Hitler & Lincoln: A Couple of Characters

Someone is referred to as a character when that someone stands out for a defining, usually outsized defining trait. Adolf Hitler was a character for his brutal championing of a master race. Abraham Lincoln was a character for his championing of individual human rights. Both thought they were doing god's work. Both killed many to prove that they cared about people in the abstract sense. Hitler had advanced technology. Lincoln was stuck with more eye to eye weaponry. Consequently only 700,000 were killed on Lincoln's watch. Whereas Hitler rained down death on millions. They built a memorial to Lincoln in the North because he "won". Hitler lost and was not built a memorial. Lincoln is held up as a hero in our school books. Hitler is vilified in historical accounts. It's no wonder that killing is still the way to go if one wants to make a name for himself in historical accounts and be in school books.

Cho Seung-Hui:Anti-Social Behavior In A Free Country

Why did Cho have enough time to put 3 bullits into 33 victims and shoot many more only wounding them? The shootings were all witnessed by scores of students and teachers. If it becomes obvious that Cho is going to kill you next, wouldn't it be worth the risk to throw something or rush him rather than wait your turn?

It turns out that Cho had a long history of suspect and actual anti-social behavior. Reports are trickling out of his " annoying" behavior towards some women. He wrote deranged essays that exhibited a potentially dangerous personality. And those who knew him all said that he was anti-social. Why was he still on campus and treated as just another student?

Maybe because our sensitive, inclusive and politically correct culture that is backed up by real laws that are expensive to fight make it a better choice to turn a blind eye to anti-social behavior particularly if they are done by a minority race. Anti-social behavior by anyone is still anti-social and should not be overlooked .

There will be more like Cho in the future. That's just the way of things. But the fallout from that bad behavior can be mitigated. For example , maye next time only 5 perish instead of multiples of 5. How do we arrive at that goal? The ancient Greeks excluded or ostracized individuals that were anti-social. That's a model that could work today. Cho should have been driven off campus by peer pressure .