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| All content taken from The O'Reilly Factor on Fox News Channel. Each weeknight by 6 PM EST a preview of that evening's show will be posted and then updated with additional information the following weekday by noon EST.
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Guest: Dr. Michael Welner, DepravityScale.org
"Many Americans believe the media was irresponsible in broadcasting the sick words of the Virginia Tech killer. I ran the tape last night and I would do it again, and here's why. Evil must be exposed and Cho was evil. All of us who saw the tape will never forget it, and it made me and millions of others angry. Once evil is acknowledged, steps can be taken to contain it. And once anger is in the air, policy can change. In the Cho case, we need two things to be done. First, any person who is deemed by a court to be a danger to himself or others, as Cho was in Virginia, can never buy a gun. Second, any institution or workplace that accepts a person for employment or education must have access to FBI records. Virginia Tech didn't tell Cho's roommates that he was considered dangerous, even though the university knew. Can you believe that? So if the videotape of this monster can spur Americans to demand that Congress pass new laws to protect the folks, then the tape accomplishes a positive thing. Talking Points believes the greater good is served by protecting people from the likes of Cho. Action must be taken."
For an opposing view, The Factor welcomed psychiatrist Michael Welner, who argued that Cho's tape should not have been aired. "The suffering and the catastrophe sends enough of a message. If we aren't galvanized enough by seeing how an entire college can be decimated, there's something wrong with us. People don't need to see the aggressor to take action." The Factor countered that seeing Cho's evil is invaluable. "The grieving and the vigils are very emotional, but there is nothing that tops seeing that guy. The indelible impression of this guy's evil was worth it." Welner closed the segment by urging authorities to devote money and resources to identifying other potential killers. "I see this as a homeland security issue. There are many people like Cho, and we could devote the resources of social workers and other specially trained individuals to keep people connected."
News Link: NBC criticized for airing Cho video |
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Guest: Jonathan Turley, George Washington University
Authorities at Virginia Tech and courts in Virginia knew that Cho Seung-Hui was severely troubled, but failed to notify his roommates or take other action. Professor Jonathan Turley accused the university of neglect. "Virginia Tech made a lot of mistakes and I suppose they will be sued for good reason. There was not just negligence, but gross negligence. They should have treated him as an imminent risk, and they should have notified the family at the very least." The Factor cited this as a perfect example of the conflict between privacy and public safety. "Campus police had a number of complaints against Cho, but the college put roommates in with him. Can you imagine if your child was put in a room with this guy? I would have suspended him and said you can't come back until there's a letter from a psychiatrist saying you're no longer a danger. That's the way you have to handle this."
News Link: Laws Limit Options When a Student Is Mentally Ill |
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Guest: Fox News legal analyst Lis Wiehl
There was another campus killing earlier this month at the University of Washington, where 26-year old researcher Rebecca Griego was shot to death by her former boyfriend Jonathan Rowan, an illegal alien who also killed himself. Griego had asked police and the university for protection, but FNC's Lis Wiehl reported that no one took action. "Rebecca was just a sitting duck," Wiehl said. "She was getting threatening phone calls at work and the university didn't do anything. They should have had cameras trained on her building, and there should have been posters of this guy everywhere. At the end of the day the buck stops with the university president Mark Emmert." The Factor warned parents that college administrators are generally not profiles in courage. "These pinhead college presidents are so stuck in their own world, that when they get a real problem with a guy like Cho at Virginia Tech or this case, they don't do anything. Parents with kids at college ought to be asking some questions."
News Link: Another campus killing |
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Guest: Criminal profiler Pat Brown
Criminal profiler Pat Brown entered the No Spin Zone and delineated the difference between psychotics and psychopaths. "A psychotic doesn't have a grip on reality," Brown explained, "and is totally confused. His behavior is very erratic and irrational. Psychopaths know exactly what reality is, and they do not like it. They're methodical, they know what they're doing, they are not confused at all about what they want." Brown proceeded to portray Cho as a classic psychopath. "He grew up becoming a very angry young man, he wasn't successful, and he started hating people. There are different types of psychopaths, and he was the type who withdraws. And it's important to remember that psychopaths are far more dangerous than psychotics."
News Link: Va. Tech shooter a 'textbook killer' |
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Guests: Fox News analysts Bernard Goldberg & Jane Hall
FNC media analysts Bernard Goldberg and Jane Hall debated whether NBC and other outlets should have aired Cho Seung-Hui's chilling video. Goldberg asserted that NBC made the right choice. "NBC made a news decision and it was a proper decision. There are two reasons the tape was played initially. First, it's an important story. But there is also a behind-the-scenes reason - a lot of news people said 'we have a lunatic on camera and there is nothing more fascinating than a demented human being looking into a camera and talking.'" Hall was less cynical about NBC's reasoning. "I would have run the tape, and I think NBC wrestled with this. So far the coverage of this story has been pretty good and respectful, but at some point the community of Virginia Tech is going to say 'get out of our face,' and there may be a backlash against the media." Factor argued that the benefit of showing Cho's evil outweighs the risk of making him a celebrity. "Unless people are shaken, and that tape did that, people will not take action. We need action and that's why I ran the tape. Sometimes you need a punch in the gut to get people mobilized." |
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Guest: Classmate Chris Shoemaker
In a Factor exclusive, Cho Seung-Hui's middle school and high school classmate Chris Shoemaker recalled Cho's erratic behavior. "I never once saw him with anyone, boy or girl," Shoemaker recalled. "A lot of people ignored him and some others picked on his demeanor, especially his very low voice. There was a lot of mocking, and when he spoke people would chuckle in the back of class. He must have known this was all happening and in 8th grade he did make a hit list, and it was frightening. I believe he was suspended."
News Link: Cho made "hit list" in middle school |
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Your e-mails again dealt with the killings at Virginia Tech and the aftermath. Some excerpts:
John Kiser, Winter Park, FL: "As I watched the coverage of Cho, I was reminded of the similarities between him and the rambling jihadists. Both cases are pure evil."
Farzad Khazal, Gaithersburg, MD: "O'Reilly, that was sick showing his last words. Thank you for granting the monster's dying wish."
Siriphet Casey, Thailand: "O'Reilly, by playing the video, you are making him a hero for other sick people. Don't you see that?"
Travis Rogers, Yucca Valley, CA: "Mr. O'Reilly, I don't believe Cho was an evil person. He was just ill. Mentally ill people deserve compassion." |
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