Reflections on the Virginia Tech School Tragedy

Dear Dr Sohail

Very informative write-up.

1. What is the the role of anti-depressants. US has the highest consumption of anti-depressants. Dr Mercola of www.mercola.com published an article yesterday that related that Cho was on anti-depressants and apparently many psychotic killers have been on them prior to a large attack. They apparently make for surreal feelings and being out of touch with reality. Can these drugs be the reason why so many in America go over the edge?

2. US is probably the most alienating culture I have ever come across. A `normal` life has near 0 human contact. The lack of community, affinity must have an impact on these people. The only means to connect with others is through TV.

3. The documentary by Michael Moore explored the killings at Columbine school and the gun culture. After exploring all the reasons, Micheal concludes that in US, the media and the lack of social security and access to health care is the reason why many people do not get attention or care. It isn`t violent movies because they are watched all over the world, but the sense of near desperation for economic survival combined with the media obsession with crazy people that makes violence glorious.

4. The teen culture glorifies the most macabre forms of entertainment. Children and young adults are continually being exposed (through the Internet) to the worst forms of violence. Watch any anime from Asia and you realize that there are sick minds invading our children`s mind space through TV and Internet. People of Asia watch the most Anime out there. And there is a lot of porn based on these cartoons out there, which children and young adults are sharing. These cartoons glorify violence, and power gained through violent means. There are limited avenues for physical exercise and real life. Alas, parents don`t know, don`t care what impact video games and Anime is having on their children`s growing minds.

`` CHO `` Not not Actually a Full-fledged American .... is a symptom or a greater American Collective Desease....!!..that has seeped in Into the American Psyche...... if the events of Past decade of so are any indicaion 8-10 years and 14 to 16 such Instances of man slaughter in the Educational Insititues...


Dr Sohail ,so far has avoided to answer that....

Re: # 25

dear shah2...i agree with you violence can be a social and cultural problem. people with

mental illness for example serious biochemical depression are more likely to commit

suicide than homicide...sincerely sohail

People with mental illness (schizophrenia, bipolar, panic, depression, and obsessive compulsive disorders) are non-violent, if anything they might harm themselves more than they might harm others. The society is totally messed up when it attaches a ‘Psycho’ title to violent people. ‘Psycho” are not violent. Mental illness is ‘biological’.

People with neurological impairments (Huntington’s disease) and psychosis (however sometimes psychosis can stem from schizophrenia) are more likely to be violent towards others.

#24,

And what racial abuse had Charles Carl Roberts suffered when he made 5 girls 7-13 years old kneel down on the floor facing their schoolroom wall and shot each in the head one by one?

Or perhaps it was some other kind of abuse ... please continue ...

Re: # 24
dear neembu....next month i am presenting at two mental health seminars in toronto in

which a mental health book for immigrants will be released. it is translated in 5

languages...rafiq sultan and i translated it in urdu and sulatn zafar formated it. it is to

educate urdu speaking families from india and pakistan to learn about mental health and

ask for help when they need it....sincerely sohail

``schizophrenia and manic depressive illness are not violent

and most murders are committed by people who do not suffer from serious mental illness....

they have psychopathic personality disorder and were ...``

Looks like it is more of social problem than mental illness

Re: # 22

I recall hearing the family`s inability to understand Cho`s severe difficulties. There are so many various issues involved in this case and it sounds like Cho`s illness could have been aggravated by the racialized bullying he received in the US. Unfortunately, this is a kind of wakeup call to Asian cultures, as you were saying, to not stigmatize mental illness, but see it as a disease that needs to be treated.

April 24, 2007
CHOWK CENSORED THIS ARTICLE
Worthy & Unworthy Victims
Iraq & the Virginia Tech Massacre: M. Asadi.

I have never accused Chowk of bias, but now I`m beginning to have doubts. After having rushed to publish mostly unsubstantiated and mostly factually incorrect amateurish anti-Islam/ant-Pakistan rants like ``Talibanization of Pakistan``, ``Understanding the Death Fatwa on Taslima Nasreen``, ``With or Without Musharraf – A Mohajir`s Perspective``, ``In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth`` etc, Chowk has declined to publish yours which is perfectly legitimate.

I hope my premonition is not true.

Re: # 18

dear neembu....i listened to cho`s grandmother`s interview from south korea who stated

that he was strange and eccentric and withdrwan from early childhood. i am not sure

whether he might have some genetic tendencies of psychological abnormalities also. as i

said earlier we do not know the details of the family history as mental illness is a secret in

many asian families because of stigma. thanks for your keen interest in the article...sohail

Re: # 15

dear arif...i do not have enough information about cho`s childhood and family upbringing to

make any professional assessment. generally speaking we see two groups

....pshchopathic personality disorders who grow up in violent families and have no

conscience...they are in majority in serial killers

....schizophrenics who have serious mental illness and finally get violent.....they are in

minority in mass murders

we can discuss violence in communities focusing on

....psychological factors

....social, religious and cultural factors

at some stage they start to overlap but we need to see them happening parralel also.

cho had serious emotional problems from childhood.....i am not sure of the nature and

diagnosis and family background so i am making some general comments about societal

trends . sincerely sohail

#9 by Kulharee on April 25, 2007 6:23am PT


In Virginia, where it happened, my grandma (who is dead) can walk into a gun store and buy a semi-automatic on her credit card.


She can get a concealed carry permit too and pack heat...I actually live in Virginia and Virginia is one of the safest places in this area...OTOH, DC, with it`s restrictive gun laws, is not a very good place to visit...

Re: # 17

Zee Bhaijaan

Naraaz na ho yaar, and I agree with your line of questioning.

Dr. Sohail,

Do you think Cho`s alienation might have been caused by domestic abuse in addition to his alienation from his classmates?

His Indian American roommate said that he tried to talk to him a few times and that effort might have registered in some way on Cho.

#10 by rf786,

I can`t believe you can`t make the distinction I`m making here, of-course you do, but I`m not going to participate in an attempt to derail the subject towards the usual Islam bashing. There was also the Hebron massacre of 27 worshipers in a Mosque by a jew. It was for his religion.

The question is, why did Cho do it once he was in USA? Would he have done it if he had remained in Korea? Why doesn`t it happen in Korea? Is it only because of gun control or some other reason?

Perhaps masadi can jump in to answer. The question is way above your league.

Regards

dr shohail.

..... according to professor masadi (in his article on the same subject that chowk staff refuses to print) the vt killings are a direct result of the excesses and decadence of the `power elite` in the united states ........ what do you think ?