PC -- Granted, I live in the land of Political Correctness. No, that's not true. All the different cultures here, acknowledge that being from a different culture brings with it certains ways. Don't believe me? Marry someone from a different culture, you'll find a lot of differences. The problem for me with PC is that it wants you to deny this is true. To paint people all in the same brushstroke and it is ridiculous!!
I have been avoiding the Virginia story. On purpose. I can't handle that kind of evil existing in the world, and if our country did more to call mental illness just that, we might avoid these. But that's not politically correct to say someone is mentally ill, is it? No, he's Korean.
Um, hello? I heard this on the TV yesterday. Obviously, now that we know the killer is Korean, the school will be reaching out to that community. WHA? Is it me or is that like saying because I'm white I identify with Ted Bundy.
Here are ways I'm different from my Mexican friends -- their extended family is over all the time and they cook feasts for no apparent reason. My Chinese friends -- their extended family lives with them, helps out with the children and allows both parents to work. My Indian friends -- they relax each night with tea and toss the kids of of the room to have alone time as a couple. Guess what? Not all Mexican people do that, not all Chinese people do that, not all Indians do that. That's my experience and it doesn't make me a racist for noticing -- hopefully it makes me understand them a little better. But I don't want to understand a mass killer. My experience with the Koreans is that they are a gorgeous people (strong facial features, beautiful!) and they are a people of honor and pride (Tae Kwon Do anyone?)
I think the "reach out" comment came from the media's desire to act like they get what the Amish did after the killings. They don't.
BTW, I don't call them "Chinese friends" except for this occasion, so if you want to make me PC, it ain't gonna work. Kristin
Delicious
10 Comments:
Since maybe folks are afraid to respond, I'll go first!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Kristin. Isn't it so hard to talk aobut anything in this world without the PC police beating down our doors? That in the wake of such a massacre, people can worry about PC-ness. I've had enough.
Be responsible with what we say, right? It's a no-brainer, but should we now live in fear to even open our mouths and where free speech is only for the PC? I'm a Christian. Is that PC?
Ahem. No. And there's my rant that doesn't make any sense, but there you have it.
My prayers out to the students and victims' families of VA Tech.
I'm not afraid to comment! ;)
You're so right, Kristen. Our pc-media-crazed world are bipolar in their coverage: we have to comfort and reach out to the Koreans...but wait until one Korean starts getting upset b/c we've identified Koreans as "killers" and then we'll go the complete opposite way.
Let's either be a melting pot and make everyone the same. Or let's be a tossed salad and let everyone add flavor. Choose one side or the other. You can't do both.
The only PC I'm ever going to have is my Personal Computer...my PC...we need to stop being so ultra sensitive in this country and just use common sense when we speak.
This boy was evil...doesn't matter what race he was...Timothy McVeigh was a redneck...so is Jeff Foxworthy...one makes me laugh, and one makes me so mad I could spit nails...
I just ache for Cho's family...and all the others wandering around out there, just waiting to go off...
Maybe if we all stopped worrying about being PC and started acting more like JC...we'd see changes that would last...IMHO...
What a sad, sad story: a young man that was greatly troubled and unstable--even seriously mentally ill--was identified as having problems by his creative writing instructor, was referred to a counselor and...? Did he "fall through the cracks"? Did someone try to help him? It makes my teacher-heart hurt that somewhere along the line, someone might have helped him, but didn't--or couldn't help him? Perhaps he refused help? I'm just sad for him, for his family, and for all the victims and their families and friends. I'm sad for all the Virginia Tech students that will see this experience as a defining moment--"before the attack" / "after the attack."
Sigh. What a sad, depraved, sinful world our children are inheriting.
Pam, there is little that happens for these kids unfortunately. If the parents don't FIGHT and I mean FIGHT to get him help, there's little the authorities can do. It's so troubling because parents never believe their children could be mentally ill. Maybe a bit "quirky" but not violent. Even if they did try to get him help, if they're mentally ill, they can often act right when they need to and beat the system.
I don't know the particulars of this story, but I'm saddened about another shooting tragedy. This escalation in violence over the last few decades is startling and devastating. Society is missing something here! Kristin, I think part of what's causing these problems is everyone's desire to avoid calling a spade a spade...or in other words, Political Corectness. We're so willing to pussy-foot around stuff that, unfortunately, we've created excuses for almost everything. Sad. Tragic. Devastating. Loss.
Preach on, Kristin!
I love learning about the cultures of other people (especially the ones about food!)...and you're right on about the PC crap that goes on in our country.
Respecting someone's differences does NOT mean that you IGNORE the differences. I think if we threw out what the country has come to think of "political correctness", and instead decided to be respectful, we'd get a lot further.
Well in my opinion (and we know I always have one), "reaching out" to the Korean community is the craziest thing I've ever heard. This boy was a killer that happened to be Korean. That has absolutely nothing to do with the Korean community.
Was it necessary to reach out to the black community, when there was that psychotic black man being a sniper? Uh, no one knocked on my door to find out if I had sniper-like tendencies (by the way, I don't.) But that man, just like this boy, was evil. It has nothing to do with someone being black, white, Korean, or candy-apple red.
Many people want to blame the system because this kid fell through the cracks. Well, I'm sorry, this child did not fall through the cracks, he massacred those people because he wanted to.
There was no program in this world, and no amount of resources that could have stopped this kid. He wanted to do this. It's apparent even from the package that he sent to NBC. He was evil and we need to say it. And then to be a coward and take his own life. I am not trying to be mean or even weird, but perhaps this child was just possessed by the devil or something, because I can't even fathom a place even in the human mind that could be that dark, that you would kill all those people and then take your own life.
We need to pray for those family members whose lives have been changed forever by this horrible act.
Well said Keisha!! Aren't we glad he did take his own life though, so the families didn't have to be dragged into court and told how the system failed this poor boy? Give me a break. I'm glad he doled out justice to himself since we're too week to do it.
Uh, parents ARE NOT allowed to know that a person who is their child on a college campus has issues--mental or otherwise. The university cannot do anything to someone considered mentally ill. Not even if this kid threatened suicide. Those university authorities would be breaking law to inform parents. Parents aren't even allowed to see the grades of those kids for whom they support. Go figure. We started cutting loved ones out of our kids' lives back in junior high.
Good post, Kristin.
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