"You had a hundred billion chances and ways to have avoided today," Cho said in one of the videos that aired Wednesday night on NBC. "But you decided to spill my blood. You forced me into a corner and gave me only one option. The decision was yours. Now you have blood on your hands that will never wash off." -Cho Seung-Hui, as reported on CNN.com 4/18/2007
The VA Tech massacres. This is only the latest human catastrophe to hammer our weary souls. Now campuses across the nation are floundering for answers to anxious parents and students pleading for protection against the unknown. Undoubtedly the answer will be to build more walls, more security, more eyes and cameras everywhere looking for the evil force out there about to strike us down. University and college costs will increase as the institution's capital budget increases to accomodate keeping bad things from happening to presumably good people. It is precisely this response that saddens me the most. We are our own worst enemies. The enemy comes from within.
Everyday look around you. Watch how people have isolated themselves with earphones closing off the world, cell phones numbing their surroundings, text messages, instant message chats, virtual relationships...the list goes on and on. More and more we are closing off the world around us and unaware of building on the human relationship only found in human contact. The walls created by these actions only create further isolation from each other. How can you tell from an IM message that your "friend" is hurting? For that matter how can you tell from a telephone conversation?
We are losing (have already lost?) the neighborly feeling of looking out for each other. Even the fiercest libertarian and independent can't deny that as much as we look after ourselves, much of that is looking after our friends, family, neighbors and loved ones. In doing so we are taking care of ourselves by taking care of our environment around us.
How many more people are out there like Cho Seung-Hui? Obviously he was a disturbed individual with mental health history and problems. How is it that all of this is known after the fact, and yet, when the few individuals who alerted others to strange behavior and patterns, only a numb ear was found. The warning signs were all over the place that this young man needed help. Mental health is one of the most serious conditions hurting our culture. Some of it is arguably self induced through isolating ourselves and not paying attention to those around us and those who are important to us. We take comfort in the fact that we sent an e-mail to check-in or a quick text message to say hi, when in fact that is about as shallow as it gets.
Where is the exchange of thoughts, feelings, ideas, worries, troubles, struggles, concerns, fears?It makes me sad to the deepest part of my soul to think that there are many more troubled souls out there like Cho Seung-Hui. Perhaps these souls are not as dangerous to others or to the same extreme as he, but, then again, maybe they are and no one is paying attention.
We don't need more walls and barriers. As humans we need to knock down the barriers and begin to build human relationships bonding us with each other. Only then will we ever have a chance. It is a sad day and a sorrowful statement about how we have evolved as people. I have faith that we can reverse this trend.
The blood is truly on our hands. Out, out, damn spot. Out I say......
Created: April 18, 2007
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