Comments on: Virginia Tech Shootings

By: David Blakeslee

David Blakeslee — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 14:12:36 +0000

Autism is being cited by extended family as an early diagnosis.

see: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/tm_headline=we-are-glad-he-is-dead-by-cho-s-family–&method=full&objectid=18931479&siteid=89520-name_page.html

Written in English “rag” paper.

Seems inadequate. Childhood schizophrenia is very difficult to diagnose…and called many other things until the symptoms clarify in adulthood.

I am reminded of the numerous times people reached out to him with little or no reply…a form of Aspergers with paranoid and narcissistic components?

It appears that mother may have had some difficulty interpersonally as well.

By: David Blakeslee

David Blakeslee — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 13:35:20 +0000

See Maggie Gallagher’s column here:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/printpage/?url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/04/heroes_in_hells_midst.html

“Why do they kill? Who cares? The explanation varies in the details, but the basic script is the same: They are men who choose murder to combat humiliation, to reign for a few ghastly moments in hell, rather than to serve in heaven.

How do some facing hell find the courage to act to stop it? That’s what I want to know.”

By: David Blakeslee

David Blakeslee — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 22:16:55 +0000

“The Rumanian Jewish professor, a survivor of the Holocaust, who placed his body and himself in front of the gunman in order to enable his students to escape, gave his life for others. Let his name and example be what we remember from this terrible week.”

A start…

Overcome evil with good.

By: Michael Bussee

Michael Bussee — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 20:09:53 +0000

My heart aches for the families who have lost so much no senselessly. It seems like this is the time for prayer not speculation.

By: Timothy Kincaid

Timothy Kincaid — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 18:42:17 +0000

You heard it here first: Floride in toothpaste and our drinking water causes violence. The next time you hear of a violent event, remember I predicted it. It’s floride, I tell ya.

Yes, I’m being snarky. But my point is that this event was predictable, and not because of guns or video games or immigration. But because there will always be some tiny percentage of the population that lacks the ability (or will) to empathize or to see beyond their own instant emotional condition.

Every people in every time have produced individuals like this. But as our culture has become more urban and as transportation and access has become more available the ability of these people to do greater damage has become eased. And our immediate media makes such events appear closer and more dramatic.

It is a natural desire to control that which we cannot control by looking for fault and blame. Some are already gearing up to blame the school for inadequate warning. Others will blame cultural laxity. Others will blame godlessness. Others will blame gun availability or video games or even “a society that did not step in to recognize and help this poor isolated and unhappy young man”.

Ultimately, though, I doubt there is anything that can be blamed. And I doubt there is anything that can be done to stop it from happening again.

Unless, of course, we do away with the evil flouride.