I don't know about you, but I have to vent
There is one lesson left from the Virginia Tech massacre, and that is that educational systems must be aware that a student's mental health is as important, as their physical health.
I know that a mental illness is a disability, and no one with a disability should be prevented from pursuing an education. But it is also true that a student with Leprosy should not be allowed in a class room.
Public records published by the Washington Post indicate a psychiatrist, who examined the Virginia Tech killer warned he suffered from a mental disorder, refused treatment, and was a danger both to himself and to others.
Faculty at the University should not have allowed him to return to school until he was well.
Removing him could not be considered discriminatory. It would have saved lives.
It is clear that the educational system must participate in the process of diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders, or at the very least set a system that would recognize potential suicidal maniacs.
Immunizations are required, then so should mental evaluations. Clearly, this week we have all learned that a mental illness may become highly dangerous when left untreated.
I am deeply saddened by the deaths and grieve for the families and friends who are in pain. The killer has inflicted a lot of pain, and fear. Yesterday, the thought that a copy cat could gun me down overwhelmed me for a few seconds.
I was looking at the pictures of the victims. (The New York Times put together an awesome package).
Tears flow naturally.
This violent act is so senseless. These were all special highly productive people, who were talented and were working hard to achieve goals. People who were making their families proud.
Then there is that teacher who had survived the holocaust and a dictatorship, and was now in America teaching at a University. Well, he taught until the end.
He taught me true valor and selflessness.
There is no question this killer has caused a lot of harm, but no one should demonize him. He is a human being. 33 people died on Monday -- not 32 and an evil demon.
If only this young boy, who may have been sexually abused, and was ashamed of his South Korean descent would have received help; if only the teen that felt out of place would have received support and counseling; if only the young and lonely distressed man hoping to overcome his disabilities and earn an education would have received efficient treatment for his mental illness -- none of this would have happened.
When you work in journalism you learn early on that evil does exist. This knowledge makes it hard not to demonize a character. No one can question that there was evil at Virginia Tech that day. And if you want to get into rationalizations about demonizing the killer: There is always that superstitious hypothesis layed out in metaphysics to explain mental illness, as a malady with a spiritual source, and the believe that in the "Astral plane" souls full of hatred with hunger for revenge disturb and use weak minds in pain.
I choose to believe that the Virginia Tech killer is not evil and that psychology and psychiatry are able to bring hope and light into the darkest minds.
I choose to believe that he was suffering from a manic state of delusion derived from an untreated mental illness, and these killings could have been prevented.
I know, I am just trying to make some sense out of the senseless. I do realize that there were students from all over the world, but there is a part of me that is a little annoyed about President Bush's fast response to this tragedy and his delayed attention to the Katrina victims in New Orleans. The numbers were far greater in New Orleans. The hope is this had nothing to do with the color of their skin or their affluent backgrounds.
Let's hope not.
On April 16th, I saw the pictures and the images on TV and felt pain. Feelings are unpredictable. I cried on the 17th. Talked about it on the 18th, and on the 19th wrote a little message on a heart that will be sent to Virginia Tech.
It's amazing how a mental disorder could hurt so many, and drive so many to their knees to pray.
April 16, 2007 -- What a sad day!
In case you are as curious as me -- these are his plays:
His manifesto:
There is one lesson left from the Virginia Tech massacre, and that is that educational systems must be aware that a student's mental health is as important, as their physical health.
I know that a mental illness is a disability, and no one with a disability should be prevented from pursuing an education. But it is also true that a student with Leprosy should not be allowed in a class room.
Public records published by the Washington Post indicate a psychiatrist, who examined the Virginia Tech killer warned he suffered from a mental disorder, refused treatment, and was a danger both to himself and to others.
Faculty at the University should not have allowed him to return to school until he was well.
Removing him could not be considered discriminatory. It would have saved lives.
It is clear that the educational system must participate in the process of diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders, or at the very least set a system that would recognize potential suicidal maniacs.
Immunizations are required, then so should mental evaluations. Clearly, this week we have all learned that a mental illness may become highly dangerous when left untreated.
I am deeply saddened by the deaths and grieve for the families and friends who are in pain. The killer has inflicted a lot of pain, and fear. Yesterday, the thought that a copy cat could gun me down overwhelmed me for a few seconds.
I was looking at the pictures of the victims. (The New York Times put together an awesome package).
Tears flow naturally.
This violent act is so senseless. These were all special highly productive people, who were talented and were working hard to achieve goals. People who were making their families proud.
Then there is that teacher who had survived the holocaust and a dictatorship, and was now in America teaching at a University. Well, he taught until the end.
He taught me true valor and selflessness.
There is no question this killer has caused a lot of harm, but no one should demonize him. He is a human being. 33 people died on Monday -- not 32 and an evil demon.
If only this young boy, who may have been sexually abused, and was ashamed of his South Korean descent would have received help; if only the teen that felt out of place would have received support and counseling; if only the young and lonely distressed man hoping to overcome his disabilities and earn an education would have received efficient treatment for his mental illness -- none of this would have happened.
When you work in journalism you learn early on that evil does exist. This knowledge makes it hard not to demonize a character. No one can question that there was evil at Virginia Tech that day. And if you want to get into rationalizations about demonizing the killer: There is always that superstitious hypothesis layed out in metaphysics to explain mental illness, as a malady with a spiritual source, and the believe that in the "Astral plane" souls full of hatred with hunger for revenge disturb and use weak minds in pain.
I choose to believe that the Virginia Tech killer is not evil and that psychology and psychiatry are able to bring hope and light into the darkest minds.
I choose to believe that he was suffering from a manic state of delusion derived from an untreated mental illness, and these killings could have been prevented.
I know, I am just trying to make some sense out of the senseless. I do realize that there were students from all over the world, but there is a part of me that is a little annoyed about President Bush's fast response to this tragedy and his delayed attention to the Katrina victims in New Orleans. The numbers were far greater in New Orleans. The hope is this had nothing to do with the color of their skin or their affluent backgrounds.
Let's hope not.
On April 16th, I saw the pictures and the images on TV and felt pain. Feelings are unpredictable. I cried on the 17th. Talked about it on the 18th, and on the 19th wrote a little message on a heart that will be sent to Virginia Tech.
It's amazing how a mental disorder could hurt so many, and drive so many to their knees to pray.
April 16, 2007 -- What a sad day!
In case you are as curious as me -- these are his plays:
His manifesto:
