Safer Topic Than The Weather

So it will be safer to keep on discussing War and Terrorism today and stay away from 'the weather.'

Actually - I just trashed that thought because I am receiving, right now, another broadcast about the Virginia Tech shooting.

Topic: Virginia Tech shooting

I'm trying to think somewhat 'objectively' about this event (neh - just tryin' to be 'slightly numb' about this event because it is horrific), but it's difficult to put 'anger' on hold and to see certain details.

Maybe I'm playing "Devil's Advocate" here - but heck - I'm Canadian - it's what I do when I hear about things from the states.....(and, probably only possible because I am reasonably far removed from the 'suffering community').

Devil's Advocate stance:
Cho is a victim, himself, of American Capitalism, of skewed economic, educational, government, and social systems!

(I know, I know, Thomas - calm down...I am SURE you're not going to agree with this, but hear me out and don't delete this when you come in to make your post lol).

The one thing that is nearly always 'FIRST SAID' in media reports is that Cho blamed 'everyone else' and 'the system' for his financial/student problems.

I'm sorry if I can 'identify' with Cho - for I am a higher-education student myself. The details of my financial struggles cannot even be put on this blog because they are NOT BELIEVABLE, but they're true. 'Acquaintance-peers' do not believe my 'poor student status' is as severe as it is, but 'Friend-acquaintances' most certainly do, and those friends cannot believe that I haven't gone insane from stress yet - something as severe as Cho? I have obviously had better support than Cho - because many of the 'items' he speaks of in the home videos he made (I viewed them on the late night news last night) - I could identify with. I, however, am not a VISIBLE MINORITY, I am not Male (people don't expect me to 'suck it up all the time' like thy do with males - who are supposed to be strong, silent, problem-solving), and I am not part of a school with the kind of competition that must surface at Virginia Tech. My place of education is considerably smaller - with noticeable 'support' group information plastered on many walls.

The general public of North America is very MISINFORMED by the media about how things really are for students, minorities, gender, and other groups...and Higher Officials have not experienced the issues that affect students, minorities, gender and other groups, so they - try as they might, and as 'do-good' as they want to be - they cannot solve the problems of these groups! (The policy-makers aren't from the same generation as current students - they don't understand the 'issues' of current-day...they can only pretend to 'get it' and act according to their 'guesses').

SOCIETY and - especially - POLICY MAKERS - DO NOT KNOW the inherent difficulties of 'student life,' of 'insufficient funds' for students, of the sick environments that can - and invariably DO EXIST on most major campuses.

In reality, the student deals with HIGH STRESS individuals ALL THE TIME. They are his or her PEERS and everyone is in the same boat.

Competition is high, drug-use and alcohol abuse is high, and stress-levels are always consistently high on North American campuses. In short, higher-education facilities in North America (I include Canadian campuses, too - many are just as 'stressed.'), are full of high-strung people and this social or personal setting is NOT a healthy one.

Racism EXISTS
Class-distinction prejudice EXISTS
Gender prejudice EXISTS

Many other WRONGS exist.....and run rampant on University, College and other higher-education campuses.

Cho - committed an heinous crime.
He is guilty.
He is disturbed.

No doubts about that.

I'm just saying - while the world focuses on how awful Cho is, NOBODY IS DOING ENOUGH to set RIGHT the educational systems, make campuses safer in a PERSONAL WAY (comfort of students sharing WITH students - not 'guards,' and 'security,' and 'more restrictive rules.').

Also:
The families, friends, peers, and acquaintances of the victims killed by Cho - DESERVE for higher-education and the systems that support higher-education, (government MOST included), to get their 'systems' running properly.

Students like Cho was before this awful crime (he is now a KILLER, but he wasn't a killer last week - last week he was simply another faceless victim!) - deserve for higher-education and the systems that support higher-education - to get their systems running properly.

Cho - deranged, disturbed or not - is a victim of a different sort.......he is a 'SYMPTOM' of what is wrong in the educational, societal and government systems.

I just hope that people will think of these things - no matter how much they might dislike my current opinion and post!