This story has it all for folks in this area: religion, STEM, Texas, alleged bullies versus the gifted school kid, goobers, a public school, law enforcement. I need my popcorn. If only it had occurred on flyover country. |
No, it wasn't in a briefcase. The picture you saw does not allow you to determine the scale so it might look like a briefcase. But, it was a pencil box that was only about 8x5 inches. |
no tolerance policies, too |
I don't think it is 100% bigotry. I honestly think 25% of the problem was that people honestly thought this could be confused by some, as a bomb. Even the Engineering teacher knew -- he (she?) said -- cool, but don't show it to any other teachers. He (she) KNEW that this would set off knee jerk reactions among staff who would look at it and see -- OMG -- electrical circuits -- could be a bomb!!! And 25% administrator lack of judgment. (100% lack of judgment, but that only added 25% to the cluster fuck of what happened). The administrator should have NOT called the police -- what a complete overreaction! Citing a 14 year old for being "passive agressive" in his responses -- ridiculous and shows no understanding of teen agers who are being accused of wrongdoing. And, as someone earlier posted, the administrator seemed completely surprised by the fact that a teen would be interested in electronics, and want to share it with his teachers and classmates. "I made a clock and brought it in to show people" is a PERFECT explanation for why he brought some electronics to school. 50% bigotry, though, absolutely. |
I agree here. Who called the police in? They didn't just show up due to telepathy. |
Best tweet:
Jesse A. Myerson @JAMyerson Saying "We mistook the clock for a bomb" is a real greasy way of side-stepping the truth: "We mistook the kid for a bomb-maker." 10:35 AM - 16 Sep 2015 |
EXACTLY! The public school called it in. At that point, the police are required to investigate. The average beat cop is not a tech or bomb expert. This is what the publics have dissolved into. Consider the kid who brought in the lego toy gun and the little one who make his fingers into a gun. The cops came for that too and they were FINGERS AND LEGOS |
Lego guns? Fingers? Cops got involved. That wise? |
In a related story, I can't believe the goobers at the White House were on lockdown because of an identified package in Lafayette Park.
http://www.ibtimes.com/white-house-placed-lockdown-over-suspicious-package-report-2100328 The White House makes the Texas school look comparatively sane. |
Stupid people make me angry. Like those who wonder if White House visitors are screened for weapons and explosives. I can only assume it's been a long, long time since you visited a federal building other than a Post Office. The rent-a-cops get all nervous and twitchy if you even try to take a photograph of the exterior of some federal buildings. |
Watching Ahmed at his press conference, he's more well-spoken and has more conviction than most of the 40-year olds I know. If anything positive comes of this situation, it's that I hope it opens some doors that maybe previously weren't open or made aware of to him. That's a good, bright kid.
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I bet you think posting this makes you look smart, right goober? ![]() |
OK. Now calm down. |
If a kid brought a small black suitcase looking thing loaded with wires and circuits and even a clock-and plugged it in during English class-and it made a ticking sound-it would alarm me as a parent, teacher or school administrator. It would alarm me regardless of the kids race, religion or ethnicity. The school has to protect hundreds of kids during school hours-the clock or whatever the fuck it was looked suspicious-it did not look like a clock-but a small black leather , steel framed case with crude wiring and electrical tape. I think the school made the right call-perhaps the police could have questioned the kid more, called in his parents, or even bomb experts to inspect the device/clock. Perhaps this kid is a future engineer with lots of good to give back to the world, perhaps he is a future terrorist who will use his skills for evil. None of us know what his future holds-but I know that if my kid was in class with that kid, and brought that "clock" in (this is not the potato clock or a snap circuit kiddie type looking clock)-I would be happy to know the school took all the right steps as a precaution to protect my child. These are scary times we live in-a black kid in a hoodie, a muslim kid with a crude looking electronic homeade device, a skinhead white kid with a gun.....they can all be just innocent kids-or they can all pose a threat and do great damage to others. |
You know what is amazing about this post? None of those descriptions fit the kids who have committed most atrocities at schools. |