Virginia Tech One Year On: America’s ‘Silent Scandal’
A year after the massacre at Virginia Tech by the troubled Cho Seung-Hui, what has been done to address the root causes of that event – the worst at any American educational institution? Dietmar Ostermann writes for Germany’s Frankfurter Rundschau, “The debate over gun control erupts loudly and often, yet it’s a discussion without consequences. The way people with psychological problems are handled, however, is a silent scandal. Even after Blacksburg, American society is so uncomfortable with the topic that it was quickly suppressed.”
Ostermann goes on, “Even more than the U.S. mania for weapons, this bloody killing spree represents the often tragic consequences of a system in which mental suffering is not only ignored – it is criminalized.”
By Dietmar Ostermann
Translated By Ulf Behncke
April 15, 2008
Germany – Frankfurter Rundschau – Original Article (German)
Shock. Horror. Outrage. Frustration. A year ago, the usual pattern that the United States has of dealing with bloody killing sprees repeated itself once more, after the worst-ever massacre at an educational institution. On April 16, 2007, Cho Seung Hui, for whom a judge had arranged psychiatric treatment two years earlier a student at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, shot and killed 32 fellow students and professors, then himself. Shock and horror were followed by outrage. Proponents of stricter gun controls were indignant about the fact that someone like Cho, who a judge had declared dangerously mentally ill less than two years before, was able to purchase firearms unimpeded.
Gun rights advocates were indignant, because the university forbids the carrying of firearms. If the victims in Norris Hall would have had guns, so the logic goes, Cho couldn’t have killed 32 people.
Shock. Horror. Outrage. Frustration. Somewhere amid all of these emotions, reforms are inevitably promised. In the case of the Blacksburg massacre, there were hopeful signs. A commission of inquiry appointed by Virginia Governor Timothy Kaine noted in its final report two primary factors that made possible this act of madness: Loopholes in the gun control laws and a health care system in which mentally ill people often get no help. The debate over gun control erupts loudly and often, yet it’s a discussion without consequences. The way people with psychological problems are handled, however, is a silent scandal. Even after Blacksburg, American society is so uncomfortable with the topic that it was quickly suppressed.
Even more than the U.S. mania for weapons, this bloody killing spree represents the often tragic consequences of a system in which mental suffering is not only ignored – it is criminalized. “Virginia’s mental health laws are flawed and services for mental health users are inadequate” the Blacksburg Report found.
5 Responses to “Virginia Tech One Year On: America’s ‘Silent Scandal’”
I think it's amazing this kind of stuff doesn't happen more often. And given the infrequency, I have no idea of how to begin to solve the problem.
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The article is quite correct about American culture.
It sickens me that events like that at Virginia Tech result only in a few short days of horror, quidkly followed by a a collecitve sigh and forgetfulness.
There is no reason why gun ownership rights should be incompatible with responsibility for how the guns are used and to whom they are sold.. Hunting and registering hunting guns can go hand in hand, if we would only grow up enough to stop revering the status quo to the point that we become blind and dear to what results.
The stranglehold that the NRA and other like groups have on Washington lawmakers is obscene.
We complain that Mexco is the source of drugs, but we don't care that the US is the source of guns on the streets of Mexico and Canada. What laws we have regarding background checks and registration don't apply to vendors at gun shows. That's like locking the barn door, and simultaneously knocking a huge hole in the back wall.
The crime fighting capability of tracing guns involved in crime is obstructed by some local laws keeping the relevant information from crossing local borders. Since state borders have no impact on human activity, there is no sense in such laws. That's inexcusable.
We are so busy congratulating ourselves on how great The US is that we fail to take proper note of the enormous warts all over our culture.
The mention of mental health is very apt, too. As broken as our health care ssytem is, mental health is the neglected stepchild in it.
We hail aggressive competitiveness as the source of progress, but we take no note of the detritus created in the form of a high-strung and tense populace.
Obama was right, but he didn't go far enough. He should have said that the unwillingness of national leaders to deal with national problems leads directly to some people placing guns and religion above justice.
Did you just accidently describe conservatism?
“What laws we have regarding background checks and registration don't apply to vendors at gun shows. “
Umm, wrong. ATF is very insistent that everyone who has a FFL follows all the rules. There is no gun show exception for FFLs.
“Since state borders have no impact on human activity, there is no sense in such laws. That's inexcusable.”
Well one excuse is that you happen to believe in states rights. I believe that individual states should be allowed to make laws that don't have to follow a national policy.
I'm sorry about VT but what would you change that would make a difference. Not “guns are bad” or “Gun culture is evil” but what real change would you make instead of vomiting anti gun propaganda? The obvious one is linking mental health status to firearm purchases. Of course that would mean the govt having access to peoples medical info, possible stigmatization of individuals being treated, and people not getting help because they don't want to be on any “lists”. Easy to go anti gun hard to come up with useful suggestions.