Cho Seung-hui: What if He Were a Blogger
Posted on April 18, 2007
Filed Under Blogging and the Internet, Thoughts | Viewed 3221 times
His name spews hatred. He is known world-wide as the Virginia Tech shooter, comitting the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. According to Wikipedia:
“A university spokesman described Cho as a “loner”, and said university officials were having a hard time finding information about him. A Korean club on campus reported that he rarely joined or talked with them at all. Before the incident Cho had shown signs of violent, aberrant behavior, including setting a fire in a dorm room and allegedly stalking some women. He is also believed to have been taking medication for depression.”
I will not delve on the details of how the shooting happened, and the mourning not only of relatives and friends of the victims, but of the whole world as well. That is too much to bear for me. Moreover, many have written about it already.
I would only like to think of the “What if”. What if he were a blogger? Would he have done the same? I am inclined to say, maybe not. If he were a blogger, he would have diverted his energies and negative thoughts into writing. He would have vent his anger in the blogosphere. Blogging would have been an outlet. Bloggers may be alone, they may be lonely, but they can reach out to others. They also have other people reaching out to them at the click of a mouse. Blogfriends are just a click or even a chat away.
If he had surfed he net, he would have found that there were other people who were in a more miserable state. Maybe, he could even have sympthized with other people who are in the same helpless frame of mind.
While bloghopping, I found a post by Miheala Lica (newfound blogger from Quasi Fictional) titled, Bang Bang You’re Dead. It mentioned about the initiative of Steli Efti and his friends Euripidis Kitsos and Halil Mandal for a One Day Blog Silence in Honor of the Victims of Virginia.
Silence can say more than a thousand words.This day shall unite us all about this unbelievable painful & shocking event and show some respect and love to those who lost their loved ones.
On April 30th 2007, the Blogosphere will hold a One-Day Blog Silence in honor towards the victims of Virginia. 33 died at the US college massacre.
The Blogosphere is in deep mourning.
All you have to do is spread the word about it and post the graphic on your blog on 30th April 2007. No words and no comments. Just respect and empathy.
I am inclined to support Steli, so on 30 April, I will be silent in the blogosphere for a day, in respect of the dead in Virginia Tech. I would also say a prayer for the lonely people out there, the hurt, and the pained, to find their way to the joy in blogging.
Will you join the One Day Blog Silence Initiative?
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51 Responses to “Cho Seung-hui: What if He Were a Blogger”
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About Me
Dine Racoma is Sexy Mom, a Filipina doing what she likes best—writing, her passion. She writes freelance, does research, advises on new media, and manages a virtual assistance office for home-based jobs. A mother of 7 (what joy!) foremost, a wife, MIL, grandma to 2 pretty girls and an angel in heaven, sister, daughter, friend. Was in the corporate world for 27 years, the first 5 as Executive Secretary to an affiliate of the country’s biggest drug chain, and the last 22 as an international civil servant in an international development bank with HQ in Manila. Traveled extensively to many countries bringing about rich experiences and lessons learned to share with dear Readers. All these—in The D Spot
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Hi thank you for your post. But have written my name wrong. Regards Halil
Thank you for your wonderful words, Dine! They mirror your soul and your humanity. I guess you are right. If he were a blogger he would have found a kind heart to listen to his sorrow. Maybe. But you need to search for such hearts. Maybe other loners are doing it right now, but are they looking in the right direction? Are they opening their own hearts to kindness?
The Virginia Tech tragedy brings to mind a similar school shooting in 1979 California. 16 year old Brenda Spencer wounded nine and killed two in a shooting spree at an elementary school. She said, “I had no reason for it, and it was just a lot of fun,” “It was just like shooting ducks in a pond,” and “(The children) looked like a herd of cows standing around, it was really easy pickings.”
I Don’t Like Mondays Either, But …
You would think that the United States, for all its development and prosperity, horrible tragedies like these would not happen. But perhaps, these social ills do happen because of these development and prosperity. People have no more time and energy for the more important things in life like personal relationships and family.
In with you on this. What else can we do?
I am putting myself in the shoes of the victims’ parents. Such a horrible feeling knowing that their sons and daughters are not coming home alive. It must also be hard on the parents of the killer. Had they even suspected that their son was in agony?
april 30 – acknowledged!
I am in also. Its just really sad that this happened.
[...] think Sexy Mom have a great question, “What if Cho Seung-Hui is a blogger?” Perhaps he could have an [...]
An intelligent & well-calculated speculation. Deepest sympathy and condolences to all concerned…...
Now that I have a daughter, it makes me doubly scared when tragedies like these happen. Knowing that you can’t protect your kids all the time can sometimes make you feel helpless.
I agree, blogging could have helped him release his anger and combat his loneliness.
More than that, I think if his parents made him feel more secure and loved, it would have made a lot of difference.
Thank you for spreading the word on this. Yes, indeed, after we have expressed our condolences to the bereaved, this day of blog silence is a most appropriate show of respect and support. I will be with all of you on April 30.
agree ako sa sinabi mo, and they may even see positive side of life through blogging to be encouraged, diba?
yes, i think he wouldn’t have resorted to such violent action had he been a blogger. it’s a form of therapy, an outlet..that’s why most blogs are so emotional, so passionate… some are full of rants and even hatred and you read some curses in between. well, i bet after they’ve blogged about their misery, they’d feel better. i’ve written recently about giving an advice to a friend, aside from lending my ears to the problem, “I would also give him an additional practical tip: Get a blog!”
I read the news. That was unbelievable! Terrible! Maybe if I were one of those students who witnessed the tragedy, I would also do not know what to do to save myself.
Now that the shooter is also dead, who are they gonna blame this? Probably to the university. How did a student managed to carry a weapon inside the campus?
I sometimes wonder what exactly goes on in the head of a shooter. Where did that seed of anger come from? How did that anger snowball to become an uncontrollable rage? What a sad, sad life.
Hey, I just read about the One Day Blog Silence project too. It’s interesting.
And what you said is interesting. That if he was a blogger, he has an outlet to channel his negative energy. I haven’t read about his motives and was wondering what led him to that rampage.
[...] none other than my own mom (yes, my own mother is an avid blogger, and is into problogging, too). She asks: what if Cho Seong-hui, the gunman, were a blogger? Cho had been described as a loner, and had manifested violent behavior prior to the shooting [...]
my prayers to all the victims.. and my prayers for the Cho Seung-hui as well …may they rest in peace.
That’s a very nice insight. I think yu are right about that, sometimes those frustration and loneliness need to have an outlet and a listener (or reader). This news is also very big here in Germany, because it happened here to 2 years ago. The boy was also very depressed and frustrated.
Though we are not sure. What if he is egged on by someone to put to action whatever hatred he puts in his blog?
Hypothetically speaking, we never know how many people read blogs and how many of them wish you well.
Just my two cents ;P
i will not promise but i will try to keep silent on April 30…..One Day Blog Silence in Honor of the Victims of Virginia.
“If he had surfed he net, he would have found that there were other people who were in a more miserable state. Maybe, he could even have sympthized with other people who are in the same helpless frame of mind…...............
thanks there is blog world…...Internet…..PC
thanks for sharing Dine…......
i would not say, have a nice sunny day…while we have a bad weather today, fresh, cold and windy….we need a light jacket…..sadddddddddddddddd
He was a troubled kid. They say his creative outlet was writing “disturbing” poetry and scripts. It’s a little hard to say what, if anything could have saved him. But my heart goes out to all the victims. April 30th noted.
“Would he have done the same? I am inclined to say, maybe not.” Your statement is so reductive it borders on dangerous. To think that blogging could in some way have mitigated this young man’s obvious sociopathic tendencies, which lead not to a confrontation or even altercation but to the murder of dozens of innocent people, is just silly. Maybe writing about his hatred might have potentially, possibly lessened it, but then again, maybe drinking a better orange juice in the morning or singing in the shower more would have had the same effect. Don’t romanticize blogging or any other vehicle for expression through language. They aren’t Zyprexa, and they aren’t even necessarily therapeutic. In fact, as Kathy Sierra’s troubles suggest, they unfortunately often add fuel to the fires of madness.
Perhaps but there have been shooters who have been bloggers and even part of online communities.
But yeah, if he reached out or if someone reached out to him, whether online or in real life, maybe this could’ve been prevented.
Yup, I knew about One Day Blog Silence. I’ll be doing that on the 30th, too, as respect for the victims of the shooting and as sympathy for those who were bereft of their loved ones because of it.
I’m probably going to get slack from this but the day of silence is somewhat contradictory to what blogging is all about. And what you’ve pointed out. What if he blogged? He would’ve have had an outlet. I’m guessing he might have in a different persona.
But a day of silence, as much as it maybe reflective doesn’t make sense to me. We should be talking about it. Talking about the gun laws in America. The violence that is invading our schools. I acknowledge the need of the people affected by any tragedy to keep silent until they’re ready.
This disturbed kid needed someone to talk to. Was he able to do it with his parents? To a counsellor just like an English professor suggested he should a year ago.
We should talk about it. Open the line of communication. Not be silent.
Just my opinion of course.
Just recently as last week, our provincial government enacted a law to again put a limit on speech freedom by outlawing “internet bullying” where students using myspace and other accounts to bully and insults others including school authorities. This action was the results of the principal suspending students for bullying the school vice principal and others.
I believe this move is a right direction, because this bullying could progress into more serious development that could led students to radical and irrational actions if left unchecked. And the proper process to address school issues are also spelled out.
That’s an interesting question. What if he were a blogger?
This then prompts me to ask: What if he were an artist? What if he were an athlete? What if he had pursuits that were productive in channeling all that hidden energy of his? He was obviously very much disturbed and perhaps having an outlet which would have allowed him to express his views and channel his frustrations could have helped.
You posed a simple question, but a potent one at that.
[...] professional help, a troubled person has impaired social interaction and other difficulties. Even reading blogs or being a blogger might not be enough to soothe a troubled [...]
The blogging may or may not help him disperse his negativity. However, it is still his choice if he’ll pursue his evil intent. It’s not because the media pumped his head with violent ideas. It’s not because he did not develop hobbies. It’s not because he did not confide his troubles with close friends or he did not develop good relationships. It was his choice to do what he did and his responsibility.
yeah,i agree with you,Dine!If he were a blogger,there would be no tragedy..i cant believe that happened in just one day…we send our children to school coz its their secondary home.we are free-worries coz its a very safe establishment…or is it?
hope no more second virginia shooting trouble…
isn’t he a writer? but as you said, comments can make you feel god.
I don’t think that blogging about his dark and violent tendencies could have averted this tragedy. He was obviously a very disturbed person who needed professional help and proper guidance in all aspect.
It is such a tragic incident but we need to focus on the victims families who are grieving and not dwell on the ‘what ifs’ to try to understand the psyche of a very conflicted person.
Would blogging have helped him? If he can be distracted that easily…maybe. But if he was focused on what he was going to do…maybe…not.
One day blog of silence…yes! I am in.
Sad and terrible news. I pray for the loved ones who were left behind. And I also pray for the soul of Cho.
hi, sexy mom! i’m back here again… lol. it really makes me sad that there are really a number of young people like cho… i feel for him… i’ve been depressed my whole teenage life and i know what it’s like to feel that you have nobody… he must really be going through a lot of pain and anger… if he were a blogger, his site would be too depressing to read. but i have to agree that it’s a reality—this sickness/loneliness that is not only experienced by teenagers.
and i pray for the people and their families and friends who’ve been hurt…
It was really sad beyond description. And upon knowing later this morning that he actually sent documents to NBC 2 hours before killing the 30plus others, I was even more shocked.
And you’re right, blogging is a medium of expressing oneself by letting out whatever inside you but I agree with commenter #31 Prudence, it was his choice to what he did.
It’s like when 9/11 happened. But I hope it will not stir up racial prejudice specially for Korea.
I pray for all those who dies ad friends and families who have been hurt.
This is true, tita -> “What if he were a blogger? Would he have done the same? I am inclined to say, maybe not. If he were a blogger, he would have diverted his energies and negative thoughts into writing. He would have vent his anger in the blogosphere. Blogging would have been an outlet.”
He probably would have found some online friends who would tell him to stop being violent and all.
Then again, maybe not. Who really knows what Cho was thinking that time he killed those students?
I’ll just pray that this incident will never happen again.
oh well, thank goodness he’s not a blogger… imagine … his blogsite must be swarmed with million hate comments…
The shooter simply walked into campus with the guns just tucked into his waistband.
Except for the randomness that Cho got accepted into Virginia Tech, the whole massacre could have occured on any campus.
Makes one worry about UP Diliman campus.
Only a trueblue blogger could ask that perceptive question. I agree, Dine, it is likely Cho wouldn’t have done what he felt compelled to do if he had a tool like a blog. I read somewhere we can write (or talk)out our hatreds and sadnesses—and sometimes these stay in paper. at least in part?
I agree with sasha that blogging could have been an outlet. I’m really sad for what happened in Virginia Tech.
Now I’m thinking…is our school safe from such events?
Hi Dine,
I mentioned this post here: Infidel Links 2
It was such a senseless tragedy. They were showing video clips of the killer on TV which he recorded himself. You can see the rage and madness in his eyes. Our local media covered it when it was first happening, it felt too close to home. My heart goes out to all the parents who lost their children.
Hi Dine. It was indeed a terrible day that caused pain to so many people. My heart goes out to all the victims and their families. I shall support the One Day Blog Silence in Honor of the Victims of Virginia on April 30, 2007.
Hi, dine!
I also blogged about this … but the question, If he was a blogger, would he have done this? Maybe the percentage would be decreased cause he would have an outlet to release all his frustations, fears, depression, etc.
good post…..im more interested on what he would have written if he was a blogger.
Maybe if he had been a blogger someone would have noticed he was troubled and helped him… or at least stop him in time.
A sad, sad tragedy talaga. I would join in in prayers for that day and remeber to pause for a minute or two in respect. I am planning a birthday post that day for my daughter.
Everything is said, I will say a prayer, count me in !