Don't restrict information about killers

Cho Seung-Hui saw himself as a victim and martyr, according to the videos, pictures and pages of "manifesto" he mailed to NBC news in the two hours between the time he killed his first two victims and the next 30 died.

The media responded to an onslaught of criticism over airing the material by agreeing to restrict broadcasting of it -- one local TV station touted its decision not to use the material, ignoring the fact that the feed from its parent network included hours of it.

The concern, justified as it turned out, was that unstable, impressionable adolescents might be inspired to commit copycat crimes. Sure enough, several have been prevented in the last few days, including a student bringing pistols to school and electronic threats in a number of schools around the country.

As close as Kearney, school was dismissed today because of a spate of text messages Thursday with vague threats like "don't go to school tomorrow" or "We're praying for the Kearney High kids."

In light of the situation, it seems obvious that information about Cho Sequn-Hui should be squelched, right?

Wrong.

For one thing, while good taste and self control is always in order, withholding information is not only impossible with today's wide-open electronic communications, it has never been the media's job.

For another, there is valuable information to be gleaned by a full airing of everything that influenced a deranged young man's actions.

Just ask some of the parents of the students killed at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., who are protesting federal Judge Lewis Babcock's decision earlier this month to seal for 20 years the testimony of the parents of killers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold about the boys' home lives.

"I don't think you can stop every crazy person," said Don Fleming, whose 16-year-old daughter, Kelly, was killed at Columbine. But "it's no use to anybody if it is locked up.

"If society knew, it could possibly prevent future shootings," he said. "We're finding out that everything that the latest killer did is similar to what Klebord and Harris did."

Indeed, the Virginia Tech and and Columbine killers shared a rage over being bullied in their younger school years, and telegraphed their intentions through writing and videos.

If anything, it should bolster efforts by parents and school officials to prevent bullying and keep in touch with children. Additionally, in Cho's case, there are suggestions from relatives in South Korea that he might have been autistic.

But there is certainly nothing to be gained by endlessly replaying photos and videos of a pitiful young man's rants.

Time and space, instead, should be devoted to honoring the heroic actions of many of his victims, and doing our best to prevent it from happening again.