Posted on 09/16/2015 3:14:15 PM PDT by TroutStalker
A high school student in Texas whose hobby is inventing thought he had a great idea for a project: to build his own clock.
The effort landed him in handcuffs and juvenile detention on Monday, accused of making a hoax bomb.
The detention of Ahmed Mohamed, 14, a student at MacArthur High School in Irving, Tex., near Dallas, generated a national furor even after the police said on Wednesday that he would not be charged as questions arose about whether he was targeted because of his religion.
The episode even came to the attention of the nation’s top leaders, who deplored the treatment of the young man. “Cool clock, Ahmed,” President Obama said on Twitter. “Want to bring it to the White House? We should inspire more kids like you to like science. It’s what makes America great.”
Mr. Obama’s staff went on to invite Ahmed to come to the White House for Astronomy Night, to be held Oct. 19, an event bringing together scientists, engineers, astronauts, teachers and students to spend an evening stargazing from the South Lawn. The president’s spokesman held out the encounter as a case study in unreasoned prejudice in an era when the country is fighting Islamic terrorism at home and in the Middle East. Continue reading the main story
Shortly before a news conference Wednesday outside his home in Irving, Ahmed — still wearing the NASA shirt he wore when he was detained — waved to a thick crowd of reporters from the doorway as his family brought out pizzas and drinks for the media. Ahmed said he was considering transferring out of MacArthur High and had indeed accepted President Obama’s invitation
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I have to say I have been very surprised at a lot of the comments here on the thread supporting this kid. I sure looks like a dry run to me, just more probing, probing, probing to test the limits. This “clock” looks like nothing more than what I would make if i opened up that damned awful 1990s circa alarm clock that I hate so much each morning and mounted in some sort of box. Looks far from impressive to me and with our society being spied on, and the government is encouraging people to say something if they see something. Then to find out the father is an activist, add in the Moslems being imported, this whole thing stinks to high heaven and people here are saying this kid is a victim? Every day closer to bizarro world when I come to FR and find posts defending the indefensible.
>> I swear to God, from the comments on the threads about this kid’s electronics project, the average IQ of Freepers must be sub-85.
Beginning with your comment perhaps.
Prove me wrong and post something intelligent.
I agree that it’s not exactly an engineering masterpiece, but that doesn’t mean it was built with malicious intent.
When I was younger than this kid, I built from discrete components (all TTL, e.g., 74xx) a memory circuit with a four-digit counter that displayed on 7-segment displays. It was all wire-wrapped and you could enter your values, start the countdown, and the thing would count down to zero on the timer. I took it to school and my teachers and friends thought it was cool.
Today, all of you folks on this thread would have had me arrested and jailed for terrorism.
Free-thinking America is dead and buried.
Again?
Yes, please. I must have missed the first time.
Actually this will be the first time Obama told somebody, "You built that."
EXACTLY. Public schools are dens of stupidity.
Really? Did you see the “clock” ?
You're spot on and summed it well. I think all Conservatives should stand with Republican Irving Mayor Beth Van Duyne who's not backing down to the jihadists, CAIR and the usual bunch of liberals.
Sure did. Looks like a disassembled alarm clock, complete with power cord. The fact that you people are hyperventilating over this thing is amazing.
Please see post #91 (above) and, if you wouldn't mind taking a few moments, follow the link to the remarks of the Irving mayor and her defense of the school district and police department. I'd like to get your take on this. Thanks!
I just read her comments, and all I can say is that I’m glad my kids aren’t in public schools.
I appreciate the response and while we still obviously have a vast gulf between us, I do agree wholeheartedly in your assessment of public schools. In fact, I extend my contempt for public education to all levels, in particular the University of California system. A young person would be far better equipped with a higher education degree from Hillsdale, Bob Jones, Grove City, Liberty or my alma mater (shameless plug for the Bisons). A Bible-based, God-centered curriculum is a must to achieve greatness in these times.
He will use this kid as "proof" that muzzies are just misunderstood.... then, according to his track record, the kid, now 16, will take out a whole mall.....
Clarification - Obama’s track record of parading folks out as good examples then having dump trucks of dirt found on them (scandal dirt - not the kind the Clinton’s bury inconvenient folks under).
Bullshit. You are a lying, with discrete purpose.
Just because your electrical engineering knowledge is inadequate to operate a common household light switch doesn’t mean that applies to the rest of us.
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