April 19th, 2007
Please look carefully and with an open
mind at the following regarding some of the material that was contained
in the manifesto sent by Cho Seung-Hui. Please understand that this is
pure speculation, but at a time when people are looking for answers, it
might be important information.
First, some important facts:
The Virginia Tech tragedy took place
during the anniversary week of the Columbine Massacre, but not on the actual
anniversary day of the massacre. Perhaps Cho was concerned that there would
be extra security on the 19th and 20th, so he chose a day that would find
people unprepared, but yet still taking place during the anniversary week.
The manifesto mentions Dylan and Eric;
the shooters from the Columbine Massacre.
It is well known to many that Dylan
Klebold and Eric Harris were known to have been severely bullied in that
school.
After nearly all of the school
shootings, students come forward and say that the ‘shooter’ was a loner
… and / or was bullied, teased and tormented by other students.
Cho angrily accuses ‘someone’ of hurting
him, of spilling his blood, of putting garbage down his throat. These could
be acts of sadistic bullying (it wouldn’t be the first time) or symbolism
of the torment that he received in middle and /or high school.
Cho is obviously lashing out at someone;
wanting someone to take the blame or feel responsible for what he did.
My thinking is that he was severely bullied in middle and high school for
being ‘Asian’ and ‘different.’ (This kind of behavior toward minorities
and kids that are deemed ‘different’ happens a lot in schools)
I think the level of his childhood bullying
had developed into a rage that he took with him to Virginia Tech College.
‘Ax Ismael’ is a reference to the sacrifice
that God asked Abraham to make; in essence slay your son to prove your
loyalty to me. Cho had that on his arm to remind him that the Virginia
Tech kids were a sacrifice. In other words killing them would tell his
former tormentors that ‘their’ mistreatment of him, (not those at Virginia
Tech) resulted in this carnage. I don’t think he was angry at anyone at
Virginia Tech. They were the innocents; just like Ismael would have been
if his father had killed him to prove his loyalty to God.
The fact that some students said he
was emotionless as he shot people at Virginia Tech, and that it “looked
like he was on a mission,” would make sense. Once again I believe he was
not angry at his fellow Virginia Tech students. He was ‘sacrificing’ them.
“You have blood on your hands that will
not come off.”
Once again I believe this is directed
to his bullies from the past, not the students or faculty at Virginia Tech.
I believe Cho was hurt by wealthy kids who more than likely bullied him
because he was less fortunate. This happens a lot in schools. Many children
say that their worst bullies are the ones that are spoiled, wear nice clothes
and seem to have everything handed to them.
Of less significance, but worth mentioning:
Much has been made of the photo where
he is holding the hammer, referencing a similar image in “Old Boy.” There
is a more exact stance to be seen in a scene from “Welcome to the Dollhouse,”
in which a bullied and misunderstood teen girl stands above her young sister’s
bed holding the hammer in almost exact fashion. As she puts the hammer
down, she says to herself “you’re so lucky.”
Cho’s ‘people’ or ‘children’ that he
claims he carried out this act ‘for’ may be his way of referencing bullied
kids in general. I believe that in his destroyed mind, he thought the world
would forever understand ‘why’ he thought he had to do this and ultimately,
why he did do it; to open up our eyes once and for all that school bullying
creates tragedies; a fact that has been largely ignored and not given any
real significance after school shootings.
People tend to look at the ‘act’ and
not really caring about the reason ‘why.’
Thomas Brown
The Broken Toy
Project
brokentoyproject
(at) columbus.rr.com
Children cannot learn … if they’re afraid
to go to school.
