It's so sad to read about the killing of 32 students and teachers at Virginia Tech and the shooter's own suicide on Monday. The news talks of how he was an extreme loner, had written violent plays in his English classes (his fellow students talked of their expectations that he'd do something awful at some point), and police intervened twice due to his stalking type behavior with women at the school. When is odd, too odd? When do we intervene and lock someone away? In our free society, until there is actual actions which provide cause, we don't.And there is widespread criticism for the administration that "should have done more" (i.e., cancelling classes after the initial two shootings in the dorms). My guess is that Cho would have likely gone on his second shooting rampage in his own dorm if classes had been cancelled, but who knows in hindsight? My bigger guess, having seen this same sort of criticism of the police response after the Columbine shootings 8 years ago, is that with the shooter dead, the anger and frustration that survivors have gets redirected to other people who are alive ~ i.e., the police and administrators.
I'm not so much into the blame game about who should have intervened when (the English department earlier this year? the police after two stalking reports? the mental health system after the referral? the administrators monday morning? faster police response?), but I certainly am into a "Wow, this is absolutely terrible" mindset. Although Cho may not have any friends or family that he would have returned to, there are 32 families of the others killed that are missing their loved ones in a mighty, awful, sickening way. I want to understand more about Cho and why he did what he did. The most interesting info so far is from a very revealing interview with his roommates. Life is so unpredictable and I guess my questions about who this guy was and why he did what he did come from a desire to make life seem less uncontrollable.
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So my take aways are... It's so important to make peace with ourselves about our beliefs regarding God and our eternal homes and to hug the ones we love and encourage their lives while we are here sharing our numbered days. Loss comes in so many different ways and this one is just so terribly odd and tragic. Big sad love, . Sherrie
Great article from Dr. Tim Elmore in the comments ...
Excerpts for talk to legislators from the father of a Columbine victim, also ...
Excerpts for talk to legislators from the father of a Columbine victim, also ...
2 comments:
"Lessons From Virginia Tech"
Dr. Tim Elmore / www.GrowingLeaders.com
We all watched the story on the news. It was the largest massacre on a school campus in U.S. history. It was most shocking to me because it happened at Virginia Tech--an amazing university in Blacksburg, Virginia full of promising and very intelligent students. I've been there twice and have always been impressed with the students I meet there.
But, alas, it happened. A 23 year old student, known simply as Cho, gunned down thirty two students and faculty before killing himself. It was horrifying. Later, we all became familiar with this murderer's profile. Cho was reclusive. He gave little eye contact and spoke few words. To those who knew him, he was strange. Earlier, he had been so annoying to two female students that they reported him to campus police. Many of his fellow students who knew him called him an "outcast." Psychologists declared the obvious after the shooting. Cho was a man with deep psychological problems. The question that echoed in the news reports was predictable: what was it that made this student become a murderer? What transformed him from a quiet, social recluse to a gunman who made a video tape intended to be broadcast on nationwide TV? Cho compared himself to Dylan Klebold and Erik Harris, the two students who turned Columbine High School into a killing field. He also compared himself to Jesus Christ. Was he suffering from delusions of grandeur--or was it something much more common to all of us? While it's obvious to everyone how different this student was from the other 28,000 students on his campus, I believe we can learn from a characteristic inside of him that is common to students today. For that matter, this characteristic is common to every one of us. There was something lurking inside of him that made him so much like every human being, and that's what I want to focus on here.
SOCIAL CAPITAL
I believe what made Cho like each of us is his desire for social capital. Like everyone, Cho wanted to be heard. He longed for a voice. He wanted influence-- and didn't feel he had much. Today, this is known as "social capital." It is the possession of influence within a circle of relationships. Sadly, Cho lived in the margins and had little of this. I believe part of a young person's search for meaning is the hunger to develop social capital. We need something or someone to give ourselves to and we long for a voice to find expression. I believe there is something at work inside of us that eventually pushes us to act or speak until we are noticed. It may be felt deeply or not so deeply depending on our temperament. It may express itself in healthy or unhealthy ways, too.
I read a book review recently called, Sons of War. The article cited that when cultures experience a youth bulge in the population, those young people often express themselves with violence. They will always find a way to be heard even if it ends in tragedy. Argentina is an example. In the 1970s and 80s, millions of young people entered the job market but didn't find a place for themselves. Riots and demonstrations broke out as a result. Those young adults were determined to find an opportunity to work, to influence, to generate, to earn an income and to express themselves. When they didn't find opportunities, that culture faced an outbreak of violence.
I believe social capital is as important to this emerging generation as financial capital. Most Millennial generation students find it by getting connected to their world. There is a huge mainstream of students today involved in community service or some global charity. For instance, have you noticed it is vogue to get involved with Africa today? New opportunities pop up all the time. For Pete's sake, "American Idol" is now doing something in Africa! Unfortunately, students like Cho never get involved this way. He was disconnected from everyone. He was trapped in his own little world and felt like no one was listening. That's where we must enter the scene.
SO WHAT CAN WE DO?
At "Growing Leaders" we are on the lookout for ways to help students leverage their influence well. We recognize this hunger for social capital. Let me suggest a few ideas on how you can help the emerging leaders in your world build some social capital in their lives. They're simple and timeless.
1. Help students identify their situation.
Not every student is a natural leader, but every student can find a situation that fits their strengths and their passion. It is in this situation they will experience the greatest amount of social capital. They will likely find their widest influence in the area of their gifts. This is their situation.
2. Help students locate an affinity group.
I believe all humans--especially students today--are wired to experience authentic community. We all need a place to interact in an honest and open manner. Most of the time this will happen in an affinity group. Students shun arenas in their life that are pretentious and superficial. We must help them experience transparency in a small group of people with whom they can identify.
3. Help students find a voice.
At some point in their young adult years, people need to find a voice--a place where they can invest themselves and leverage their influence. They need to communicate a message they feel makes a difference. Usually this means finding an organization to lobby for and express their heart.
4. Help students discover a mission.
It is difficult for me to separate leadership from values. As far as I'm concerned, life isn't simply about a increasing the profits of a company. It is about sinking our teeth into a cause that is bigger than ourselves. It is spiritual. I believe students are wired for a mission and we must help them find it. If we don't, students can wrongly begin to believe life is simply about their own pleasure--which distorts and diminishes our satisfaction. How I wish Cho had found this for himself.
Critics have begun to lament what Virginia Tech should have done to prevent the massacre on their campus. I am in no way attempting to join their critique in this article. We believe in the staff, the campus groups and the students at that great campus in Blacksburg. Some of our greatest leaders will come from the alumni of Virginia Tech. We simply desire to do what they are now doing: to learn what we can from this tragedy.
Our team at "Growing Leaders" is praying for the staff, faculty and students at Virginia Tech. May they somehow find a way to not only learn from this tragedy but to increase the social capital of those great students remaining on the campus.
Tim
I recieved this in an e.mail from a friend ...
On Thursday, Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colorado, was invited to address the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee. What he said to our national leaders during this special session of Congress was painfully truthful.
They were not prepared for what he was to say, nor was it received well. However, it should be heard by every parent, every teacher, every politician, every sociologist, every psychologist, and every so-called expert. These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful, penetrating, and deeply personal. There is no doubt that God sent this man as a voice crying in the wilderness. The following is a portion of the transcript:
"Since the dawn of creation there has been both good & evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers.
"The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart.
"In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don't believe that they are responsible for my daughter's death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent.
I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy -- it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best.
Your laws ignore our deepest needs,
Your words are empty air.
You've stripped away our heritage,
You've outlawed simple prayer.
Now gunshots fill our classrooms,
And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere,
And ask the question "Why?"
You regulate restrictive laws,
Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand,
That God is what we need!
"Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, mind, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation's history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact. What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs -- politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts.
"As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, he did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America , and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA -- I give to you a sincere challenge. Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone.
"My daughter's death will not be in vain. The young people of this country will not allow that to happen."
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