When is it going to dawn on us that, even as they tear apart Cho Seung-Hui’s computer to find which games he played, what websites he visited, in other words, who they can point to for the answers to why he killed so many people, that all they’re doing is reinforcing, perpetuating his own behavior.
He blamed everyone else. Now they want to find out who we should blame too.
I’m not responsible, and neither is the school, tough exams, his girlfriend, the video game creators, the man at the corner deli. Cho did what he did because frankly, he’s an asshole. More nicely put, he was an immature individual who couldn’t handle normal setbacks in life and couldn’t take responsibility for his situation, hence never learning the way to better it.
One of the most human, and the most poignant reactions I’ve seen was from the father and then the brother of murdered student, Reema Samaha. Her brother answered the reporter’s continued questions about Cho Seung-Hui thus: "I don’t care who did it. It doesn’t matter."
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“He blamed everyone else. Now they want to find out who we should blame too.”
Good observation. The thing is that this is human nature, not saying, “I don’t care who did it.” The latter may be expressing a temporary giving up of curiosity because of some numbness to the moment, but I don’t think a human mind can keep that up indefinitely.
Taking responsibility is such an interesting topic when people can look at that dispassionately and objectively, instead of it being some gold standard for behavior. People at an early age usually blame themselves first for trouble, giving them guilt and shame. Then most learn to see that more realistically. What is the perfect final answer to that? I don’t find it in our culture.
Instead I find that people value personal responsibility, but blame others at almost every opportunity. And few point out the contradiction in that. Those who have pointed to this contradiction started that long ago, such as with Matthew 7: 1-5, but few pick up on taking personal responsibility that far. Even fewer can let their personal responsibility co-exist with the knowledge that others have indeed hurt me. It’s only then that I can forgive. To forgive without feeling the pain is an empty act.
David, I agree; human nature demands justice and justice requires placement of blame. I would say however that man’s nature is not what we would like it to be and society civilizes itself by overcoming much of our inborn instincts.
I too believe that the family’s reaction was born out of grief first, anger likely will come later. But at least for a short time the natural reactions were lined up in a better priority.