14-year-old Texas boy arrested for bringing homemade clock

[Adrift]

And considering that I wouldn't even think "bomb" when I saw that, yeah I would have let my child go to school, with the clock that he built in the case.

Its interesting to me how wildly varying perspectives are on this. When I first heard this report I sort of rolled my eyes at how ridiculous it was that a school placed a juvenile in cuffs for carrying in a clock. I thought it was another one of those ridiculous zero tolerance issues where the kids shapes a gun out of a stick, and then gets suspended. I already had my mind made up before I saw any images of the "clock". And then....I saw the "clock" and was like "Woh...that kid built a movie bomb! That's clearly what he was intending". I don't know, maybe it's because I'm a guy who watches a lot of dumb action films, but my opinion on the subject did a complete about-face when I actually saw the "clock". The fact that he was a Muslim never ever factored into any of my thoughts on the subject. I'm not even sure I remember him being called a Muslim in the initial reports. I just heard "kid arrested in Texas for clock".

[Cow Poke]

I don't think it's necessarily a liberal thing. The majority opinion on extremely liberal websites like Reddit was that the clock looked like a bomb, and that he received unwarranted positive attention for the stunt he pulled. I think this sort of Us vs. Them thing where we lump all liberals or all conservatives in a basket and say "they see what they want to see" can be unhealthy for dialogue (at least, in this case).

Interesting - all the "flack" I've gotten is from liberals.

[Catholicity]

Its interesting to me how wildly varying perspectives are on this. When I first heard this report I sort of rolled my eyes at how ridiculous it was that a school placed a juvenile in cuffs for carrying in a clock. I thought it was another one of those ridiculous zero tolerance issues where the kids shapes a gun out of a stick, and then gets suspended. I already had my mind made up before I saw any images of the "clock". And then....I saw the "clock" and was like "Woh...that kid built a movie bomb! That's clearly what he was intending". I don't know, maybe it's because I'm a guy who watches a lot of dumb action films, but my opinion on the subject did a complete about-face when I actually saw the "clock". The fact that he was a Muslim never ever factored into any of my thoughts on the subject. I'm not even sure I remember him being called a Muslim in the initial reports. I just heard "kid arrested in Texas for clock".

And maybe that's where we differ. I am nerd reinvented. I haven't seen a dumb action movie in I don't know how long, and the last movie I went to see in theatres was Frozen. I think before that it was probably one of the Star Wars or Star Trek movies but its been so long that I literally don't remember which one. I think I have more disney movies than any thing else, and I don't watch TV except for the local and world news and the Big Bang Theory. Also PBS kids... and periodically some nature documentary. I just find no redeeming value in anything else.

[Cow Poke]

Its interesting to me how wildly varying perspectives are on this. When I first heard this report I sort of rolled my eyes at how ridiculous it was that a school placed a juvenile in cuffs for carrying in a clock.

Yeah, my initial reaction was that, too... but I know "the first reports from the field are always wrong". I knew there had to be more to it than that. (Or maybe I was hoping)

I thought it was another one of those ridiculous zero tolerance issues where the kids shapes a gun out of a stick, and then gets suspended.

That, too, crossed my mind.

I already had my mind made up before I saw any images of the "clock". And then....I saw the "clock" and was like "Woh...that kid built a movie bomb! That's clearly what he was intending".

I didn't so much think "movie bomb" at first, but I just had a feeling it was a "get attention" thing.

I don't know, maybe it's because I'm a guy who watches a lot of dumb action films, but my opinion on the subject did a complete about-face when I actually saw the "clock". The fact that he was a Muslim never ever factored into any of my thoughts on the subject. I'm not even sure I remember him being called a Muslim in the initial reports. I just heard "kid arrested in Texas for clock".

I'm pretty familiar with that area of Texas, and some of the "background" that I assumed must have been at play, so I was kind of suspicious that this was some kind of attempt to make a point.

[Catholicity]

Just for the record, I don't actually think this should have EVER BEEN IN THE NEWS IN THE FIRST PLACE

[Cow Poke]

I think Ahmed's family had every intention of making the news. How can "cops arrest 14 year old in school" escape the news, especially when he has a Muslim name?

[Adrift]

Interesting - all the "flack" I've gotten is from liberals.

That may be due to the social network or news media sources you've exposed yourself to. Theologyweb, for instance, may not be the best indicator for how Millennial-type liberals view these things. As I mentioned previously, some once dearly held liberal views are now being challenged by younger liberals, like gun control, and nuclear energy. Even attitudes among younger people on things like vaccinations, and genetically modified foods are changing. When I was a kid, only nature-loving, new age, tree-hugging hippy types (and maybe some weird religious wackos) would be against vaccinations, but that's not a thing that any liberals I know are for anymore. Quite the opposite. They tend to be the biggest advocates for vaccination. I even know a lot of younger liberals who are backing away from extreme forms of feminism, opting instead for a much more egalitarian approach. They'll even go so far as to condemn certain feminist groups, and those they consider "Social Justice Warrior" types. Of course there are also a slew of newer liberal stances that have sort of filled in the gaps. A lot of liberals I read online are extremely against male circumcision now. I've also read a number of modern liberals who are sympathetic to the struggle of people who are inclined towards pedophilia in a sort of non-judgmental "they were born that way, they can't help themselves" approach comparable to earlier attitudes about homosexuality. So liberal attitudes are changing in a variety of ways as far as I can see.

[Catholicity]

I think Ahmed's family had every intention of making the news. How can "cops arrest 14 year old in school" escape the news, especially when he has a Muslim name?

And that's where I would strongly disagree with you. I know someone leaked the story to the news. Was it the family another student, another teacher who thought it was wrong? we don't know and that's where I think the assumptions go blurry.

[Cow Poke]

And that's where I would strongly disagree with you.

They are LOVING the attention!

I know someone leaked the story to the news.

How do you know that? Just about any news agency of any caliber has police scanners, and police being dispatched to a local school is - in our day - BIG news.

Was it the family another student, another teacher who thought it was wrong?

Or Ahmed's own sister or father or friend? Or somebody picked it up on the police scanner....

we don't know and that's where I think the assumptions go blurry.

Yet you "know" somebody "leaked" the story.

[Cow Poke]

I thought it was another one of those ridiculous zero tolerance issues where the kids shapes a gun out of a stick...

I still wonder if that's part of what happened -- that if X happens, our response HAS to be Y..... and if somebody brings something that even remotely looks like a bomb - even a "movie bomb" - we have to go to [whatever] protocol.... We don't really know what the protocols for this thing are in that school district, and the school certainly isn't going to publish them.

[Adrift]

I still wonder if that's part of what happened -- that if X happens, our response HAS to be Y..... and if somebody brings something that even remotely looks like a bomb - even a "movie bomb" - we have to go to [whatever] protocol.... We don't really know what the protocols for this thing are in that school district, and the school certainly isn't going to publish them.

The zero tolerance thing was definitely a large part of the issue. That point seems to get lost in the argument about whether or not the kid intended to bring in something that looked like a bomb. It seems everyone on all sides of the debate agree (for the most part) that the initial response to all of this (handcuffs and whatnot) was completely over-the-top. At the same time, it's hard to fault people when we live in a climate of fear. When we're so afraid of the next school shooting. It's crazy sad that we live in a world where parents not only don't know if they can protect children, but that they're actually afraid of the children.

[Cow Poke]

The zero tolerance thing was definitely a large part of the issue. That point seems to get lost in the argument about whether or not the kid intended to bring in something that looked like a bomb.

Which, I guess, is why I wonder what parent in their right mind would say "sure, no problem, take that thing to school and show it around..."

It seems everyone on all sides of the debate agree (for the most part) that the initial response to all of this (handcuffs and whatnot) was completely over-the-top. At the same time, it's hard to fault people when we live in a climate of fear. When we're so afraid of the next school shooting. It's crazy sad that we live in a world where parents not only don't know if they can protect children, but that they're actually afraid of the children.

Yeah, some kids get sent home for wearing a t-shirt with a PICTURE of a gun or bomb, so who in the world would think it's a good idea to let their kid go to school with a mockup of one.

[rogue06]

I carved a gun into a bar of soap!

I can make most types of soap explode.

No. That wasn't a joke.

[rogue06]

As a NORMAL parent, if your kid showed you that device and said "I'm going to take this to school and carry it around in my backpack and show it to people", you would have said "over my dead body!"

BINGO!

This indicates that either they're mind boogling stupid (which the available evidence contradicts), don't give a rat's... er, hind quarters about Ahmed, or knew precisely what sort of reaction that it might lead to.

Given the father's background and history it appears that the last option is the most likely correct one.

[klaus54]

I can make most types of soap explode.

No. That wasn't a joke.

Wow!

The best I can do is blow bubbles in the bath tub.