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Va Tech Killer's sister an Iraq Recon Employee... [VIDEO]

Posted by Evan Derkacz at 11:02 AM on April 19, 2007.


Michael Moore's hypothesis in action?
bowling 4 columbine 1
bowling 4 columbine 2
bowling 4 columbine 3

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It's an admittedly tenuous tie, but below are clips from Michael Moore's "Bowling for Columbine," the first of which suggests a link between a weapons-addicted nation and the violent acts of that nation's children.

I was already uploading the clips for their relevance to the situation when I stumbled over this article from the Australian Daily Telegraph noting that Cho Seung-hui's sister, Sun-kyung "is employed by the Iraq Reconstruction Management Office... set up by President George W Bush to coordinate the reconstruction program in Iraq."

Let me make clear what I'm NOT saying:

*His sister is responsible

*His sister's job is responsible

*The US Government is responsible

The point, rather, is that unlike the nearest causes pundits often look to, could it not be that the actual violence (as opposed to TV or video games) that pervades this country -- perpetrated by this country -- actually contributes to the violent tendencies that seem to strike more people here than in other places?

Weaponry and the words of war are all around us. Thinly-veiled calls for violence, rage, revenge, and blood in the name of "liberty" "democracy" and "justice" can be heard on the news, in political discussion, just about everywhere.

In that context is it really that hard to comprehend a disturbed and dejected man, easily able to get a gun, running around and shooting fellow students?

Just a thought...

Digg!

Tagged as: violence, militarism, guns, virginia tech

Evan Derkacz is an AlterNet editor. He writes and edits PEEK, the blog of blogs.


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Self-fulfilling
Posted by: Knowmad on Apr 19, 2007 1:37 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Sages tell us that, metaphysically, like attracts like, and that this is particularly true for thoughts and their offspring: emotions. And it’s easy to test: Start concentrating on negative things or circumstances and you’ll soon find yourself feeling and acting negatively, and everything going wrong. Thankfully, the reverse is also true.

So, it’s hardly surprising that a society full of people continually running about all atwitter about fear and guns and bombs and threat levels and security and who they're gonna get next and “turrists” and “nuculer” and “wepins of mass distrukshin” and "thur gonna getcha over here" and on and on would tend toward violence.

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Leave his family out of it
Posted by: Krotos on Apr 19, 2007 1:42 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Your point about pervasive violence in American culture could have been made just as well without divulging Cho's sister's personal information. I really wish the media would leave the Chos alone. It's not their fault that Seung-hui did what he did. I can't even imagine what they must be going through right now -- not only do they have to cope with the death of a son and brother, but they have the entire world calling him a monster. God grant them some measure of comfort.

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» RE: Leave his family out of it Posted by: brasilaron
Not hard at all
Posted by: DaBear on Apr 19, 2007 1:48 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Especially when any ole bunch of 4th graders can tell you point blank with this question I got the other day: "How come it's not okay to shoot people in our country but we send our people to go shoot other people in theirs?" When asked, what do you think? about six hands went up and shouted in near unison, "because adults are stupid."

In light of the clips and all the "grownup" prevarication, I think the kids are onto something.

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Not tenuous at all
Posted by: brasilaron on Apr 19, 2007 3:20 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I think the link is very direct. A nation predisposed to violence to solve conflicts with other countries obviously has a predisposition to violence in other areas. We as a nation are addicted to violence as a form of conflict resolution. Violent tendancies + easy access to weapons = incomprehensible violence wrought by individuals on others.

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Shameless.
Posted by: Mojoe on Apr 19, 2007 4:08 PM   
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It just doesn't stop.

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Classic cartoon
Posted by: Donna_Darko on Apr 19, 2007 7:08 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The Bowling For Columbine cartoon is a classic and should be shown in all high schools. The history of the 2nd Amendment, the first automatic weapon, KKK, NRA stems from fear of Native Americans, British, women and Blacks. People should be especially cognizant of the connection between the first reloadable gun, KKK and NRA and the fear of Blacks in this country.

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» RE: Classic cartoon Posted by: Mojoe
» Moron Posted by: Donna_Darko
» RE: Moron Posted by: Mojoe
» RE: Moron Posted by: Donna_Darko
Bowling For Columbine
Posted by: Donna_Darko on Apr 19, 2007 7:18 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Bowling For Columbine should be taught in schools too. Marilyn Manson gets it right in the film when he said the solution is to really listen to what kids are saying. The connection in the film between violence, fear and racism is also notable (especially the NRA convention that took place right after the shooting of the six-year-old black girl).

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» RE: Bowling For Columbine Posted by: Mojoe
» RE: Bowling For Columbine Posted by: Donna_Darko
» Words of wisdom Posted by: fukai
» RE: Words of wisdom Posted by: mewhins24
» It's weird Posted by: Donna_Darko
» More words of wisdom Posted by: Donna_Darko
» RE: Bowling For Columbine Posted by: ROBERT SKINNER
» Kudos Robert Posted by: Knowmad
» Yay Posted by: Donna_Darko
» RE: Bowling For Columbine Posted by: fukai
otto
Posted by: otto on Apr 20, 2007 5:38 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Great job, Evan! And it was good that you cautioned readers about jumping to unwarrented conclusions too!

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Sister works for Bush "reconstructing" Iraq- here's a connection- mental illness is hereditary
Posted by: xbj on Apr 20, 2007 3:56 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
No, no more connection here than John Lennon's killer due for dinner at the Bushes the night he killed Lennon.

Pay NO attention whatsoever to the men behind the curtain... surveillance? What surveillance? Mind control? OUR government and military? Move along, nothing at all to see here...

We are all mere patsy fodder and war meat for the Elite and their moneyminting meatgrinders, and the sooner we realize it the smarter we will be.

Pacifism is not only moral and right; it's SAFETY and damned SMART.

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Why not change the constitution?
Posted by: wisegalah on Apr 21, 2007 8:19 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The Small Dick Brigade (SDB) otherwise known as the National Rifle Association (NRA) oppose any gun controls because they say that their right to carry guns is enshrined in the Constitution.
I thought that the constitution was written as a document to set up a system of governance which would bring the greatest good to the greatest number of people. I guess that it has achieved its aim if the deaths of over eleven thousand due to gunshot woulds per year is as good as it gets. Japan must have a really very inferior constitution, they only kill 39 people with guns each year.
Really!
If the constitution results in some unforseen disaster then why not change the document. It is not 'holy writ' like some bible or koran.
It was afterall written in entirely different conditions both in terms of history and the design of weapons. If the weapons were limited to the muzzle-loading firearms then nobody could object to keeping the constitution as it is.
Only the profoundly stupid like the SDB and George W Bush would find any problem with that solution.

Wisegalah in Sydney

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