Cho

[loserbutt]

So I was reading this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seung-Hui_Cho

the other day, and what really freaked me out was how much he resembled me. Did this happen with anyone else?

[Geese]

Although Cho looks nothing like me, I'd have to say that the wiki-entry does nothing to help the situation. Nowhere in it does it speak about solutions. It doesn't ask how could someone have helped him prior to his college years and why exactly did everyone know he was "so shy" yet they took no steps to try to help him learn how to reach other people. I know that its not meant for a discussion of that kind, but it typifies today's spilt-milk mentality, but doesn't actually acknowledge or question how he could have been allowed to progress so far all alone.

Autistic or not, he didn't seem to get any kind of support from his actual family, according to what the entry has on it, except everyone saying that he was shy and a loner. I also found it ironic that his older sister stated that it was like she didn't know him, to me it sounded like SHE REALLY DIDN'T KNOW HIM!

I have a younger sister and a slew of half-brothers. My mother used to jump down my throat when I was younger because all I did was read and I didn't actually talk to people. My uncle's became concerned as well as my father and stepfather. In the end they all asked why I rarely spoke and I told them that I literally had nothing to say so why speak? In the end they each told me in their own way that sitting around others and not speaking or interacting made people uncomfortable...

So I usually went to my room... which... didn't exactly help! HA! So then they simply followed me to my room and it was at that point that my uncle's and the men of my family spent lots of time with me and I eventually accepted talking to other people. My grandfather used to have me help him cut wood and shovel coal for the furnace of the house. He told me one time "People'll think you're crazy if you sit around readin books ALL DAY and ignore other people. You want them to think your crazy!? Keep going, THEY'LL LOCK YOUR ASS UP! THEY LOCK CRAZY-PEOPLE UP! DON'T ACT CRAZY AND SHOVEL FASTER!!!!"

My grandmother and mother weren't too pleased... with his approach... but I got what the old crazy bastard was sayin... amidst all the yelling about crazy... which was just... crazy...

My grandmother had baby pictures of me that literally show me watching the photographer and eventually opening up to smiling for the camera and whatever other foolishness that my parents were doing. But even now they talk about the fact that I would rather be around books instead of living, breathing, people. The real kicker was that in the end I turned out to be pretty socially adept, I haven't done too bad and I owe it to my family, especially my grandfather, cranky-crazy-bastard.

I honestly do not believe that enough was done to help Cho through his shyness and having been through something like that, seeing the honest concern for my well-being and the love that all of these people had and the fact that they would not allow me to close myself off, regardless if they interfered in my reading! :biggrin: It made me realize that I wanted and needed friends that would stand by me just as much as my family did. I have three sworn brothers because of it, one of whom has FINALLY shown that he's still in one piece over in Iraq and I've made friends all over this pathetic planet, all because of how my family stood by me. It is sad to me that it just seems like enough wasn't done for him before it was too late.