Not Nationality

I'm really sorry for the crazy shooting rampage that took place at Virginia Tech in America. We Koreans are in shock too. After hearing the culprit is Korean-American, there was chaos in Korea as reporters tried to find out why he committed this crime. But the young man's problem was not about nationality or origin.

Even back in the U.S., there is no public or official blame of Koreans. They are dealing with this case in a local manner. They think he is American not Korean, and they are trying to find a way to protect innocent people from shooting rampages by the mentally unstable or criminals.

A long time ago, a Korean family emigrated to America. The parents were poor and very busy so that they had to leave their child alone at home. But their child was found dead (I don't remember the case exactly right now) and the parents were accused of leaving the young child under 13 alone. They lost their child.

There was no excuse. But when the mother was in court she said, ``I'm the one who killed the child.’’ If she were in court in Korea, nobody would have believed her. We would have thought she was full of regret and feeling guilty. But the Americans didn't. They accepted her statement as a confession and she was prosecuted.

Now is a very sensitive time. On the Internet, some people are suggesting the government apologize to Americans. That is not a good idea. We are really sorry for the massacre and it's natural to extend our condolences. But our intentions can be misunderstood. We must keep some distance from the event.

Jennifer