Post by Neighborhood Watch on Apr 18, 2007 0:30:23 GMT -5
So I'm sure that most of you have heard about the VTech shooting by now. I'm feeling pretty emotional about the whole ordeal, as VTech was a school I seriously considered going to four years ago when I was going over the offers I was receiving after my college applications were sent out.
VTech was, by far, my favorite campus but I wasn't sure about the rural setting. I'm a suburban/urban kind of girl and having nothing but farmland for miles around unsettled me. I chose Towson U. instead, content with having Baltimore within 15 minutes of campus and suburbia surrounding me.
Violence never surprises me--People are violent animals, perhaps it's part of our nature. Most of us can live with that instinct, but it seems that a few just can't and crumble when facing situations that the rest of us can work through.
Apparently, the shooter was very distant for most of his educational career, even in high school. Professors and students at VTech had noticed his odd behavior and one English Professor had even gone so far as to both bring the administration's attention to the shooter's disturbing written pieces and had suggested that the young man seek counseling.
While I understand we can't function in a society that locks people up just because others "think they're weird," this kid was exhibiting many, many warning signs. He did not communicate with others, was confrontational in classroom settings, and wrote "disturbing, macabre" scenes for his creative writing and theatre writing classes. Some of his former classmates used to joke that they were "just waiting for him to do something."
A lot of people are left wondering what could have been done differently, what the school could have done to prevent this.
I say that there's a definite line between "weirdness" and truly disturbing behavior. If this kid was a happy, outgoing person who was writing gorey stuff, I'd probably shrug it off and chalk it up to a difference of taste (Rob Zombie loves the grotesque and scary, but he's not rampaging on college campuses shooting 30 people). It's when so many elements combine that you shouldn't just look away.
He was distant, cold, unresponsive to others, and focused on images of horror and suffering in his creative classes.
What could have been done differently? People could have communicated better. Many professors undoubtedly noticed his behavior, but only one has said that she approached her superiors about it. Many students noticed his behavior, but while they joked about it, they hesitated to really take a step back and ask "What if?"
I don't think this young man did this because he didn't have friends--Many people have said that they tried approaching him, talking to him, involving him in things and were rebuffed repeatedly. If this was a high school class, I might be doubtful because the pool of witnesses would be small--but on a campus with 25K undergrads? This was a disturbed guy who had been disturbed for a very long time.
For my own peace of mind, I'd prefer offending someone by asking them what's going on in their head, what their problem is, or reporting their behavior to a teacher or authority figure, and risk embarrassing them and/or having them be angry with me for falsely accusing them than having something like this happen.
This isn't a "in this day and age" issue. Violence has always existed--the difference today is that we have access to weapons and means that can cause much more destruction than in the past. However, "in this day and age" we have no excuse for not communicating with one another. Messages can be sent with the click of a button, in a matter of half-seconds.
Who's to blame for the VTech tragedy?
Everyone who didn't take this kid seriously from the first day he began exhibiting signs of mental disturbance. Just like Columbine, I'm inclined to ask "Where the Hell were the parents?"
You don't have to go through life taking everything seriously, but there are some warning signs that should never, ever be ignored. Keep your guard up and know that by stepping in and speaking up, you could be saving lives--especially the life of the person poised to do the most damage.
...
Didn't mean to rant or lecture. My thoughts and condolences to the VTech community, the families of those who were killed, and to those students and faculty currently in the hospital.
VTech was, by far, my favorite campus but I wasn't sure about the rural setting. I'm a suburban/urban kind of girl and having nothing but farmland for miles around unsettled me. I chose Towson U. instead, content with having Baltimore within 15 minutes of campus and suburbia surrounding me.
Violence never surprises me--People are violent animals, perhaps it's part of our nature. Most of us can live with that instinct, but it seems that a few just can't and crumble when facing situations that the rest of us can work through.
Apparently, the shooter was very distant for most of his educational career, even in high school. Professors and students at VTech had noticed his odd behavior and one English Professor had even gone so far as to both bring the administration's attention to the shooter's disturbing written pieces and had suggested that the young man seek counseling.
While I understand we can't function in a society that locks people up just because others "think they're weird," this kid was exhibiting many, many warning signs. He did not communicate with others, was confrontational in classroom settings, and wrote "disturbing, macabre" scenes for his creative writing and theatre writing classes. Some of his former classmates used to joke that they were "just waiting for him to do something."
A lot of people are left wondering what could have been done differently, what the school could have done to prevent this.
I say that there's a definite line between "weirdness" and truly disturbing behavior. If this kid was a happy, outgoing person who was writing gorey stuff, I'd probably shrug it off and chalk it up to a difference of taste (Rob Zombie loves the grotesque and scary, but he's not rampaging on college campuses shooting 30 people). It's when so many elements combine that you shouldn't just look away.
He was distant, cold, unresponsive to others, and focused on images of horror and suffering in his creative classes.
What could have been done differently? People could have communicated better. Many professors undoubtedly noticed his behavior, but only one has said that she approached her superiors about it. Many students noticed his behavior, but while they joked about it, they hesitated to really take a step back and ask "What if?"
I don't think this young man did this because he didn't have friends--Many people have said that they tried approaching him, talking to him, involving him in things and were rebuffed repeatedly. If this was a high school class, I might be doubtful because the pool of witnesses would be small--but on a campus with 25K undergrads? This was a disturbed guy who had been disturbed for a very long time.
For my own peace of mind, I'd prefer offending someone by asking them what's going on in their head, what their problem is, or reporting their behavior to a teacher or authority figure, and risk embarrassing them and/or having them be angry with me for falsely accusing them than having something like this happen.
This isn't a "in this day and age" issue. Violence has always existed--the difference today is that we have access to weapons and means that can cause much more destruction than in the past. However, "in this day and age" we have no excuse for not communicating with one another. Messages can be sent with the click of a button, in a matter of half-seconds.
Who's to blame for the VTech tragedy?
Everyone who didn't take this kid seriously from the first day he began exhibiting signs of mental disturbance. Just like Columbine, I'm inclined to ask "Where the Hell were the parents?"
You don't have to go through life taking everything seriously, but there are some warning signs that should never, ever be ignored. Keep your guard up and know that by stepping in and speaking up, you could be saving lives--especially the life of the person poised to do the most damage.
...
Didn't mean to rant or lecture. My thoughts and condolences to the VTech community, the families of those who were killed, and to those students and faculty currently in the hospital.