Well, I have to agree with you there. We don’t know the whole story, which is part of my ire. Doggone media doing what they always do. First and foremost, from the very moment I heard about this on Monday afternoon, or Tuesday morning, the very first thing I heard was whining and gnashing of teeth about how this was going to effect gun laws (from both sides). I couldn’t believe it! All those kids and all the darned talking heads could do was run fullbore into using it as a tool for their side of the argument.
I am glad to see that since then, the media seems to have pulled in its horns a bit and started concentrating on the victims and their families and the ceremonies to help them heal. I’m glad to see that some of the frustration might have reached what I’ve long seen as deaf ears.
Well for one thing, warn the students. According to a front page story in my town’s local daily news, his roommate had been complaining for months about the issues regarding this student, and yet no one at the university tried to intervene.
And I’m not a school counselor. If I had a student in my class that started showing these signs (though I wouldn’t have known what he was writing since I teach PE), I’d definitely notify my director, if it were as bad as they say, I’d definitely recommend he at least be removed from my class (and our University has policies which support this).
And again, I have to admit we only know what the news reports have told us. From all but his sister, those that knew him as much as said he was, at the very least “disturbing”, with one instructor saying that he/she was terrified of him.
According to reports, all of this had been going on for a long time before this incident. Based on the disturbing writing and other reports, and if I’d been a school official, I think I’d have notified his parents and started procedures to put him on “administrative leave” or whatever they call it when you’re a student and not an employee.
His sister stated that they (his family) had no idea. Why not? Why weren’t these creative writing essays shown to them? His behaviour discussed with them? From the news reports, it sounds as if the only thing that happened, in all those months, was that he was referred to counseling. To me that sounds very similar to the actions of school officials in too many cases, from elementary school on up (for instance, a current thread in the Pit regarding bullying and that students aren’t allowed to defend themselves).
But then I’m not a professional university student counselor, to me it sounds as if those that were in that position didn’t do what needed to be done.
Hehe…good point. But as Sampiro posted, this one had already been evaluated and found that he needed hospitalization. Though of course I don’t know if that’s ever been recommended for Mr. Tarantino.
It’s hard to say what Cho’s family did or didn’t know. Apparently they knew something was wrong with him, that he wasn’t normal, but they didn’t know the depth of what he was capable of. How could you suspect your brother or child of being a mass murderer, just because he was cold and uncommunicative? Lots of people are very quiet, and all they are is just…quiet.
This is exactly my issue (among many) regarding the media. One news report says they know he wasn’t normal, another quotes his sister as saying they had no idea, that he was “just” quiet.
You’re right though, one never knows. From what all we’ve heard though, it seems that the school had some responsibility in sharing what he’d been going through all those months with them.
Hehe…good point. But as Sampiro posted, this one had already been evaluated and found that he needed hospitalization. Though of course I don’t know if that’s ever been recommended for Mr. Tarantino.