The psychic echo has barely receded from the trauma unleashed at Virginia’s Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg, VA., and the name, Seung-Hui Cho has been added to that of others who have distinguished themselves by their profound alienation.
But this isn’t about him, or what has become a uniquely American pastime: massacres.
When I looked at the wall-to-wall coverage of this event, I couldn’t help but wonder: Where’s the ‘homeland security?’
One man shot several people at one dorm—shot them to death—walked over to a FedEx shipper, mailed off a CD of his exploits, walked over to another dorm, chains the doors closed, and embarked on an extraordinary killing spree that left over 30 men and women, students and professors, dead. Then, he checked himself out.
Where’s the ‘homeland security?’
Let us suppose that this man was mentally deranged—what if he utilized a bomb instead of 2 pistols?
Americans have spent billions building a new government bureaucracy, the largest in U.S. history, and, for all intents and purposes, they were MIA—missing in action.
How does a guy shoot several people to death at 7:15am – leave, cut a CD or two on campus – go to the FedEx place – and go on another shooting rampage some 2 hours later?
This isn’t about Cho. It’s about the farce of a government agency that promises, well – ‘homeland security’ – but delivers illusions.
They were MIA in Katrina as well, remember?
That’s because the agency has become another piglet feeding at the trough, with a job to get more, to eat more.
There are scandals nationwide of local police agencies getting windfalls of loot from the government, only to spend it on perfect idiocies.
If Cho was an Arab, instead of a Korean, perhaps we would’ve seen another response.
But, don’t bet on it.
