Virginia Tech shooting


The Virginia Tech shooting was shocking. According to the Straits Times it was the worst mass murder in American history. But instead of linking it to the issue of gun control in America, I think the main problem to be looked at is why the gunman (Cho Seung Hui) did what he did. Was it because of racial discrimination? Or his own mental instability? Or something else?


The Straits Times reported that the gunman had written a note which focused on ‘moral laxity and double-dealing he found among what he viewed as wealthier and more privileged students on campus’. Thus the issue of racial discrimination is raised.


I agree to a certain extent that there is racial discrimination in America because people often see news about the whites believing they are superior to the blacks and all that stuff. In the case of the Virginia Tech gunman, he felt that the Americans were behaving like they were superior to Asians, like those students who go there for university education. However, although it may be relatively true that racism exists in America or Europe, no one can be sure that racial discrimination in the case of the Virginia Tech shooting led to the murderer killing his victims because this was only from his viewpoint. The victims comprised his own South Korean compatriots, and many other migrant races. So did Cho really think he was persecuted because of his race?


However, we cannot really say that racism always exists in America, because on closer examination of the facts, it emerged that the Cho family was very poor when they were in Korea. It was to seek a better life that they migrated to America in 1992 when Cho was only 8 years old. And America did present them with opportunities, and their life improved to the point where the Cho family owned a laundry business. So could racism be just a perception on Cho's part?


The Straits Times Review of 20April 2007, cautioned measured reporting on the issue of Cho’s ethnicity; his social behavior was that of a psychopath. Being Korean was‘just incidental'. He thought that life was unfair, but then I suppose life is usually never fair. So maybe this could be the reason for his actions. The American media, in stoking sentiments of race, may indeed lead to dangerous conclusions that racism is the main issue here. According to reports, now a lot of Asians and especially South Koreans are expecting a backlash (of hate and resentment ) against them from Americans because of Cho's bloodbath.