I am going to post this upfront, I know dA isn't really a place for blogging, but at the moment, this is all I really have. I want to share my thoughts in this journal regarding Virginia Tech and Cho Seung-Hui. Stop right here and turn back if you have any intentions of arguing with my point of view. Because I have heard enough hate posts thrown around already on the net.
<rant>
Well you guys, I thought about this for quite a long time and I came to my conclusion, and its been weighing really heavily on my heart lately. After watching much of the news regarding Virginia Tech, I really felt horrible for all the families who had loved ones die in this incidient. But the media really seemed to be presenting a very VERY biased view point. I kept hearing the words "monster" and "obviously mentally ill" being thrown around.
First of all, yes, I do agree that the killings were wrong, and it was a terrible, TERRIBLE thing that happened. But it bothers me that the media, and society, tries to justify it by saying he was "weird", "lonely", and "quiet". Then labeling these traits generically for people like this, justifying them as insane, mysterious, serial killers.
today made the comment that: "I dont think you can ever justify homocide. unless you are the person themselves. and even then it's wrong...but that'll never stop people from doing it."
And I agree. Everyone right now is ACHING and simply want an answer to justify why their friends, sons, or daughters are dead. They are searching for a valid reason, so if this kid was "weird", "lonely", and "quiet", he is obviously different from the rest of society...but I don't believe that truely justifies him to be a "monster" or "obviously mentally ill", always capable of killing people.
We all go through mental stages in our lives, and suffer under extreme depression. Many times, I have felt urges to kill other people, or kill myself. That doesn't mean I feel this way at the moment, nor does it mean I would carry out these actions. Being depressed is simply a normal aspect of life. (I have tried to kill myself twice by the way.)
From the news reports I've read, Cho Seung-Hui was made fun of several times in his classes because his "voice was deep and funny" and the kids would laugh at him. I also read about how he couldn't speak English well. (He was a native-born South Korean.)
Watching the media from the news, I felt nothing but anger towards this shooter, but now, I realized they presented a biased side. After listening to his voice from videos via YouTube, and how he talked to others, I came to the conclusion, that he was suffering under depression, and was a complete reject from society.
NO, this does NOT justify his actions, but please let me continue.
I feel as if I understand Cho Seung-Hui. Most of my friends here online are familiar atleast a little with the Asian-American culture here in the States. There are so many stereotypes related to "Asians" (in reality, this term only applies towards "South-East Asians" or "Pacific Islanders" or the terribly terribly awlful "Chinese" label for everyone who is "Asian".) And people like Cho have to live through racist crap their whole lives.
I'm not Asian, nor do I try to be (despite what some may think.) But growing up through Elementary School and Junior High, I was picked on and bullied for COUNTLESS years. It was really unbareable. I cannot recall ever having a "true" friend until I was in 6th grade...and even then, that friendship did not last long at all.
Yes, society can suck, and yes, you can be harshly picked up. But things never got any better with my life until I changed my additude and perspective on everything. Due to all the picking and bullying I recieved in my Elementary years, and also partly due to the food choices my parents bought, I became quite overweight. Everyone hated me, so I could only find refuge on my computer, online, where people could admire me in this cyberworld without actually seeing my appearence, they could care about who I truely was as a person. Making friends long-distance and over-seas via mIRC. Being overweight isn't the same as being Asian and experiencing racism...but I can tell you I've been through alot, and still go through alot of crap because of my physical appearence.
My new self doesn't even worry about other peoples views and personalities towards who I am today. I love and admire myself, and my friends. I have had some good friends over the past years BECAUSE of the internet, and I don't consider my time on it a waste. Friends like
and
who will take the time and listen to me rant about how much my life sucks, and scold me, and tell me how much I should value who I am. Friends like
who always have a great comforting, postive outlook on life to give me. And many many more who I haven't mentioned, but are truely dear to me.
Life is a wonderful thing. We need to learn to share our lives living with other people. So what if his skin color is different? So what if she speaks in a funny accent? So what if he is fat? So what if she is repulsive? So what if he is unhygenic? (Doesn't mean you have to hug them, but you can still treat them like a human being), So what if he is "gay"? So what if she is a "lesbian"? So what if they are "bi" and they have been going out for 5 years. (You don't have to agree with their actions, but atleast treat them like people!) So what if that person is "weird" and "lonely" and "doesn't like to talk with other people"? We're all in this universe together, and no one of us is greater than the other living here together. We all are in it together, living and breathing in this world. We can learn from people who are different than ourselves. Beyond the language and cultures that people identify themselves with, being human beings is a trait that is common within itself, and we all smile and laugh together in the same language.
Instead of justifying deaths by people's personality, let's take a look at ourselves and how we behave towards others. It isn't right to make fun of other people, and it isn't right to leave people behind because they are different, or because its funny and they are easy to make fun of.
We don't need pamphlets running around telling about bully behavior, we don't need counselors going teaching children in kindergarden to treat other people kindly and praising people who are different, because frankly those types of things never work. What we need is a serious society change, and that can only happen by learning about each other. By SERIOUSLY learning about each other. America needs to wake up and stop caring just about themselves. And I propose this challenge.
Learn as MUCH as you can about another group of people, their history, the things they embrace, their lifestyle, their pop culture. Many users on dA embrace anime art style, but very few of these people really understand and know about the true society and culture of Japan.
Watch a Bollywood movie, Listen to a Contemporary German song, Go watch a Korean Dorama, Study the Islamic Religion.
I'm not saying you have to like it, or you have to agree with what you learn. Just learn about it. It will help you understand your friends better, it will help you make new friends by finding a common interest or topic to discuss.
I believe truely if Cho Seung-Hui had just a small circle of friends to open his heart to, a small circle of GOOD MORAL friends that I was lucky enough to have, the whole incident could have been prevented.
Don't laugh along with people who make jokes, even if they are funny. Don't even ignore the problem or stay neutral because you don't want to look bad, or meerly just don't want to get involved. Even if you are unable to befriend the people who close themselves up from everyone else, the least you can do is stand up for them. A simple "Hey guys, thats not funny when you make fun of his accent, don't do it", might be disruptive to the class, it might even get you in trouble, it might not even make you his friend, but it could very well prevent a mass school shooting from ever taking place. I'd hate to see something like this ever happen again.
</rant>
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Lonely
Relief
Stunned
Sympathy
Neutral
