This is how you force good talent to be used for bad things. Specially considering his young age.
This is just sad. Texas muslim ninth grader arrested for bringing clock to school
by StarTrekAngel 20 Replies latest watchtower bible
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Simon
So should the authorities just ignore it? What if ... what if ...
The first teacher should have kept it if he saw the risk it posed.
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John Aquila
Simon
So should the authorities just ignore it?I was a sub. teacher for about a year. A kid in the 5th grade, about 11 years old brought a contraption with a timer and we all ignored it. About 30 minutes into the class the thing went off with a loud shrieking sound. It scared the hell out of everyone.
Anything can happen these days.
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StarTrekAngel
Yes, agreed. The context is what matters here. That just because this kids is a Muslim, everyone framed him actions immediately. As John pointed, in his case no one thought anything of it.
I sure agree that the teachers are supposed to be alert in this day and time but it is very obvious that his skin color and name put the kid at a disadvantage and that is the sad part.
The last time I was at Defcon in Vegas, several kids (and some adults too) were going around carrying this electronic clocks strapped to their chests, walking around the entire hotel and no one thought anything of it.
For those not familiar, Defcon is a very well know hackers meeting that happens every year in Las Vegas. Is quite anonymous and it is known to have been grounds for the NSA/FBI to put undercover officers looking for threats or actual criminals. There was a higher chance for a real bomb to be lurking there than in the case above. Other crimes have been committed during those meetings before.
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PaintedToeNail
In light of the number of school shootings done by "nice kids" in the USA, I understand why the school decided to be on the safe side. We don't know the school's side of the story yet, only that of the kid's. He may have been a harmless smart kid or he may have been an ISIS/ISIL supporter or some kind of trouble maker. Waiting for the rest of the story.
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Diogenesister
Crickey...if their intent is to radicalize the next nerdy kid who likes making potato clocks or building circuits it's gonna work. Any school did that in the UK would be bowled out for racism. -
LoveUniHateExams
I agree that arresting a ninth grader seems a bit harsh but the safety of everyone at the school - teachers, pupils and others - has rightly taken top priority. The majority of ordinary Muslims should put on their big boy pants and accept this, in much the same way that ordinary white people put up with accusations of racism. In fact, the entire blame for episodes like this can be laid at the feet of their radical co-religionists.
I have trouble getting StarTrekAngel's and Diogenesister's comments that a safety-first attitude will radicalise people.
As if your average Abdul or Ahmad will become the next Abu Semtex al-Jihadi because teacher confiscates his home-made clock.
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Simon
As if your average Abdul or Ahmad will become the next Abu Semtex al-Jihadi because teacher confiscates his home-made clock.
The sad thing is that so many do for far less but you're right - the blame lies with those who espouse radical opinions.
Really, the problem with attitudes toward muslims has everything to do with the attitudes of so many muslims. The rhetoric and the actions cannot be ignored and makes people nervous and things like this are the inevitable result.
As I said - "what if". Does someone want to risk doing nothing and then be found out that they failed to act?
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Wasanelder Once
I saw a picture of Ahmed in his home next to a circuit board. I don't know if the clock looked anything like it, but if it did it didn't look like a clock. A moron could imagine it was something else. That having been said, why arrest him? Why not just examine the device and confirm it as a threat before panicking? "Why shucks it weren't no ISIS threat after all".
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Diogenesister
He may have been a harmless smart kid or he may have been an ISIS/ISIL supporter or some kind of trouble maker. Waiting for the rest of the story.
I'll take a guess. He's a typical 14 year old - very very smart and very immature
"It's a clock man, it's a clock . Don't get all blown out of shape !"
(Laughs himself silly)
