for two students, and in respect for them, cancelled all classes. On our part, that was our mistake. In their defense, how are we to know that any more violence would have occured? You cannot predict something like that.
We as a productive society, we should honour the fallen, and prepare our hearts and minds to learn from what has happened. We should teach our children, that it is not right to make someone feel like an outcast. We need to move on with our lives, and not run away from our schools because of what happened. This incident can happen anywhere, and it can indeed happen again. We need to look into ourselves, to find out how we can prevent such things. I am so sorry for the victims and family members of this terrible tragedy, but I am also sorry to Cho Seung-Hui. I am sorry that noone stepped up, and welcomed him and his family to America, and I am sorry that he did not make the right kind of friends like he should have. I am sorry that people talked about him, and made fun of him because he was different. I am soo sorry that he could not find a prosperous way to overcome his hardships. We're sorry.
R.I.P. to the fallen.
I wrote this before his packages showed up at NBC, and it was just my personal opinions from what I've heard/read about it, so don't tear my head off about parts you don't agree with. 