High School student arrestsed for bringing homemade clock to school.

[mnrose]

I think CPanther was making a somewhat oblique attempt at a dumb blonde joke.

I think.

But I'm blonde so I'm not really sure.

Good. I'm blonde too. But, not naturally, so I think I'm safe.

 

[Kimberlyann11]

Good. I'm blonde too. But, not naturally, so I think I'm safe.

The bleach has certain properties that protect against the stupidness.

 

[CPanther95]

The bleach has certain properties that protect against the stupidness.

Future headline:

Blonde Disboard readers hospitalized after drinking bleach before SATs.

 

[Unas]

I disagree, that this would have NEVER happened to "Jimmy MacDonald". Although, it wouldn't have made national news, nor would he be invited to the White House.

Even though his name brings up Sinn Fein and IRA associations, I doubt that Texas school teachers and administrators would think of "the Troubles."

We have far too limited resources to focus on every possible threat.

I've got no problem if we, as a country, don't waste those few resources monitoring blue-eyed blondes with the notion that one of them might be able to conceive, plan and execute a terrorist plot against the US. Partly because I imagine it is a statistically low risk group, but mainly because I suspect almost all will cease to be a threat sometime during the suicide bombing practice stage.

We have had our Aryan looking home grown terrorists . . .

 

[DisneyOma]

And the Columbine killers were not of Middle Eastern/Indian descent. I'm discouraged that people are playing the race card here - I was straight into the case/wires/"*** is it" angle that prompted the situation.

I still want to know why the President of the United States is surfing the 'net instead of getting his work done?

 

[Suger Mag]

I disagree, that this would have NEVER happened to "Jimmy MacDonald". Although, it wouldn't have made national news, nor would he be invited to the White House.

Here is an interesting read that pertains to the topic at hand. I wish what you say were true, but I am cynical enough to believe otherwise. Here are 7 kids (who do not fit a certain racial profile) who all built homemade clocks and brought them to school and were not arrested nor suspended.

http://gawker.com/7-kids-not-named-mohamed-who-brought-homemade-clocks-to-1730999866

My particular fav is the kid who ACTUALLY built a bomb and exhibited it at the school science fair with his teacher's blessing... although in fairness it did cost a teacher their job, but definitely nothing along the lines of Ahmed's treatment.

The person who in my mind set this whole screwy thing in motion was the first teacher (engineering) that Ahmed showed his clock to. The teacher mentioned that he might not want to show it to anyone else. If it made the teacher think that, then that teacher should have kept it and given it back to him at the end of the day. Could have displayed in the engineering class on the teacher's desk... given Ahmed the credit and praise. But then we would likely not be having so much fun discussing the situation.

 

[suzanna1066@comcast.]

The only thing this kid is guilty of is "Engineering While Muslim" and to think he is playing some kind of race card is ludicrous.

 

[JaxDad]

The only thing this kid is guilty of is "Engineering While Muslim" and to think he is playing some kind of race card is ludicrous.

I don't think the kid was playing the race card either, at least not initially, but others certainly are. Just as some have said this would have not happened to a white kid, if it had, I doubt that kid would be getting tweets from the President, Hillary Clinton, Zuckerberg, astronauts and I'm not sure who else by now. White kids (and other "brown" kids) have been sent home for pop-tart guns, butter knives, clothing, etc. They may get a day or two on the news wire, but nothing like this.

I think the main reason this story is bigger and has lasted longer is that photo of Ahmed in cuffs. People tend to form stronger opinions on images or 140-character rants, rather than more detailed research. That picture really struck a chord. It was like the NFL player who hit his wife in the elevator. It became a HUGE story after the video was released.

 

[gwynne]

I still want to know why the President of the United States is surfing the 'net instead of getting his work done?

While not everyone has the skills to do this, lots of people multi-task without any problem. I'm sure he's doing just fine, I'm not worried.

 

[mnrose]

And the Columbine killers were not of Middle Eastern/Indian descent. I'm discouraged that people are playing the race card here - I was straight into the case/wires/"*** is it" angle that prompted the situation.

I still want to know why the President of the United States is surfing the 'net instead of getting his work done?

Seriously, you picture President Obama surfing the net? LOL. He has people. His people have people. This is the way that Presidents have operated for a LONG time. Just because "his name" is attached to something doesn't mean that he personally did it or found it. Your comment is nothing but an ill disguised political jab.

 

[Miskey]

And the Columbine killers were not of Middle Eastern/Indian descent. I'm discouraged that people are playing the race card here - I was straight into the case/wires/"*** is it" angle that prompted the situation.

I still want to know why the President of the United States is surfing the 'net instead of getting his work done?

One of the things that has bothered me the most about this situation is all the negative reaction to President Obama's tweet. To be accused of "surfing the net" is just ridiculous. You do realize he has a staff of people to assist him, and because of the times we live in, I'm sure one of those assistants specialize in social media.

I don't think the kid was playing the race card either, at least not initially, but others certainly are. Just as some have said this would have not happened to a white kid, if it had, I doubt that kid would be getting tweets from the President, Hillary Clinton, Zuckerberg, astronauts and I'm not sure who else by now. White kids (and other "brown" kids) have been sent home for pop-tart guns, butter knives, clothing, etc. They may get a day or two on the news wire, but nothing like this.

I think the main reason this story is bigger and has lasted longer is that photo of Ahmed in cuffs. People tend to form stronger opinions on images or 140-character rants, rather than more detailed research. That picture really struck a chord. It was like the NFL player who hit his wife in the elevator. It became a HUGE story after the video was released.

Like one article from a New York newspaper that might have implied there might be more to the story?? I'll give you props for persistence.

The school messed up, the police messed up. If at anytime there was even the slightest possibility that it might have been a bomb, the school would have been evacuated.

 

[DopeyDame]

I still want to know why the President of the United States is surfing the 'net instead of getting his work done?

I'm gonna let you in on a super-big secret: twitter accounts of famous people aren't usually staffed by the actual famous person. And the President of the United States has about a zillion assistants who can surf the web for him. Now I hope you can sleep better at night knowing that twitter isn't distracting PotUS.

 

[DopeyDame]

We have far too limited resources to focus on every possible threat.

I've got no problem if we, as a country, don't waste those few resources monitoring blue-eyed blondes with the notion that one of them might be able to conceive, plan and execute a terrorist plot against the US. Partly because I imagine it is a statistically low risk group, but mainly because I suspect almost all will cease to be a threat sometime during the suicide bombing practice stage.

In thinking of the tragic things that have happened in the US in the last decade, I'm struggling to think of one that was not committed by a white man. So given those statistics, I guess we should really focus all our limited resources on white guys and leave the rest of the women and non-white men alone.

 

[DopeyDame]

http://www.rawstory.com/2015/09/irv...med-didnt-have-a-bomb-when-they-arrested-him/

“Once it’s determined that this is just a clock or just a piece of electronics, why then the arrest and all of that?” he asked Boyd. “That’s very hard for folks to understand.”

“I get that. I understand the concern,” the chief responded. “The officers pretty quickly determined that they weren’t investigating an explosive device. What their investigation centered around is the law violation of bringing a device into a facility like that that is intended to create a level of alarm. In other words, a hoax bomb — something that is not really a bomb, but is designed and presented in a way that it creates people to be afraid.”

-----------------
So they fully knew it wasn't a bomb. At that point, why the ^%$%@ are police involved? Even if you think the kid brought it into school to create panic (cause, ya know, showing your engineering teacher something you made is a really panic-inducing action...) at that point doesn't it just become a disciplinary matter? Shouldn't the police have said "Mrs. Crabapple, this isn't a bomb. It's a clock. If you think some people might confuse it for a bomb, I'd suggest you keep it in the office or have Ahmed's parents come and pick it up. Good day to you, ma'am."

In some ways, it's good for Ahmed that the police overreacted, I guess, because if he had just been suspended he wouldn't be going to the White House or facebook or whatever. But I still can't begin to wrap my head around the arrest and suspension.

 

[Sanchez]

Seriously, you picture President Obama surfing the net? LOL. He has people. His people have people. This is the way that Presidents have operated for a LONG time. Just because "his name" is attached to something doesn't mean that he personally did it or found it. Your comment is nothing but an ill disguised political jab.

Isn't it your job to make ill disguised political jabs? I would be upset too.

 

[JaxDad]

Like one article from a New York newspaper that might have implied there might be more to the story?? I'll give you props for persistence.

Wow. Where did that come from?

I honestly do not trust any single source for information and almost always accept that there may be more to a story than what is reported. I viewed several sources for this particular story and saw many inconsistencies. It just made me wonder. I don't doubt there were errors made by the school or the police or even Ahmed. I still don't understand why Ahmed was cuffed, but I don't know the proper procedures for that police department. Did they act against procedures? Are the procedures themselves the problem? The New York paper was the New York Times, and it included a statement from the school that the reporting on this story has not necessarily been balanced, and it could not release additional information due to privacy concerns. I believe another poster quoted the article. Am I supposed to ignore that because I want to just go with the idea that the school and the cops messed up? I just can't. It is not in my nature. I'm a geek engineer that wants to see all the data. I guess if Ahmed's family gave permission to release that information, I may know more and could reach more definitive opinions. But, heck, why should they let them release it? I wouldn't.

I think I've been consistent in saying I don't know what happened. I've not stated the corollary to that until now--the people commenting on this don't know what happened either. They can make their guesses and have their opinions and make their comments based on what has been reported. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, it's great! It is why we have forums. I just choose not to do so, at least not in this case.

 

[POOHsie]

Who hasn't surfed the web on the job? I have, I admit it. I say, our President can surf the web at work if he wants to.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

There is no way the school district thought that was a bomb. Either that, or they are competely incompetent at keeping their children safe.

There might be a bomb in the school? You evacuate.

 

[mnrose]

Isn't it your job to make ill disguised political jabs? I would be upset too.

?

 

[Miskey]

Wow. Where did that come from?

From " The article I read from the NY Times indicated that there was more to the story, but the school district could not release additional information due to privacy laws, unless the parents consented."

Apologies if I misinterpreted what you meant. You seem very intent on justifying the actions of the school and police, and it's just my opinion, but I think this is one time where the blame for an unfortunate and completely avoidable situation lies completely on one side.