Idiot Extraordinaire: Teachers of MacArthur Highschool, Irving, Texas

[evensgrey]

So, this kid named Ahmed Mohamed, electronics enthusiast, builds himself a clock and takes it in to school to show off his skills...and gets arrested because one of the less-technically competent teachers decides it's actually a bomb.

Here's the video where I learned about this (from Australia, local Texan officials being stupid doesn't normally make the national news in Canada)

[yt]cNSt1GCVqyU[/yt]

And a link to some local news coverage

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

[Ibrahim90]

So, this kid named Ahmed Mohamed, electronics enthusiast, builds himself a clock and takes it in to school to show off his skills...and gets arrested because one of the less-technically competent teachers decides it's actually a bomb.

Here's the video where I learned about this (from Australia, local Texan officials being stupid doesn't normally make the national news in Canada)

[yt]cNSt1GCVqyU[/yt]

And a link to some local news coverage

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

and here's why the fucker likely had him arrested: I have a hard time believing that his religion and color didn't have anything to do with it, as these people claim: I mean, some Saudis got raided because they were cooking Kabsa, and some bitch called it in as a bomb threat...it doesn't take much.

[AdeptusHereticus]

It could merely be a case of overreaction rather than prejudice.

I'm kinda surprised that both of you didn't say a word about the police here. First of all, the school say they think it's a bomb and no bomb squad is sent. So I have to assume that the officials assume that police officers can tell a bomb from something that is not a bomb. But clearly they cannot. In fact the police in this town think that if the officers can't decide what they are looking at, it means that there is a safety issue. In other words, they thought there was a safety issue with absolutely no elements upon which to base a reasoning. The clock is a damn empty case with a board, four wires, and maybe a battery ... By their stance, every piece of electronic equipment is suspicious !

And don't get me started on the cuffing "for his safety and for the safety of the officers". With police that stupid, you don't need actual criminals to make your life miserable.

[Ibrahim90]

It could merely be a case of overreaction rather than prejudice.

Those are not mutually exclusive, though being just a case of overreaction is always possible--I just find it unlikely, going from previous examples.

I'm kinda surprised that both of you didn't say a word about the police here. First of all, the school say they think it's a bomb and no bomb squad is sent. So I have to assume that the officials assume that police officers can tell a bomb from something that is not a bomb. But clearly they cannot. In fact the police in this town think that if the officers can't decide what they are looking at, it means that there is a safety issue. In other words, they thought there was a safety issue with absolutely no elements upon which to base a reasoning. The clock is a damn empty case with a board, four wires, and maybe a battery ... By their stance, every piece of electronic equipment is suspicious !

And don't get me started on the cuffing "for his safety and for the safety of the officers". With police that stupid, you don't need actual criminals to make your life miserable.

I think that's because I'm so used to the stupid from those assholes I don't feel the need to comment.

[AdeptusHereticus]

Those are not mutually exclusive, though being just a case of overreaction is always possible--I just find it unlikely, going from previous examples.

Well, how often do kids come to school with homemade clocks enclosed in briefcases ?

I think that's because I'm so used to the stupid from those assholes I don't feel the need to comment.

I guess it is to be expected at some point and I might have the same attitude if that was my country. But sometimes, one ought to marvel at their constant success at reinvention and praise nature for giving us the privilege to witness it. Praise the Lord !

[Dallas Wildman]

If this goes to podcast this will the second time Irving, Texas has shown up on the Idiot Extraordinaire this year.  What the HELL is going on over there?  Makes me glad I live in Arizona now.  (Geez I probably should call myself Tucson Wildman now)

[MrBogosity]

Yeah, I don't think I'll include it, because it's being discussed to death and we have enough things to talk about.

[Ibrahim90]

Well, how often do kids come to school with homemade clocks enclosed in briefcases ?

I plead the fifth

besides, the guy opened the case and showed the contents--which he said were a clock. What sort of Bomber would do that? This would be the most ridiculous thing to do as a bomber--that's what my uncle taught me after he came out of prison...Oh, wait, forget what I said.

[evensgrey]

Well, how often do kids come to school with homemade clocks enclosed in briefcases ?

Less often than they used to, I think. Mostly because making a clock is now a lot easier than it used to be (I think you might even be able to do it in one chip now), so they are likely to be less proud of their accomplishment by doing it, and hence less likely to want to show it off.

Yeah, I don't think I'll include it, because it's being discussed to death and we have enough things to talk about.

Fortunate it's being discussed so much, it got the kid out of jail.  It would have to be a pretty damn slow week for this to be one of the dumbest things to happen, too.

Incidentally, I think we also might not have gotten this up here because Monday we had a horrific kidnapping and double murder happen on Monday, so our national media was rather occupied with that instead of some damn fools on the far edge of another country.

[AdeptusHereticus]

I plead the fifth

The fifth is a mystery for me. Wouldn't pleading the fifth be an admission of self incrimination, or do I miss the point ? Beside, merely answering indirect questions can incriminate you, so, why doesn't the fith applies to any form of scrutiny ? Aren't being a witness and testifying basically the same thing, logically speaking ?

besides, the guy opened the case and showed the contents--which he said were a clock. What sort of Bomber would do that? This would be the most ridiculous thing to do as a bomber--that's what my uncle taught me after he came out of prison...Oh, wait, forget what I said.

One thing your uncle has told you, I'm sure, is to actually put explosive material in your IED. If you do, you can show off at school, or not, but it ends up the same.

[Ibrahim90]

The fifth is a mystery for me. Wouldn't pleading the fifth be an admission of self incrimination, or do I miss the point ? Beside, merely answering indirect questions can incriminate you, so, why doesn't the fith applies to any form of scrutiny ? Aren't being a witness and testifying basically the same thing, logically speaking ?

I think you're taking this too seriously 

(actually, I do carry suitcases with me to this day: it is to transport my linux PC--got it a while ago)

One thing your uncle has told you, I'm sure, is to actually put explosive material in your IED. If you do, you can show off at school, or not, but it ends up the same.

it's about intention, not efficacy: if you did have a bomb, you'd not want to display it like that. It's for a similar reason that terrorists wear western clothes when doing their thing: it lets them blend in.

and just to be clear: he didn't use IED's. He was just a member of the PLO decades ago. I mixed that with a comment he had made to make a dark joke about terrorism back home.

[AdeptusHereticus]

No but I got the joke My point was, the interior of the suitcase was shown, and there was nowhere but emptiness to hide the explosive.

As for the fifth, it was genuine curiosity.