Fox Experts: Satan Turned Cho Evil!

Fox News interviewed more experts, one of which is from Oral Roberts University, who claimed that The Devil could have masterminded Cho's shooting.

Was Cho Seung-Hui schizophrenic … psychotic … manic-depressive? Or were the shooting deaths of 32 people, including Cho himself, at Virginia Tech University part of the ongoing struggle between God and Satan … good against evil … lightness and darkness?

Could Cho have been possessed by the Devil? Could that explain the massacre at Virginia Tech?

Not only is Roberts the president of the university, but he's also seen The Devil cast out of a person. That's why he's an expert on the subject.

They cite the Stanford Prison Experiment as an example of "outside demonic possession" or, how Satan gets into your soul from the outside. In the prison experiment, it says the prison environment allowed Satanic influence to pollute the hearts of the student volunteers. In Cho's case, the experts say, it's *obvious* it was outside satanic influence corrupting his mind because he left a note ranting against rich kids and charlatans.

While the prison experiment is a creepy read, I don't think it mentioned Satan once. But if I was the kind of person who saw the Devil's face in the 9-11 smoke, I'd be pretty alarmed at evil colleges and universities where this sort of thing went on:

Satanic “oppression," on the other hand, is "that which comes against." "It’s not in a person, but is coming against them, trying to put evil thoughts in their minds,” Roberts said.

Wouldn't you?

We're a little over 72 hours out from the shooting. Keep in mind that very little is known about Cho. His family is still in seclusion from the press. The truth will out, but in the meantime we can interpret and re-interpret the facts to fit whatever costume we want to dress it in. And afterword it won't even matter what actually happened!

Oddly enough, a pastor at the Crystal Cathedral had the most levelheaded comment in the entire article.

Rev. Robert H. Schuller, founding pastor of the Crystal Cathedral, who says he’s “not prepared to give the Devil credit for insanity.”

In addition to his theological accolades, Schuller has a background in psychology. He says of Cho: “I think it’s pure psychotic crack-up.

“I’m not denying that Satan himself could have been in this act. I’m just saying if he was, I’m not giving him credit for it.”

Speaking of which, I'm wondering about some of this attribution. What exactly constitutes Schuller's psychological background, for example? Wikipedia said he graduated with a liberal arts degree followed up by a theology degree, but makes no references to psychology. His Hour of Power homepage refers to him as Dr. Schuller, but his doctorate degrees are all honorary.

The closest thing to a "psychological background" I could find for him was a leadership award from the Munger Center of Psychological Services. I couldn't find a Web site, but I found it referenced on another Christian counseling Web site as a Christian psychology center located in Hollywood.

So Schuller isn't a doctor of anything, he may have only taken a psych course during his time at college and he has a leadership award from a faith-based counseling center that doesn't have any information online. Faith based counseling, as some of you remember, brings us things like the possibly damaging reparative therapy for homosexuals.


And yet he's attributed as source on psychology?

I know for us hip and cynical Internet people, this isn't a big surprise coming from Fox News. They carry their bias like a 20-pound sledge hammer. But it's the little subtle pinpricks like this that undermine the very basics of reporting. Imagine the *millions* of people who read that story and think "well he is an authority on psychology, he should know!"

VTech Admins may have been legally obligated to warn students?

In trying to hazard a guess at what topics might come into play over and over again in the coverage of the shooting, I think it's worthwhile to point out a line in the Haas e-mail that leads us to some interesting angles.

We want the Grand Valley community to know that we have had emergency response plans in place for many years. We test, review and update those plans regularly - we did so most recently after the murder of a student at another Michigan university.

A quick Google search to refresh my memory lead me to this story from Detroit. Late last month, a story broke raising questions that school officials at Eastern Michigan University had reason to suspect foul play over the rape and death of a student.... oooonly they might not have told anyone about it.

Despite the implications the death was viewed as suspicious early on by police, university officials did not back down from their earlier statement of no foul play until Taylor was arrested Feb. 23.

University spokesman Ward Mullens said he could not discuss when the university learned it was a possible murder or how the university handled the case.

"I'm not able to say anything relative to the case," he said.

The university's handling of the case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Education, and the college has hired Detroit-based law firm Butzel Long P.C. to do an internal review.

Now this is a big deal according to the Clery Act, which states that universities MUST disclose information about crime on or near campus.

Obviously this puts school administrators in the hot seat. On one hand you don't want to scare the bejesus out of your paying custom- er- students. But on the other hand you can't (legally) act like a creepy shadow government and cover up a murder.

Well, connect the dots on your own and see how yesterday's shooting and this murder compare to each other. I heard on NPR today that the VTech president was welcomed with a standing ovation at a memorial service today, how much longer before palm sunday ends and everyone's calling for his execution once this little tidbit of info gets linked to what is already being called a dispicable response time?

Well, what is the news saying?

Students were not warned of any danger until more than two hours after Monday's first attack - at a dormitory where two people were killed.

I guess the defense in that case could be that it's really hard to alert thousands of students all at once. But in the words of a friend of mine "if you started runing around the campus shrieking at the top of your lungs, people would eventually get the idea."

So when you're reading your concerned e-mails from the university admins, keep this story in mind.

You're the Man Now Dog: Laughing at Tragedy

YTMND.com's users made a few ytmnd's responding to the attacks.

"sad... very sad." Going along with a picture of a student standing at what appears to be a memorial, the page plays the Enya song "Only Time." I kept wating for Yakkity Sax to kick in with the cell phone video comically sped up.

"Virginia Police Surround the Shooter" takes a dig at the shooter being Asian.

"VT was the best day ever" Faces of terrorists hovering over a student's body while a song from Spongebob Squarepants plays.


"Finding Humor in Tragedy" How long until videogames get blamed by anti-game nut Jack Thompson? Uh... 3 p.m. yesterday. "I think this qualifies as a new record..."


"Post Game Carnage Report" Speaking of videogames.

"World of Warcraft Players Have No Compassion" More videogames.

"We should have seen it sooner."

World's Reaction: Sympathy and gun control.

This story broke in the AP just a little under the 24 hour mark. The world leaders reacting to the shooting.

Most expressed shock at the shooting but few said they were surprised - criticizing the availability of guns in the U.S., lax gun controls and the number of Americans who cling to the constitutional right that allows them to bear arms.

"The Queen was shocked and saddened to hear of the news of the shooting in Virginia," Buckingham Palace said. Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, are scheduled to visit Virginia May 3-4.

British Home Office Minister, Tony McNulty, earned a masters degree in political science at Virginia Tech in 1982.

"I think if this does prompt a serious and reflective debate on gun issues and gun law in the states then some good may come from this woeful tragedy," McNulty said.

Oddly enough the least political article comes from Tehran, Iran. The statement was made this morning, circulated by Iran's foreign ministry spokesman. Or maybe it's slanted in that they're trying to win back some favor after the big sailor fiasco and other such nonsense.

"Attacking innocent people, irrespective of their race and nationality, is contrary to divine and human values no matter which group or person carries out such an act under any name," the Iranian statement said.

Local Police "We Have A Plan."

While VT administrators are already coming under fire for what appears to be a plodding response to an out-and-out massacre. Local newspapers are picking up on the question of "us too?" Breathe easy because police have a plan!

"Local Agencies Prepared to Handle Violence"

This article deals with how local law enforcement and emergency workers in Trumbull County, Ohio could respond to a seemingly-random and senseless situation in which someone snaps and decides to gun down a lot of people. Local law enforcement has "a plan" which includes:

• A violent crimes task force
• hostage negotiators
• a quickly-mobilized emergency medical worker response plan
• tips
  

But the Youngstown State University (enrollment of about 13,000) police chief was frank with the reporter. He was graceful in not yielding to either the "it can't happen here! we have a plan!" side or the "we need stricter security standards!" side.

John J. Gocala, chief of the Youngstown State University Police Department, said that although it’s difficult to predict and prevent similar tragic situations from occurring because of the open atmosphere on most college campuses, his and other law enforcement agencies are doing their best to do just that.

Other law officers said they were ready to swoop in at a moment's notice.

Warren Police Chief John Mandopoulos said there are cameras placed inside city schools that can be accessed from the outside by police. He said Warren police would react rapidly in case of a crisis situation, getting police officers into the building within 15 minutes.

‘‘We have had this plan in place since Columbine happened in 1999,’’ the chief said. ‘‘These things are always in the back of my mind.’’

By the way, how are officers in your hometown preparing for something like this? Would you mind e-mailing me ( billiamforty@hotmail.com ) similar articles like the one I just posted? I'm interested in hearing what people are claiming or calling for. I know people are writing about it.