Gregory Peck as mad AhabI just read this intriguing passage about the video package that the Virginia Tech killer mailed to NBC during his rampage:
Mr. Cho apparently returned to his room after the first shootings to assemble the package, which seemed to have been put together over six days, NBC News reported. The return address was “A. Ishmael,” similar to the cryptic phrase “Ismael Ax” that was found written on his arm.
Of course, it’s dangerous to overanalyze the mind of the mentally ill, but it occurs to me he was an English major and may’ve read Moby Dick during his studies. The book’s main characters are the obssessive Captain Ahab and the narrator, Ishmael (“Call me Ishmael.”) I wonder if ‘A. Ishmael’ might’ve referred to the novel which depicts a gargantuan mortal struggle between the ship’s captain and crew and a Leviathan whale. The struggle, of course, ends in the deaths of the whale and Ahab; but the great being doesn’t go down without a fight and takes some of his pursuers, including Ahab, with him during the great battle. There is something of a noble and heroic struggle that might’ve appealed to someone looking to place his personal demons in a literary context.
I may be stretching it, but who knows?
Or, you could be a LGF-type and blame Islam, drawing the Ishmael-Ismail connection. Yes, I’ve seen this done.
The reason why I was so cautious in discussing my idea was how can you attribute any cognitive coherence to anything a mentally ill person believes? So trying to claim as LGFers would do that he saw some connection with the Biblical Ishmael & hence Islam is beyond ludicrous unless of course you find some further confirmation in his writings, which I’m certain you won’t.
more likely, “Ishmael” is a reference to the book Ishmael by Daniel Quinn,” presents an alternative view of human history and proposes a different program for human lifestyle change.” For some reason this book has a cult status, inspired blogs, communities, groups, around the world, esp among younger people.
ellen
Nice job giving way the ending!
On a more serious note, I think you’re overstating the fact that he was mentally ill. The fact that someone is mentally ill doesn’t mean that one can’t “attribute any cognitive coherence to anything [he] believes.” In your most recent post, you write:
Not all mentally ill are violent. Not even close. I have no problem with gun control but I object to not selling firearms to somebody simply because he visited a mental hosptial, is on medication, or sees a psychiatrist.
David’s point is exactly what my wife (A Licensed Clinical Social Worker) and I were discussing….
However – I personally AM for more gun control – and worry about the idea of delusional people with concealed weapsons.
But more important is the amount of funding cuts for the mental ill and the affect this has on people – violent or otherwise – who need help who aren’t getting it.
Clearly, this is a very complicated issue since the mentally ill do & should have rights just like the rest of us who aren’t mentally ill. But I think they have to be viewed differently than those who aren’t mentally ill esp. if there is a violent nature to their illness.
First, there should be a provision to examine further a request to buy a gun by someone who is or has been mentally ill. There should be someone (psychiatrist or whoever) who attests to the non-violent nature of the illness & the fact that owning a gun would not pose a danger to the would be gun buyer or others. If you can’t do something like this process then you simply can’t protect the rest of us from the violent mentally ill.
I am NOT in favor of criminalizing or demonizing the mentally ill & agree completely with Dan’s comment that there is not enough treatment & funding for mental health issues in this country.
While it’s doubtful that Cho was incited by Islam, some moslems have already adopted him as their hero.
Source: http://basharee.wordpress.com/2007/04/19/the-difference-between-jews-and-muslims/ (via LGF)
Just as LGF commenters, before anything was known about the attacker’s identity other than that he was “Asian,” tried to claim that “Asian” COULD mean “Pakistani.” Others LGFers are now trying to say that the ‘Ishmael’ reference points to Islam as an inspirer of his violence.
I am simply uninterested in this attempt to score propaganda points by trying to find the most outrageous stupidity advanced by one side or another in this conflict. This is the most banal, insipid and boring enterprise you’re engaged in.
LGF is the source of some of the most outrageous stupidity & hatefulness on the entire internet. The fact that you comment favorably on links to it indicates where you stand politically.
Oh & btw I’ve never heard you say a peep about the outrageous hate spewed at me & other liberal Jews/Israelis by Kahanist websites like Masada2000 & LTF. Why would it be that you have such an interest in noting Arab/Muslim hate but none in noting Jewish hate???
I don’t read Masada2000 and I don’t know what LTF is. Or is that a typo for LGF?
I’m sorry. That should’ve been JTF as in Jewish Task Force. Here’s one of the more delightful ones.
Look up Masada2000 here & you’ll find more examples of disgusting Jewish hate directed at me and the values I represent. I have also 30 or more deleted comments and private e mails from these delightful folks with material too ugly so see the light of day here. You can see that too if you don’t believe Jewish hate is as bad as Muslim.
Some of those comments are over the line.
Hi Richard,
‘From Hell’s heart, i stab at thee; for hate’s sake, I spit my last breath at thee, thou damned whale.’
Definitely more Melville in evidence on this occasion than Mohammed.
JY
Re Moby-Dick: the whale does NOT die at the end.
Z
I forget the details, but there’s also a modern play involving a character named Ismail and an ax that some have argued was his likely inspiration for the tatoo.
How many gang-bangers and assorted thugs commit violent crimes these days with tatoos in Japanese without anyone making unjustified links between them and Japanese culture?
You’re right. The LGF crowd immediately kicked into frenetic speculation in the hopes of connecting him to “Jihad”, even before there was even flimsiest justification to do so.