Posted on 04/26/2007 7:13:41 AM PDT by CharlesWayneCT
I don't know if Cho Seung-Hui, the person responsible for the deaths of 32 people at Virginia Tech last Monday, is the "typical" mass murderer. But I do know more about him than I care to know, and he has received more publicity than he deserves, thanks to NBC showing his home video.
A lot of people make uplifting videos of themselves accomplishing good in this world, but NBC has no interest in them because they wouldn't get ratings. But execute dozens of innocent teachers and students, and you get a first-class ticket to stardom.
Everybody is scrambling to tell Cho's life story. I now know he hired a "female escort" for a private session. As a child, he hit his sister. He was a loner, he stalked two women and he caught his dorm room on fire. I've even seen his eBay trading history.
I do know Cho isn't the "stereotypical" villain. He wasn't a gun owner -- when he decided to shoot people, he had to purchase guns and ammo. He wasn't in a hate group. He wasn't picked on. He was Korean -- Gov. Tim Kaine this week assured the Korean community they weren't to blame, but really, are Koreans who we think of when we hear "killing spree?"
Who is the typical villain? White fundamentalist gun-toting Christians. In March, a school district in Burlington Township, N.J., held a hostage rescue drill to test emergency procedures for responding to a terror attack.
The drill involved two armed men who enter the school, kill several students, and take the rest hostage. Town officials designed what they thought was the most likely villains for an attack.
And what did they come up with? A group called the "New Crusaders," a "right-wing fundamentalist group who don't believe in separation of church and state." This group attacks the school because a child was expelled for praying.
To the local paper, this made complete sense. An article in the Burlington County Times on March 23 said of the 'Christian killers' story: "The scenario has played out in real life across America: Gunfire echoes through a school and students are held hostage."
Of course, when the Christian students were subjected to the drill and learned that they were the villains, they were outraged. As well they should be. If you want to find the Christians in a typical shooting, look on the other side of the gun barrel. Cho's victims included four students involved with Campus Crusade for Christ, five Baptists, and many other people of faith. His multimedia presentation railed against Christianity. The Columbine shooters specifically targeted Christians. And there was the mass murder at the Amish school in Pennsylvania.
But it took two weeks of complaints before the officials even acknowledged a problem. Eventually the district released a "clarifying" statement that said in part: "Any perceived insensitivities to our religious community as a result of the emergency exercise scenario are regrettable. It was certainly not the intent to portray any group in a negative manner. We cherish, respect, and celebrate the diversity of cultures and faith that exist within our community."
But that focus on celebrating diversity contributed to their mistake. They knew not to use a "Muslim terrorist organization." They wouldn't think of using ethnic or racial minorities. We all know who to be sensitive to, and if we forget, there are organizations who will sue to remind us. But using a conservative Christian group as killers raised no flags.
So maybe Cho wasn't the "typical" villain. He wasn't white, he wasn't a conservative churchgoer, he wasn't in a gun club, and he wasn't a dangerous "fundamentalist" upset about prayer in schools.
Meanwhile, videos showing Christians and their positive impact on communities collect dust on shelves across America, while officials portray Christians as villains. And Cho, a real villain, has his twisted vision of the world plastered across my television screen.
I was writing about the Burlington "terror drill" for last week, but punted because of the shooting. So I tried to weave the shooting into the story, and ended up with two points instead of one.
Oh well.
This is my column for today from the Potomac News.
Christains are ALWAYS the target when it comes to human behavior. Liberals, criminals and other reprobates and mis-fits in our society shrink from the values of Christianity when confronted -— they have become totally predictable — they will attack any value-measuring system in society, ignoring those that look like VOTES to them.
I like it.
Nice Job.
Ironic that the VT shooting was strictly evil without any rationale behind it.
Even more ironic that the Lord is moving in big ways here in Blacksburg
A very unlikely scenario...
...Most of the fanatical Christian militia groups I belong to break our organizations down into three-man fire teams.
John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
If you watch any sort of T.V., you already know how it's always the Christian's fault. A couple of weeks ago I counted 5 shows where the villain ended up being Christian; or if they weren't the culprit they would end up being a fake controlling jerk. I'm not even a Christian, yet this bothers me to no end.
Also why do the schools feel the need to run these drills while kids are in school? I know a teacher in the Chandler, AZ school district; they are planning an unannounced lock-down drill. There are only a few in the school who know it is even happening. The SWAT team is planning to run around with their weapons out. Also, any teacher who doesn't hang a special sign out on their door will have their door smashed in.
I understand the need to do drills, but they're going to scare the kids (and I'm sure a few teachers,) half to death. Can't the teachers come in on a Saturday to practice a armed gunman attack?
Even if you buy into the Court-created 'separation of Church and State' mythical admendment, it does not allow schools to expel a child for praying.
Carolyn
Too funny:)
All I notice is content, and mariabush, you’re pretty good at having something worth communicating.
Funny, though-—you having all those English wizards around you. Maybe Mother Nature is compensating for you!
So... Why am I not surrounded by good cooks and carpenters?
LOL!
And also thanks to Chuck. Chuck starts out his column with a central thought, but by his second sentence he delegates himself to irrelevancy by the profound contradiction.
He didn't need to mention the killers name...
The drill organizers clearly displayed their anti-Christian bias with the "New Crusaders" scenario when the facts are out there that plans for US schools have been found in the hands of islamics in Iraq, muslim men have openly boarded a school bus in Florida and Beslan has become synonymous with school terror.
Really? I had never heard of this.
“Christains are ALWAYS the target when it comes to human behavior.”
Christians have not in any way become any sort of a target in the VT massacre. In fact, I would argue that the murders have raised the visibility of Christianity in a good way here.
Dang. I never heard of this before. Makes me mad.
I already taught my kids that if they have a drill -or any kind of lock-down - at school, they are to immediately do whatever it takes to break apart their desk for makeshift weapons and a shield. They are then to go to the door and be prepared to kill anything that comes through it.
HAH! I love it.
I wish I had thought of that years ago. I will have to share this with my 10th grade son. He’ll probably do it.
That is true, and was promised in Scripture.
Matthew 10:22 and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
Of course such is rarely preached in this day of the Prosperity Gospel, which is why Christians are surprised when it happens.
I guess the American Church, Inc. tries to make us more lovable by preaching Law Light, but then people never hear the Gospel.
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