Tech Trouble
Now that the photos and videos and writings have been released, it's reasonable to assume that Cho Seung-Hui suffered from serious mental health problems. But it's not that simple. It would be unfair to state, without elaboration, that Seung-Hui was mentally ill. That tars all mentally ill with the ol' violence brush--a damaging and innacurate perception that contributes mightily to the problem of stigma. It's too absolutist to say that.
Would it help, then, to identify the kind of mental illness he suffered? I don't think so. Whether he was chronically depressed or had OCD or anything else, the diagnosis cannot explain what he did. Yet I suspect that people will want a diagnosis because they're desperate for answers: Why did he do what he did? What makes a person do this?
Seung-Hui's behavior was so aberrant, though, that we can't answer those questions with any certainty. He committed the largest mass murder in American history. Given the singualr nature of that act, we must also acknowledge the singular nature of his psychology.
Still, we'll continue to look for reasons. We'll plunder his past, talk to everyone he ever knew, interrogate family and old teachers and gas station attendants and whoever else might have had contact with him, however brief. In our rage for accountability, we'll place blame on the university, on law enforcement, on mental health facilities, on whomever we can to exorcise the feelings of futility and powerlessness.
But the truth is that no one--not a university president, not a police detective, not the most penetrating therapist in the world--could have predicted that Seung-Hui would commit mass murder. That's what makes it so scary.
Ultimately, Cho Seung-Hui is the one to blame, but we can't hold him to account; he did that himself--another frustration. Now we are left with the awesome responsibilty of moving on in our lives without blaming the wrong people. That's going to be hard to manage.
Comments
It is particularly disturbing to me to discover that I suffer from compassion fatigue this week. Our country has every right to mourn a horrific loss in such a grisly way. Jon Stewart expressed it well on his Tuesday intro (but alas, you don't have cable). He said that he had to put it to one side and go on with life until some time 30 years from now when he'll really react to it.
I think that the constant deaths of Iraqis triggered the fatigue. I mean, should I be looking for a record high in tomorrow morning's paper after a car bomb goes off in a market? It's all just too much.
Maybe I can attribute a bit of this to the Depakote, but it's more likely to be more existential than my usual reaction to valproic acid. Why should my reaction to "the single greatest mass murder in American history" be any greater than how I feel about the deaths of Iraqi civilians or the mutilations of American troops? I don't have an answer to that one, except that I don't like any of it and I'm powerless to change it.
Posted by: John M. | April 19, 2007 10:35 PM
I'll bet the mental health system and his doctors/therapists just increased his frustration. How would you like to be in a situation where you know you are frustrated out of your mind, you ask for help and an evaluator tells you you have to wait a month or more before you can talk to a therapist? Maybe people with private insurance and supportive family (sound familiar?) don't have to deal with that.That's where I'm at right now. Will I pick up a gun? I don't think so, but I sure would want to.
Posted by: marie | April 20, 2007 12:15 AM
This is the most rational and mature public statement on this horrific incident I've yet seen.
Posted by: Josh | April 20, 2007 09:57 AM
What a twist of fate! Now, those of us who are suffering from a mental disorder, including myself, will pay the price. This is not fair. I am about to give up hope; I can't bear the thought that I will be stigmatized for the rest of my life.
Posted by: Peace | April 20, 2007 10:23 PM
Excellent post! You have a very balanced and realistic perspective, especially regarding the mental health issues and future targets of this whole tragedy. It's not safe to be considered "mentally ill" at this time.
Posted by: Jayme | April 21, 2007 10:31 AM
This is off topic. The killer in Virginia was able to buy two handguns legally. I could find fault with that but won't for the sake of space. How can you justify someone having what may have been thousands of rounds of hollow point ammo and evven more so how could he buy clips designed for up to thirty rounds?
Posted by: terry | April 22, 2007 04:14 AM
This is off topic. The killer in Virginia was able to buy two handguns legally. I could find fault with that but won't for the sake of space. How can you justify someone having what may have been thousands of rounds of hollow point ammo and evven more so how could he buy clips designed for up to thirty rounds?
Posted by: terry | April 22, 2007 04:14 AM