Ahmed the Clock Maker

[ThePaganMafia]

http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2015/09/ahmed-mohammad-arrested-clock

Next time I see a Muslim with a watch I'm gonna tackle him and claim I saved lives.

[habbalah]

Re: Ahmed the Clock Maker

Update in Irving, Texas: Kids are no longer allowed to make anything wire wire, metal, plastic, wood, glass, or that requires a screwdriver, just in case it's a bomb.

Seriously, though, that poor kid. I would have shown it off to all of my teachers, because I would have been so proud of making it.

[Yorin]

Re: Ahmed the Clock Maker

I saw this earlier this morning on tumblr, and I was so upset. It's utterly ridiculous and bullshit that they would do that to a poor kid just because of his race. I would've applauded him, cause I know I sure couldn't manage to do something like that at 14, or even now without someone else's help along the way teaching me how to do it.

[B. de Corbin]

Re: Ahmed the Clock Maker

Big problem, not good, major snafu, highly embarrassing...

'course, had it been some kid with an actual bomb (maybe not someone named Ahmed, maybe a kid named Buford) and nothing had been done, and 40 kids & teachers were blown to bloody shreds, that, also would have been a big problem, not good, major snafu, highly embarrassing.

Either a thing that looks like a bomb is treated like a bomb until you find out it is a clock, or a thing that looks like a bomb is treated like a clock until it explodes.

I'm not sure this is as much about racism as people would like it to be; I would like to politely suggest that this is more about safety.

I think that no matter what the people who are charged with the protection of citizens do, there is some way in which somebody who wants to will be able to accuse them of being pricks, either because they were careful, or because they weren't.

I do not think that is a right game for adults to play.

[DanieMarie]

Re: Ahmed the Clock Maker

Poor kid :/

[habbalah]

Re: Ahmed the Clock Maker

Big problem, not good, major snafu, highly embarrassing...

'course, had it been some kid with an actual bomb (maybe not someone named Ahmed, maybe a kid named Buford) and nothing had been done, and 40 kids & teachers were blown to bloody shreds, that, also would have been a big problem, not good, major snafu, highly embarrassing.

Either a thing that looks like a bomb is treated like a bomb until you find out it is a clock, or a thing that looks like a bomb is treated like a clock until it explodes.

But he showed it to a teacher already and they knew it was a clock?

[ThePaganMafia]

Re: Ahmed the Clock Maker

Big problem, not good, major snafu, highly embarrassing...

'course, had it been some kid with an actual bomb (maybe not someone named Ahmed, maybe a kid named Buford) and nothing had been done, and 40 kids & teachers were blown to bloody shreds, that, also would have been a big problem, not good, major snafu, highly embarrassing.

Either a thing that looks like a bomb is treated like a bomb until you find out it is a clock, or a thing that looks like a bomb is treated like a clock until it explodes.

I'm not sure this is as much about racism as people would like it to be; I would like to politely suggest that this is more about safety.

I think that no matter what the people who are charged with the protection of citizens do, there is some way in which somebody who wants to will be able to accuse them of being pricks, either because they were careful, or because they weren't.

I do not think that is a right game for adults to play.

Except they were being pricks. This was racism.

If any other kid who had made a clock who's name was not Ahmed would have came in to class with it nothing would have happened.

And even after it was quite clear that it was nothing more than a clock they still lead him away in handcuffs and they still said they might charge him. This wasn't a public safety matter it was a matter of fear. And even after they knew they were wrong they were still ton cowardly noon let the boy be and took him to jail. Yeah, they were pricks.

[Kiesha'ra]

Re: Ahmed the Clock Maker

Sure racial profiling but can you blame people for being nervous when they know the tactics used by people of that background (even the use of children). Any other people who are of a certain race or background would be viewed the same if they had carried out numerous terrorist acts in such a way. Many races in the world have had their turn on the chopping block, its just their turn. I know how my family is viewed for being jewish especially my grandparents having lived through WWII. It may sound insensitive but someone is always blamed for the folly of another including an entire race of people.

[B. de Corbin]

Re: Ahmed the Clock Maker

Except they were being pricks. This was racism.

If any other kid who had made a clock who's name was not Ahmed would have came in to class with it nothing would have happened.

And even after it was quite clear that it was nothing more than a clock they still lead him away in handcuffs and they still said they might charge him. This wasn't a public safety matter it was a matter of fear. And even after they knew they were wrong they were still ton cowardly noon let the boy be and took him to jail. Yeah, they were pricks.

No. I call bullshit.

I work in a school. I know the policies that schools are required, by federal law, to have in place.

If I see something suspicious, I am required, by law, to report it, and the school officials are required, by law, to investigate. If I see someone has scrawled "I'm gonna burn this place down" on a bathroom wall, I have to report it, the school officials have to notify the police, and they have to track the kid down and make sure it was just idle potty talk.

Last year I found a scrap of paper that had a list of the three items used to make a malatov cocktail a bottle, a rag, gasoline. I had to - for both legal and moral reasons - to report it. The school officials had to investigate. As I expected, there was no real threat.

But IF I had not reported it, and IF some kid had chucked a malatov cocktail down a crowded hallway, I would have been legally AND morally responsible for any injury. Race, skin color, religion, ethnicity - none of these had anything to do with it at all.

Habbalah - the teacher who knew about it was not the one who reported it. But he knew it looked suspicious. He told the kid not to show it to anybody.

[Bjorn]

Re: Ahmed the Clock Maker

Sure racial profiling but can you blame people for being nervous when they know the tactics used by people of that background (even the use of children).

... seriously? Yes, I absolutely can blame people for exercising racism in a public setting in a way that targets children. This is a school teacher. Her actions speak volumes to every child that sees her behavior and then think that systemic racism is simply 'something that everyone has to deal with.' It's not. Muslims did not contribute to terrorism. Terrorists did, using Islam as a crutch to brainwash the people. I could go on about how little I care for the actual religion of Islam, but to hate the millions of innocent believers, or treat them as dangerous is completely unacceptable and I won't stand for it.

Did anyone call the Westboro Baptist Church terrorists when they were picketing gay funerals and spreading hate and bigotry all over the USA? No. Most people realized that they were using their 'faith' as a means to an end.

Any other people who are of a certain race or background would be viewed the same if they had carried out numerous terrorist acts in such a way.

I hope you're not saying that inexcusable human behavior is acceptable as long as everyone gets a bite of the shit sandwich. Every single time racism is acted upon, it's wrong. When the USA rounded up Japanese citizens and shipped them into internment camps after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, it was wrong. When Nazi Germany rounded up the Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, handicapped, the mentally disabled, dissenting clergy, communists, socialists, political enemies, etc, it was wrong. When the KKK murdered people of color for decades, it was wrong.

Racism is always wrong. Accusing a child, one with an amazing gift, of being a terrorist because of his name and ethnic background is absolutely unconscionable.

Many races in the world have had their turn on the chopping block, its just their turn.

I'll believe that the next time I walk into an elementary school, high school, marathon, or movie theater and people give me a wary sidelong glance, wondering if my pasty-white behind is planning to massacre anyone that day.

[Wenny]

Re: Ahmed the Clock Maker

Come on Texas! That isn't that far from where I live either.

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/northwest-dallas-county/headlines/20150915-irving-ninth-grader-arrested-after-taking-homemade-clock-to-school.ece

From this report the clock was beeping and was taken up by a teacher then in 6th period he was pulled out of class. What I am confused about is why didn't the police bring like bomb sniffing dogs or an expert.

[DragonsFriend]

Re: Ahmed the Clock Maker

If tou take a home-made clock to a movie theater the same thing will happen to you. This was not about race or religion. this was a home-made device that should have been cleared through the office before it was taken anywhere else in the school. It appears, on all levels, to be a suspicious device. It could have been opened in the office revealing it to be a harmless clock. Then the outcome of this story, at the end of that school day, would have been very different.

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Ahmed the Clock Maker

It was a clock. He was a Muslim. His parents were not called. He was not offered an attorney. The school in question was chartered to promote innovation - remember that too.

Now, if you honestly believe that this is only about health and safety, (partly, it may well have been) I would remind you that THIS is how you create terrorists.

[B. de Corbin]

Re: Ahmed the Clock Maker

It was a clock.

Very good. You score 100% in hindsight. So did President Obama, who invited Ahmed and the clock to visit AFTER knowing it was a clock. He didn't mention that ANYBODY bringing a timer with wires leading into a box into the Whitehouse would be hustled off by the Secret Squirels.

But what is your score on foresight? Are you qualified to make a definitive determination on whether such an object is a bomb or a clock? Or would you take a chance with the lives of other people's children in order to be proudly PC?

Now, if you honestly believe that this is only about health and safety, (partly, it may well have been) I would remind you that THIS is how you create terrorists.

In order to make a case that this is an example of prejudice, one would need to find out how many "false alarms" are called in schools involving non-Muslums. Anybody done that? Don't imagine the number is zero just because you don't see a media flurry every time it happens. It is only news when somebody can use it to point fingers and send hate...

Do incidents like this create terrorists? Hmmm... That seems one sided...

If incidents like this create terrorists, one needs to also admit that terrorists are responsible for creating incidents like this. I remember the days when only Isreal had armed guards in airports...

IMHO - I think terrorists are created when some group decides they can point a finger at another group and accuse them of being evil, without admitting that the finger pointer is at least partially responsible for creating the situation.

I think that is much more realistic...

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Ahmed the Clock Maker

We saw it a lot over here in the UK during the IRA bombing campaign in the mainland. A LOT of prejudice. A LOT of hate. Some was justified. Most was not. It did create massive resentment. And resentment does tend to breed terrorists.

This is how the narrative will go for other bright children... 'Don't bother telling your school or showing them how bright you are because you are a Muslim and they will arrest you. Instead, come and help your brothers, and they will respect you for your genius.'

But, in my view, this child took his clock to show his teacher. It was a clever thing to make at that age. If he had been suspect for other reasons (terrorists in the family etc.) then I think they would have been justified in leaping to conclusions.

But - and this was my main gripe, once he was arrested, his parents should have been informed and he should have had an attorney present. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this was not done. And if it was not done, then terrorist or not, it should have been.