4.19.2007

Ismail's Ax. What could it mean?

I'm going to go way out on a limb here, and guess that it roughly translates as:

"I'm a bit of a nutcase."

A number of right-wing blogs and commenters on TV have desparately attempted to find 'teh muslim' behind the etrocious acts committed at Virginia Tech earlier in the week. The words "Ismail's Ax" were written on his arm according to one report and that was seen as possible evidence linking the killer with the Koran...though Ismail is also present in the Bible.

The Ismail likely has as much to do with Islam as the Ax does with deodorant...



A number of mental illnesses--schizophrenia for instance--often first manifest themselves when people are in their early 20s. Given how alot of folks head to college around that time and that healthcare is not comprehensive in the US, it's imperative on the university or college to be vigilent in identifying those problems and bringing acceptable treatment options to the students. Not that those measures will help stop every such event, but it'd be nice to have some public discourse on that as well.