Link to article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6560685.stm
BBC News
Also see:
Campus Killer's Family 'so sorry' BBC NEWS
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6578319.stm
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Summary of article:
One the morning of 16 April 2007, a Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, USA burst into chaos as a gunman went on a rampage, killing 32 people and wounding many more before killing himself. This was the deadliest university shooting ever. Many students survived by jumping out of the school windows or locking themselves up inside the university buildings.
Summary of following sequence of events:
The gunman was identified as Seung-Hui Cho, a 23- year old senior majoring in English at the university. Cho was someone who seemed to have problems of his own. In 2005, he was accused of stalking two female students and was declared mentally ill by a Virginia court. His fellow classmates and professors were also reportedly concerned about his mental state.
The victims of the shootings were recognized and mourned worldwide. The media spotlight also focused on Cho’s background and his family, who apologized for Cho’s actions (refer to second link). There was also great concern for Asians in general and Koreans in particular, with many fearing racist attacks against them. However, no such incidents was reported. In Korea, the general feeling was one of shame, shock and sorrow.
The massacre received worldwide media coverage and sparked intense debate about gun laws, Cho’s state of mind and the responsibility of college administrations, among many other issues.
My Response:
I feel a deep sense of sorrow and shock at the deaths of so many at Virginia Tech University. I deeply sympathize with the families of those killed. However, I have to admit that the bulk of my sympathy goes to the family of Cho who have had to endure so much intrusion into their lives by the media. After Cho was identified as the gunman, his family not only have had to deal with shock and grief, but also with cameramen and reporters banging on their front door, asking all sorts of questions about Cho’s background. They have been deprived of the one thing they currently need most - peace. I strongly believe the ethics of journalism must be reviewed; A free press and the people’s right to information does not mean that Cho’s family should be deprived of their individual rights. They have the right to be temporarily left alone. It is simply inhumane to keep pursuing them when they are mourning for their son and trying to come to grips with the enormous sorrow his senseless actions have caused. Cho’s family have done nothing wrong and thus do not deserve such treatment.
Also, imagine how they must feel upon seeing such a great amount of anger being directed towards their dead son from all parts of the world. This is very likely to have instilled a siege mentality in them - a state of helplessness in which, for them, it is “us against everyone else”. However, they have come out bravely and apologized for Cho’s actions, and mentioned that they themselves were living a “nightmare”. I truly admire the way Cho’s family have handled all this within days of his death and despite the hounding by the media. To mourn your son and still be able to share the sorrows of others is truly remarkable.
Let me explore the role of family with regard to such mentally-ill people. The stigma of mental illness prevents people from getting the help they need. Embarrassment and fear of being shunned by others may have prevented Cho from seeking help. The family thus has an important role in such cases. It is their involvement and support that can help prevent such mad-man massacres. Unfortunately, families also fear the stigma. Loss of face within their community and other such fears may cause them to avoid taking the necessary steps to deal with the mental illness, and in some cases even avoid recognising the fact that a problem exists. For complex illnesses of the mind, such as Cho’s, professional help is needed, and it is channels like the family that can ensure timely treatment of the condition.
I believe that stigmas are values ingrained in society. Individuals and groups (in this case, families) respond to these values based on very genuine feelings. And until these stigmas are dealt with, such mentally ill people may not get the help they need until the illness manifests itself in such a terrible way.
(497 words)
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