Interesting to me that two astonishing women of color, the poet Nikki Giovanni and the writer Lucinda Roy both saw the deeply troubling aspects of Seung Hui Cho's personality and tried to do something to reach out to him, and as importantly, to forewarn authorities of the red flags. That the police, campus administrators and counselors were aware of the dark violence of his writing, aware of his stalking of women, his clear rage against women, and that these 2 inspiring teachers were sufficiently afraid of him and his effect on fellow students, should have been enough, surely, to take action.
Action, such as informing his parents, action which might have prevented his being able to purchase weapons from a Roanoke gunstore, action which might have ensured his getting some serious intervention.
Roy, who was born in the same part of the world as me - South London, and Giovanni who is one of the most significant black women poets in the world are among those brave enough to speak out now, even absorbing some of the responsibility, for a failed system that doesn't ever seem to get enough of the mass murders that plague America.
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