I just got a recorded phone call from the school superintendent about this. I am curious as to how other school systems are handling it. Anyone hear anything?
HOFer
I just got a recorded phone call from the school superintendent about this. I am curious as to how other school systems are handling it. Anyone hear anything?
"Greatness is not an act... but a habit.Greatness is not an act... but a habit." -Greg Jennings
This is just stunning in its absurdity
Blaming Charlton Heston
With a view to Monday's deadly shooting rampage at Virginia Tech, European newspapers are blaming the lack of gun control measures in the United States and implying that Charlton Heston is indirectly responsible for the scope of the killings.
Across the continent on Tuesday, European media rubber-neck at Monday's massacre in the United States. Most seem to agree about one thing: The shooting at Virginia Tech is the result of America's woeful lack of serious gun control laws. In the strongest editorialized image of the day, German cable news broadcaster NTV flashed an image of the former head of the National Rifle Association, the US gun lobby: In other words, blame rifle-wielding Charlton Heston for the 33 dead.
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This idiocy is only trumped by the Italian lawmaker (I think) that commented the day after Hurricane Katrina that the U.S. was getting what it deserved for not signing the Kyoto Protocal.
It's not for non-Koreans to tell Koreans how they should feel or what worldview they should have.Originally Posted by pacfan
South Korean is national or even a political indentity, not racial.All true. Yet at the same time you have to realize that Korean culture is group-oriented and they operate from that basis while Americans are off-the-scale individualistic.
Even though this guy has apparently been in the U.S. for 14-15 years, the average South Korean citizen and the government itself views this student to one degree or another as representing both the country and the South Korean people/culture.
Right now South Korean diplomats are on the same to West Virginia. They will apologize several times over the actions of this troubled person. I'm sure that they will make a direct, in-person apology to the families of the victims. Rightly or wrongly, they will assume part of the responsibility for the crimes that Cho, Seung-Hui committed. The racial aspect of this is the first thing in their minds.
It's just a very different worldview from America.
The Korean culture is 5,000 years old and they view themselves as a distinct race first. In fact, racial purity is still of prime importance to them as a preservation of their culture and language.
They view themselves as one race of people whether they are located in South Korea, North Korea, China, Central Asia, America, Austrialia, New Zealand, Japan or anywhere else.
Unfortunately Merlin, none of that will ever happen. That is just the way the country works. Since the shooter is dead, someone has to find a posterboy to blame the whole thing on. The university is a sacrificial lamb at this point, waiting to be slaughtered. This is going to get ugly.
"I've got one word for you- Dallas, Texas, Super Bowl"- Jermichael Finley
Starter
Merlin: I agree with your last post. It is unfortunate that some people/corporations/political ideology will attempt to profit from this tragedy.
Kiwon: ?????, South Korea is still a national/political construct. There isn't race of South Koreans, right?
I love how you magnfy the importance of their criticism of heston.
Multiple paragraphs written, but only one..the first paragraph even mentions heston.
More importantly
"Papers reserve their sharpest criticism for the 2004 expiration of a 10-year ban on 19 types of semiautomatic assault weapons under the then Republican-controlled Congress. Others comment on the pro-gun lobbying activities of Heston's NRA. Some papers also draw analogies between school shootings and Muslim fundamentalist suicide bombers."
oh my god I actually agree with Merlin on something
I quoted the headline, the first and second paragraphs, and then you added the third. THAT'S the whole introduction section of the article!I love how you magnfy the importance of their criticism of heston.
Multiple paragraphs written, but only one..the first paragraph even mentions heston.
More importantly
"Papers reserve their sharpest criticism for the 2004 expiration of a 10-year ban on 19 types of semiautomatic assault weapons under the then Republican-controlled Congress. Others comment on the pro-gun lobbying activities of Heston's NRA. Some papers also draw analogies between school shootings and Muslim fundamentalist suicide bombers."
http://www.spiegel.de/international/...477686,00.html
Rest in Peace thou innocent souls
My Two favorite teams are the Packers, and whoever plays the Vikings!
[quote="Kiwon"]This is just stunning in its absurdity
Blaming Charlton Heston
With a view to Monday's deadly shooting rampage at Virginia Tech, European newspapers are blaming the lack of gun control measures in the United States and implying that Charlton Heston is indirectly responsible for the scope of the killings.
Across the continent on Tuesday, European media rubber-neck at Monday's massacre in the United States. Most seem to agree about one thing: The shooting at Virginia Tech is the result of America's woeful lack of serious gun control laws. In the strongest editorialized image of the day, German cable news broadcaster NTV flashed an image of the former head of the National Rifle Association, the US gun lobby: In other words, blame rifle-wielding Charlton Heston for the 33 dead.
.................................................. ...............
Absured yes. But entirely predictable...and pathetic.
From that same link a few posts earlier:
Starts with a ridiculous bit of exaggeration---how many of you have a driver's license ... now how many of you have a machine gun?---and then ends with a surprising bit of perspective. School shootings happen even in Europe, where there are "strict" gun control laws.German daily Bild writes:
"Now we will probably begin discussing the overly lax gun laws in the United States. There, buying a machine gun is often easier than getting a driver's license. And a new ban on violent games and killer videos will also be put back on the agenda. But in the end, nothing is likely to happen. And the next killer already lives somewhere among us. But we have little reason to point an accusing finger at the Americans. Despite strict gun legislation, we (in Germany) have experienced the school shootings in Erfurt and Emsdetten. We have to consider the problems in our society. And we have to take care of our fellow humans."
Don't tell the gun-ban people!
My main concern is this news knocked the Sharpton/Jackson/Imus circus right the hell off front page. How will they survive?
The Bottom Line:
Formally Numb, same person, same views of M3
It looks like his mind was the dangerous weapon waiting to go off:
"College gunman disturbed teachers, classmates"
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18148802/
HOFer
Crazy!
To bad he didn't slip off a curb and get hit by a car going 50 mph yesterday morning on his way to the dorm.
Starter
Kiwon, it looks like on right about some things.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapc....ap/index.html
I still think South Korea is a national identity, however.
HOFer
This guy moved to the US when he was 8. I hardly think the fact he came from South Korea matters much when he's been in the country for so long and came over at such a young age. One deranged fuckwad though.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Yes I know that is terrible that interscholastic and intramural sports exist in high school.Nah, schools would rather spend the money on useful things like vending machines or athletic equipment.
Blaming the schools is ignorant and will lead to a waste of tax dollars. Blame the mothers and fathers.
Afraid I have to agree with you, Partial, a lot of parents these days have simply dropped the word "NO" from their vocabulary, too afraid of harming the child's psyche, hurting their feelings, not wanting to guide these children properly. Open your eyes, you'll see it in every store or public place, every day.
Is it really a halo or
just a swelled head ?
From Seattle:
Local Korean community apologetic, and fearful
They have mixed feelings over shooting
By JOHN IWASAKI
P-I REPORTER
He was one of more than 1.2 million people of Korean descent in the United States, a disturbed gunman on the other side of the country.
But Cho Seung-Hui's role in the slaughter at Virginia Tech reverberated Tuesday in the local Korean American community, with some members taking the crime personally and others fearful of a backlash.
State Sen. Paull Shin, D-Edmonds, apologized to fellow lawmakers and legislative staff members, first at a private prayer meeting, then in Senate chambers.
"It hurts me deeply, knowing what happened to Korea and how much the U.S. helped," said Shin, an orphan who was adopted by an American soldier after the Korean War. "This is not the way to pay back the blessings we received."
Although legislators told him he had no need to apologize, Shin, fighting his emotions, said he felt compelled to do so because of his acceptance in America and his leadership position in the Korean American community.
At the University of Washington, student leader Jihye Kim also shouldered responsibility.
"Personally, after hearing about the criminal's racial background, I felt as if I am the one who caused the tragedy," said Kim, president of the Korean Student Union. "I couldn't make eye contact with others. I greatly apologize for those who are closely related to the victims."
(Edit - end)
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While some Koreans here and in the States will not have any emotional connection to this tragedy the majority of people share the feelings of this Korean-American lawmaker and this female Korean student. Neither was involved in any way but they feel compelled to apologize anyway because the gunman was an ethnic Korean.
I, myself, received a text message and a phone call from Korean friends today apologizing to me for what this guy did. They expressed genuine shock, sadness, and embarrassment.
This may seem strange to us but it reflects the group consciousness that Koreans share along with demonstrating the significance of ethnicity for Koreans in defining themselves and their culture.
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