If the VA Tech killer had Arab heritage, would the average American's reaction be different today?

Answer 1

I think it would differ to a degree. Unfortunately because of this war and the terrorist acts committed against our country, the average American tends to look at Arabs on the whole as a frightening people. Its a little ridiculous to think that way, but the average person reads in the paper or sees on the news all the things the Arabs are doing to their own people and other peoples across the world, and sometimes they have a hard time discerning those fanatical people from the rest of the group.

Not all Arabs are crazy fanatics and not all Americans are upstanding and good citizens. There are ridiculous and crazy people in every society and culture on this planet but unfortunately as Americans, the vast majority of our news of the Middle East is of Arabs being terrorists.

So yes, I think that the American public would look at this differently if it were an Arab, while that would be wrong, you can't help but stereotype at least a little bit after all the bad news we see. Thanks and have a nice day.

Answer 2

If the VA Tech killer had been a returning veteran with Post-tramatic stress syndrome, would the average American's reaction be different?

Answer 3

I don't know. I'm pretty stunned either way. I guess I cannot imagine a human being doing this to people, why is the big question. I supoose if he was Muslim we'd know the motive, but would that make a difference? I just can't get past the idea of being a parent, dialing your kid's cell phone over and over, and there is no answer, and now you are driving down to Blacksburg with that sinking feeling in your gut...it's unimaginable to me. To raise your kid and seeing them blossom into adulthood, and it all be taken away by some vicious animal like that.

Answer 4

If the killer had killed because of "snapping" mentally related to a girlfriend, then there would NOT be a difference.

If the killer had killed while shouting, "Allahu Akbar", then, well, yes the reaction would be different.

I'm sure everyone here can tell the difference between the motivations. One is a mentally disturbed loner, the other is a calculating killer with an agenda. Americans are not racist or Arab haters, but we do have major problems with otherwise sane people who kill for a twisted religious ideology, no matter what their "race" happens to be.

Answer 5

We don't yet know his motives, his background, his religous persuation or his eating habits. All of which play a part in piecing together the reasons behind this horrible tragedy. Simply because he came from South Korea, doesn't mean that he doesn't share a fanatical similarity to the jihadist.

Don't you find it curious that we don't yet know any of these things...

Answer 6

I don't know much about the shooter except that I heard he was Korean. I would point out that there are millions of Muslims in Asia and I saw pro Osama bumper stickers in Malaysia. I'm not saying that most people in Asia support terrorism. I'm just pointing out that not all who do support it are in the Middle East.

Answer 7

That would depend upon his motives and evidence thereof.

If he'd shouted "Allah Akbar" or shot up a Jewish deli or a synogogue or Buddhist temple, or left behind a manifesto saying he wanted to kill American infidels, then yes, I would have posted "Mo Goes to Virginia."

It's not the fact that there are murders committed by people of arab descent or by people who happen to be Muslims - it's the fact that there are religiously-motivated murders committed every day by members of the Islamic faith and that the frequency of religiously-motivated murders committed by members of other faiths is about 1/1,000th what it is for Islam, and the fact that Islam's holy books condone, even encourage, such murders.

Answer 8

Of course it would have. If you live in reality you must agree. If would have been perceived as an Islamic terrorist act. Of course it still remains a terrorist act, albeit one that we do not yet know the reasons behind.
But I'm sure if it was an Iranian, we would be in full fledged war mode now.

Answer 9

Aunt Acid, how have we "'learned' to expect it from" Muslims? when was the last time a Muslim went on a shooting rampage in the US? Oh wait, that would be NEVER.

We have, however learned to expect crazy white guys who lost their jobs or got teased at school to go on a shooting rampage though. I say we enact a law that requires employers to warn all employees and supply them with bullet proof vests whenever they are about to fire a white man.

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Answer 10

I think they would be a little more on edge. People as a herd are jumpy critters.