Comments: That Guy: Report Says Cho Not Schizophrenic
So now it seems like Cho was so shy that sometimes he couldn't stand to speak. It's ironic that Nikki Giovanni would judge this kid instead of offering him compassion. In fact if this kid had been offered compassion, lives would have been saved. Sadly in today's world, we're teaching our kids that if someone acts different they need to be turned in and medicated instead of respected for being different. Still, Cho's actions are inexcusable, but I wonder, where did kindness and compassion go? Of course I have to add that Asbergers is also trendy, grossly overdiagnosed and well an invitation to abuse and destroy anyone so labeled, and offer a couple of links to ariticles on the overdiagnosis of it and the drugging and dumbing down of our gifted kids:
http://www.sengifted.org/articles_counseling/Webb_MisdiagnosisAndDualDiagnosisOfGiftedChildren.shtml
http://www.arachnoid.com/psychology/aspergers.php
Posted by Sally at August 30, 2007 06:43 AM
Yep there were many experts who claimed to "know" that Cho had schizophrenia including a prominent forensic doc from Columbia. This should teach us not to make those rash judgments until all of the evidence is in. That said, the line between psychosis and schizophrenia is a fine one at best.
Posted by Steve at August 30, 2007 08:52 AM
I think all these "diagnoses" are pretty meaningless frankly. "Selective mutism" -- maybe a lot of us would have that if we came over from Korea as a puny little kid and were plunked down in an American school. "Schizophrenia" includes all sorts of behavioral oddities under its umbrella and books have been written describing it as a "scientific delusion", i.e. not a "disease." That being said I still say Cho was psychotic and delusional, at least at the end. What got him there is still unclear as far as I'm concerned but I don't think it was a "brain disease". The report is a huge disappointment frankly. The tox report is NOT being released -- maybe they didn't even look for those prescription psychoactive substances that might have been influencing him. We still don't know what med that was his roommate saw him taking that last morning. And the records of his interviews with the counseling center are "missing" -- give me a break. This is just too coincidental for words. Somebody wants to hide something. Maybe even big pharma or is that too paranoid? He took Paxil once and "improved" -- are you telling me no one ever suggested he take it again? That would sure be a first in the history of antidepressant treatment. In fact I've never heard of anyone coming off it because they were doing fine -- usually that's the reason given to stay on it. Nearly 300 pages and the biggest questions are still unanswered. An opportunity was lost here -- I believe that.
Posted by Sara at August 30, 2007 02:56 PM
I believe in this particular situation, that the school was accountable for the mass killings, because there was a 2 hour window of time after the first shootings took place, that in my opinion was left unchecked and placed the campus in danger. This was a preventable tragedy in that context. The school should have been in a lock down situation, all classes canceled. Simply put, the classes would have remained empty room when the shooter showed up after mailing the videos.
I work in a school system and we have lock downs in schools if there is a threat to the campus in any way, shape or form that is OFF campus. I can tell you there is no way on earth that place should have relied on emailing students who most likely had left their dorm rooms for the day.
Regardless of what the shooter's dx is, and the why and hows---there is TOO much time for the campus officials to have warned students to stay away.
Here's an example of what I've written here before in other posts that now is part of a "study". I want to say, yeah no shit.
Investigation says university should not have waited to warn students of shooting.
Posted by Stephany at August 30, 2007 04:50 PM
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090722/ap_on_re_us/us_virginia_tech_shooting
Va. Tech gunman's mental records found in home
"Mental health records for Virginia Tech gunman Seung-Hui Cho that were missing for more than two years have been discovered in the home of the university clinic's former director, according to a state memo sent to victims' family members."
Posted by Stephany at July 22, 2009 10:15 AM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/28/AR2009072801394.html?hpid=sec-education
Washington Post: July 29, 2009
Victims' Families Push to Reconvene Va. Tech Review Panel
"Many family members of students who were killed or wounded by Cho said too many questions were raised about the report's accuracy after it was revealed last week that his mental health records, which Virginia Tech had long claimed were lost, had turned up in the home of the former director of the university's counseling center."
Posted by Stephany at July 29, 2009 04:28 AM