WHEN A SOCIETY IS TOO DULL: Cho Seung-Hui’s Case
By Beni Bevly
Normally, I only write the topic that relates to Indonesia, however I could not resist to discuss Cho Seung-Hui’s case. After all, I realized that this tragedy (Cho Seung-Hui’s case) can happen anywhere, especially in diverse countries such as in the United States and Indonesia. Beside that, as Indonesians, we can learn from this tragedy.
This tragedy took place on Monday, 4/16/2007 at Virginia Tech or Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia, USA. Cho Seung-Hui, 23 years old shot 32 people to death and committed suicide in the deadliest one-man shooting rampage in modern U.S. history (Matt Apuzzo, Va. Tech Shooter was Laughed at, Yahoo! News, 4/19/2007). The reasons, according to Cho who sent his message to NBC, were to persecute and rant about rich kids. To achieve these goals why did Cho have to kill his classmates and then killed himself?
Now there are many analysts out there who are mentioning why Cho did such as thing, including an analysis that mentioning Cho was mentally ill. Regardless of what the analysts say, is Cho’s action something to do with social jealousy or American society overall?
Cho Seung-Hui came to the U.S. at about age 8 in 1992 and whose parents work at a dry cleaners in suburban Washington. He was a shy and quite boy. He did not speak a lot. There were several occasions at Westfield High School in Chantilly, Virginia where he went to, he was picked on.
Chris Davids, one of students at Virginia Tech and graduated from Westfield High School with Cho in 2003, recalled that Cho almost never opened his mouth and would ignore attempts to strike up a conversation.
Once, in English class, the teacher had the students read aloud, and when it was Cho’s turn, he just looked down in silence, Davids recalled. Finally, after the teacher threatened him with an F for participation, Cho started to read in a strange, deep voice that sounded “like he had something in his mouth,” Davids said.
Other source said that there were just some people who were really mean to him and they would push him down and laugh at him. He didn’t speak English really well and they would really make fun of him.
Behind Cho’s silence, it grew burning vengeance that he has to carry out. In a package that he sent to NBC on Wednesday, 4/18/2007 containing a rambling and often incoherent 23-page written statement from Cho, 28 video clips and 43 photos — many of them showing Cho, in a military-style vest and backward baseball cap, brandishing handguns, he mentioned, “You had a hundred billion chances and ways to have avoided today, but you decided to spill my blood. You forced me into a corner and gave me only one option. The decision was yours. Now you have blood on your hands that will never wash off.”
“Your Mercedes wasn’t enough, you brats. Your golden necklaces weren’t enough, you snobs. Your trust funds wasn’t enough. Your vodka and cognac wasn’t enough. All your debaucheries weren’t enough. Those weren’t enough to fulfill your hedonistic needs. You had everything.”
Finally, with his anger, he carried out his vengeance by killing 32 Virgin Tech students and himself. It seems that Cho Seung-Hui has accumulated his anger for years. He also was also trapped in a condition where there was nobody he could trust and talk to. In this case, the society to him was a pressure. It pressed him to a limit where he could not escape, unless with his vengeance.
I do not want to try to be an expert in this case. However, as an immigrant and from immigrant point of view, some times you find the fact that America is not the land of hope and the society is too dull to be your friend, even your parents and love one do not understand you. This situation could create tremendous frustration. For some people, they will find positive ways to overcome, for other, ending life is the only option. I hope Cho Seung-Hui’s case will not be a model and emulated by others.
_____
*Beni Bevly holds BA in Political Science, MBA in Marketing, and is a DBA (Doctor of Business Administration) candidate. He is the founder of Overseas Think Tank for Indonesia.
Cho Seung-Hui very emmbarasing Asia!!!!!
I can’t imagine why him have to kill anyone just because him very depresed!!!
So Poor You!!!!!!!
~evelyn.(Red Devil )
http://evelynpy.wordpress.com/
how sicks he is… he is totally metally ill. what do you think about US society bro? is it very individulism?
Evelyn and Adhi,
As an Asian, I am also so embarrassed by his inhumane behavior. I think we all feel the same way.
Adhi, your question is hard for me to answer yes or no because after living in the United States almost for 10 years in a row, it’s not easy for me to conclude whether they are really individualistic.
In general, for sure their life styles have more privacy compared to Indonesians’. It does not mean that they are ignorance. They also will offer their helps. They know their rights and they will not allow somebody to take it away from them. At the same time, they respect other people’s rights. They have volunteer program which is like “gotong royong” in Indonesia.
However, in certain area, they can be really individualistic. It depends on the composition of the population, their character, their culture and the level of stress or competition of life. Let’s say, people in New York city are known for their individualism and rudeness.In this situation, the society, like what I mention in the article, becomes dull or insensitive.
I hope I answered your question, Adhi.
Evelyn and Adhi, thank you for your comments. I appreciate it.
[…] Beni Bevly Yesterday, I wrote “WHEN A SOCIETY IS TOO DULL: Cho Seung-Hui’s Case” with opening statement in my first […]
It was probably tougher for an 8-year old to move to the U.S. than for an adult. The society could be too mean for kids (depending on where they live). Being bullied, picked on, etc.
That’s when parents’ involvement is crucial, in my opinion. To ‘normalize’ or sooth their kids’ feeling.
I’m not saying Cho’s parents are to bear the blame of what he did. I believe parents help form kids’ characteristics. Being more religious, involvement in social activities, and such. Or by telling their kids that rich and poor is just a fact of life. What’s important is how we value it… or something along that line.
Well, for me, what Cho did is absolutely wrong. No matter what his reason, he has no right to kill others. But, we can learn from this case that what we do to others may bring such bad effects. I heard that Cho was a victim of bullying, a common practice among students in America. I don’t know why he has been bullied, maybe because of racism sentiment, maybe because he was poor. So, killing other students is his way to express his hidden anger.
This kind of bullying practice however, is also happened in Indonesia. In many schools younger students often get bad treatment from the olders. And it happens from time to time. See the IPDN case for example. I’m afraid that if no one can stop this bullying practice, there will be some Chos here in Indonesia.
If only there weren’t any chance for American people to easily possess guns!.
In my opinion, all the tragedies (Cho’s case was not the first. There was similar massacre even done by younger student) is the product of American Democracy most Americans are proud of.
My deepest condolence to all family members of the victims.
Bleu, Ria and Indratno,
All of us agree at one point that killing is not an excuse in solving problem.
Below is the comment that I posted on Bleu’s blog and I would like to share it with you:
There is a brief test and a background check to get a license in the United States. Once one passes this selection, he or she could posses guns. Shotguns can be owned by without goi8ng through this prosess.
This is an easy process to have guns. The question, is that right because of having guns, people tend to kill each other? To me, it seems by owning guns, it does not necessary increase the statistic of killing others. For example, people in Canada have more rifles than their fellows do in the United States, however the statistics of killing others in Canada shows much lower compared to the United States.
That’s why, in my article (Thank you for linking to my article, Blue), I tend to see the society as a whole process that makes somebody kill other.
Beni Bevly
http://www.overseasthinktankfori…rindonesia.com/
Beni Bevly | Homepage | 04.24.07 - 5:25 am | #