It is important to remember that this was the act of a mad-man. Cho Seung-Hui was a person often described as a loner, who wrote violent plays.

The tragedy that took place last week at Virginia Tech involving the deaths of more than 30 students and faculty members is nothing short of horrendous.

At a campus with roughly the same number of students enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, it is understandable how many here could feel confusing emotions regarding the safety of our campus. Add to that fact Milwaukees high murder and violent crime rates, and its no wonder that such concerns arise.

Naturally, people with such fears (locally and across the nation), are going to try to determine who is to blame for this act. Past incidents of school shootings have blamed everything from video games, violent movies, and singers like Marilyn Manson.

This blaming of media is unwarranted; if it were true, then everyone exposed to it would have a violent streak.

While it is true that some forms of media may glamorize violence, most who absorb those media know better than to partake in such activities “ otherwise wed have a chaotic society where people fight constantly in the streets “ and while violence exists, it is far from that level of chaos.

It is important to remember that this was the act of a mad-man. Cho Seung-Hui was a person often described as a loner, who wrote violent plays. This doesnt mean that all persons who are loners or write about violence will commit heinous acts like these.

He was also a person who said he despised rich kids, debauchery and deceitful charlatans on his campus. This doesnt mean that people who are critical of these types of people are dangerous either.

Cho Seung-Huis story is one of an unstable mind that snapped. There is no use explaining his actions as a result of his lifestyle, what he watched on television, what movies he liked or what music he listened to; none of those will provide a sufficient answer.

If there is one criticism to offer in this whole mess, it is that the university didnt do enough after the first shooting took place, two hours before the bulk of the killings occurred.

A proper response to those shootings, especially if the perpetrator was on the loose, would have been to lock down the entire campus and allow the police to search for the killer.

Administrators of various universities across the nation need to consider the fact that such acts of violence are possible. As such, a comprehensive plan needs to be developed by every university on what to do in the event that a person goes on a rampage like that seen in Virginia Tech last week.

We must deal with each act of violence in a rational, yet decisive way. The effects of this attack on a college campus should not be derived from our fears that certain media may be responsible for this young persons actions.

Cho Seung-Hui was responsible for this travesty. No one else should be held responsible for the actions of this troubled mind.

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