djchuang.com - Latest Comments in tragic news of Virginia Tech shootings

Re: tragic news of Virginia Tech shootings

barry — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 04:22:12 -0000

news of the event prompted a lot of introspection on my part because i *could* relate in some degree - my understanding is that cho seung-hui (i note he never took an anglicized name) was made fun of and otherwise ostracized by a predominantly white middle class community when his family emigrated to the US because of his poor speech. while my circumstances were a little different, (but i do even have a single older sister) i was also very aware of not being like anyone else and not fitting in, and i carried a lot of anger at that age. a couple of my high school teachers were genuinely concerned that i might have done something drastic. while i've gotten past that and come a long way, twenty years later i still sometimes project my expectation of being unaccepted onto others (including god) in certain situations. while my case might be extreme, i'm not so sure that it is.

cho seung hui needed help. but i'm not so sure that help was available for him in that circumstance - even if he could have acknowledged the fact that he needed it. i suspect the clash of cultures affected cho affected him in a way that the typical counselor doesn't have experience with. my best friend back home is a child psychiatrist, and he occasionally picks my brain when he has as an identiifed patient an asian child or adolescent. i think my ability to articulate the basic differences in culture (the interdependence and fixation on relational structure and rules/expectations, the shame-based parenting style, etc.) have given him insight he might have never gotten elsewhere and hopefully made him more effective in treating these patients (although nowadays he does very little therapy and is reduced to medicating most of his patients).

Re: tragic news of Virginia Tech shootings

djchuang — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 08:44:46 -0000

Emergingtruth,

Thanks for letting me know of your post. I don't mind your difference of opinion, and I do admit to my over-extension for using identificational repentance with this recent tragedy.

Back to the concept of identificational repentance, which I think does have some emotional-healing value to some people, particularly the in-touch-with-emotions people like myself. What "good" does it do for the whole might be debated, but that's okay.

As for attempts to reach out, I'd imagine that typical outreach of inviting people to attend a small group or an event won't cut it. There's a whole different approach to reaching out to the marginalized, wounded, and hurting, that most ministries don't know how to do. I'll confess I don't know how to do it myself.

And in the case of those who need psychiatric care, it's more up to the family support network to encourage and support mental health care. If that's absent or too shameful, we'll all suffer for it.

Re: tragic news of Virginia Tech shootings

emergingtruth — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 01:38:28 -0000

hi DJ,
Your mention of identificational repentance got me thinking, and I posted an entry. please let me know if I misrepresented your line of thinking, and I will make amends. I have a different take as regards identificational repentance, and the tone i strove for was respectful disagreement. Hopefully it comes across.
If you're interested, CT has an interesting article on how Campus Crusade tried to reach out to Cho. Read it here

http://www.christianitytoda...

Re: tragic news of Virginia Tech shootings

djchuang — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 20:37:45 -0000

Joe, thanks for your encouragement. I don't think we have any particularly special insight or condolences, per se. I do think that we as Asian Americans do have something to say, even if they are the same words that echo the same sentiments of grief and sorrow, a few words are more meaningful than absence and silence. And, I do think the collective side of our Asian-ness feels the shame and guilt of our people being blemished by one bad apple.

I was at a candle light vigil tonight (Wednesday night), and heard that this incident has been particularly difficult for a Korean Dad. Now that Dad didn't know anyone directly associated with the tragedy, but the knowledge that the person who committed such atrocities was Korean pains him. He's wondering if he should go and apologize to the non-Koreans. In my exposure to racial reconciliation, there's a concept of identificational repentance that may be at play here.

Re: tragic news of Virginia Tech shootings

joe — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 12:39:35 -0000

Thanks for sharing your thoughts outloud DJ. I'm not sure if Asian Americans (and especially Korean Americans like myself) are supposed to have some special insight or unique condolences. I'm still just shocked and speechless. But I'm sure you'll find the right words to say on Sunday...

Re: tragic news of Virginia Tech shootings

gar — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 01:20:44 -0000

Yahoo has put an article profiling some of the victims:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/...

My prayers are with them and their families.

Re: tragic news of Virginia Tech shootings

djchuang — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 18:12:37 -0000

Thanks for the comments so far, I'm certainly sensitized to the racialized issues at hand, now that we know the killer is Korean American. Essentially, being an English major, he's one of "us" -- a next generation English-speaking Asian American.

5 days from now, I'll be guest preaching at a church comprised of mostly next generation Asian Americans, located right in Northern Virginia. Same state, next county. We all need a word of comfort and hope, and God's Word points us to where that can be found, and it will take more time than a 30-minute sermon for God's grace to work its way down into the depths of our soul and being.

Plus, I think being who we are as next-gen Asian Americans, we need something more than a generic Gospel -- we need a contextualized Gospel. The Gospel has to and can speak into our Asian American experience.

So, thinking out loud on my sermon preparation, it's as much an emotional preparation as a spiritual one. I have to be honest and vulnerable, to say what I don't know, to say that I have a hard time expressing my emotions and pains, personally and culturally, to let down my "save face" traditions, to weep with those who weep. I want to call out that life is more than suffering only, but life is also to be celebrated. I want to say that we have to get past formalities and relate more deeply with one another, the marginalized and the loners, the achievers and have-it-togethers too. I want to confess that the church has fallen short and hasn't lived out the Gospel with winsome grace and love -- our in-fighting and hypocrisy has turned a lot of people off. God help us all.

Re: tragic news of Virginia Tech shootings

gar — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 15:53:36 -0000

The latest updates identify the shooter as a Cho Seung-Hui, a South Korean senior student in VT's English department.

http://seattletimes.nwsourc...

I can already smell the racism and xenophobic comments brewing.

Re: tragic news of Virginia Tech shootings

LT — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 09:50:07 -0000

thanks for always putting together the most informative posts. you got many sides covered. as of tuesday morning, the shooter looks to be an asian male who was also a student. this may shake up the asian american community more than we realize. some are already asking what pushes these guys over the edge and are fearing that this may spark those on the edge now. this will require a very thoughtful response from aa spiritual leaders. keller's 9/11 message is just so eloquently put.

Re: tragic news of Virginia Tech shootings

stranger from HK — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 09:15:53 -0000

just to inform you that YAHOO is broadcasting the press conference of your school.
You may get more information at US yahoo.
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.co...

May the force be with you all.
I am just a stranger from HKSAR ...You dont know me at all in fact.

Stranger from HK

Re: tragic news of Virginia Tech shootings

Janet — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 05:14:06 -0000

Hi, DJ. Thanks for putting so much info together. Virginia Tech was on the radio here in France this morning. The tragedy was first brought to our attention yesterday by a colleague in Germany who was watching CNN. My first reaction: "At Virginia Tech?!?" As the CT said, hard to believe on "our cozy campus". Praying for comfort for those hurt and for wisdom and compassion for those able to help firsthand.

Re: tragic news of Virginia Tech shootings

waynepark — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 23:28:32 -0000

DJ, my wife Ash is VTech grad. This hit close to home for us too. It's discolored our day and just made everything grey, even tho we are 3000 miles away. Being involved in campus ministry right now, we too are somewhat frightened for our students and even for ourselves...

Re: tragic news of Virginia Tech shootings

emergingtruth — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 23:18:50 -0000

...albeit to a much smaller scale.

Re: tragic news of Virginia Tech shootings

emergingtruth — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 23:16:13 -0000

My fellow asian americans are about to find out how our muslim american brothers felt after 9-11.

Re: tragic news of Virginia Tech shootings

Andrew — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 23:09:20 -0000

What a senseless tragedy ... my prayers are with you from the other side of the world in New Zealand.

Re: tragic news of Virginia Tech shootings

azileretsis — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 22:58:35 -0000

Senseless is one word. Tragic and broken are others. JMU alums weep with VT alums tonight.

Re: tragic news of Virginia Tech shootings

e cho — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 21:05:27 -0000

DJ, this indeed is incredibly tragic news. the first thing i read this morning was that there was a shooting and one person had died. and from there, the story just got worse and worse. peace to all involved.

Re: tragic news of Virginia Tech shootings

Les — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 17:58:16 -0000

A bad arrest. The wrong person. Sorry...

Re: tragic news of Virginia Tech shootings

thecuttingtruth — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 16:05:38 -0000

There are rumors going around that the shooter was Asian. Please, no.

http://www.foxnews.com/stor...

Police were apparantly putting under cuffs Asian males. See:

http://www.mercurynews.com/...