WORLD / America
Bush: Be sure to question odd acts
(AP)
Updated: 2007-04-20 06:31
TIPP CITY, Ohio - US President Bush said on Thursday that mass shootings
are a reminder that people must be willing to raise a red flag about
others' disturbing behavior.
US President Bush speaks at Tippecanoe High School gymnasium Thursday,
April 19, 2007 in Tipp City, Ohio. [AP]
"One of the lessons of these tragedies is to make sure that when people
see somebody or know somebody who is exhibiting abnormal behavior, you do
something about it, to suggest that somebody take a look," the president
said during an appearance at a high school here.
His war on terror speech came after a moment of silence for the victims
of the Monday shootings at Virginia Tech in which 33 people, including
the shooter, died.
In a question-and-answer session, the president was asked by a student
what he thought should be done to ensure safety in schools.
He said he didn't want to draw conclusions from the Virginia case because
"they're still digging out the facts." But he suggested that concerns
about privacy violations, while understandable, may be preventing people
from taking needed action.
Gunman Cho Seung-Hui had been accused of sending unwanted messages to two
women. He was taken to a psychiatric hospital on a magistrate's orders
and was pronounced a danger to himself, but was released for outpatient
treatment. Also, Cho's twisted, violence-filled writings and menacing,
uncommunicative demeanor had disturbed professors and students so much
that he was removed from one English class and was repeatedly urged to
get counseling. A video rant Cho mailed to NBC in the middle of his
Virginia Tech rampage only added to the disturbing psychological portrait.
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said she did not know whether Bush
had seen any of the video. But it was clear he was aware of it.
"If you are a parent and your child is, you know, doing strange things on
the Internet, pay attention to it and not be afraid to ask for help and
not be afraid to say `I am concerned about what I am seeing," Bush said.
"I think it's very important for us not to comment until it's all said
and done, but that other cases there have been warning signals - that if
an adult for example had taken the signals seriously, perhaps tragedy
could have been avoided."
Bush said the reeling community in Blacksburg should take heart from its
support in the rest of the country.
"It really speaks to the strength of this country, doesn't it, that total
strangers here in Ohio are willing to hold up people in Virginia in
prayer?" he said.
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