Virginia Tech Shootings

[Nat of the Living Dead]

I finally got to see footage of the disturbing video message the shooter made before going on his second wave of destruction.  While most of it was biblical jargon there is one interesting thing about it that is in everyone's face but no one seems to be discussing it.  Right after the footage shown the news went on to interview people who went to high school with him and they were saying, "Oh yeah, I remember people spitting on him and picking on him."

This sounds exactly like Columbine.  A shooter is bullied and pushed away until he feels this is the only escape.  This is the second massive "lash out against bullies/system" we've had and I have yet to hear someone say maybe we should take a look into our schools and consider bullying a real serious cause of mental frustration.

Even deeper than that, it seems no one wants to take a look at our culture and ideologies that actually promote bullying and promote selfish individualism and promote dog-eat-dog.  This is the second tragic incident of monumental proportions to happen and yet, bullying and degradation continues to run rampant in everything we do in our society.

Our culture is quick to blame things like gun control, lack of police, locks on doors, creative writing, music, art, video games, movies, etc. but to me it all just seems to me it is all an excuse for the worst social situation our society is having today: we continue to not take responsibility for our own actions and choices we have chosen as a whole.

[kimnat]

You are right!  But I can also tell you that around here, if school officials and teachers catch wind of any bullying there is hell to pay for it.  They have codes of conduct the students are to follow and lots of stuff leading up to bullying is addressed early on.  Andrew's teacher even nailed him for calling another kid a wimp.  (he was pissed about something, obviously)  We nail the kids at home for bullying behaviors against each other, again esp. Andrew since he's so big and can try to force his way on his little sisters.  But they are taught in school about appropriate and unexceptable behaviors, etc.  But in this victim mentality world we live in, too many people (and the younger generation is particularly bad about this) have the entitlement mindset, don't think they need to take responsibility for their words or deeds and just don't understand this.  Too many are taught that if it feels good, go for it.  Instead of realizing they need to care for their fellow man.  We have to get rid of this "it's all about me" mentality.  Quite honestly, that's part of what I think the kid was spouting about.  But I could be VERY wrong.

[Nat of the Living Dead]

You are right!  But I can also tell you that around here, if school officials and teachers catch wind of any bullying there is hell to pay for it.  They have codes of conduct the students are to follow and lots of stuff leading up to bullying is addressed early on.  Andrew's teacher even nailed him for calling another kid a wimp.  (he was pissed about something, obviously)  We nail the kids at home for bullying behaviors against each other, again esp. Andrew since he's so big and can try to force his way on his little sisters.  But they are taught in school about appropriate and unexceptable behaviors, etc.  But in this victim mentality world we live in, too many people (and the younger generation is particularly bad about this) have the entitlement mindset, don't think they need to take responsibility for their words or deeds and just don't understand this.  Too many are taught that if it feels good, go for it.  Instead of realizing they need to care for their fellow man.  We have to get rid of this "it's all about me" mentality.  Quite honestly, that's part of what I think the kid was spouting about.  But I could be VERY wrong.

No, I think you got the just of it.  He said it a lot more demented like but that was the just of it.

The more I think of it the more I realize how troubled he was.  Here he is, his family comes from South Korea and struggle to make ends meet while sweating away at a dry cleaning business to send him to school and here these others are with Daddy buying them cars and spending tuition money on booze even though they are underage, spitting on him, insulting him, and really making him feel like crap. 

I mean honestly, I think we have all gone down the road and stopped at a light and turned and saw what looks to be a 15 year old who pushed carts at Walmart driving a Mustang.  I think all of us at times just want to lean out the window and ask, "So, did your daddy buy that for you?"

Its a deformed way of thinking about it but in a way, he has a legit point and I can see where he was coming from but that does not make what he did right in any shape or form.  Like I said, the battle is with our culture and guns can't cure that.