9th grader arrested for "bomb"

[Greenday]

I don't have a problem with the "If you see something, say something" campaign. It works.

What I do have a problem is seeing something, seeing it's not a threat, calling the cops anyway, and actually arresting him. That's just a huge clusterfuck on everyone's part (but the kid's)

[wolfie]

Do they seriously think bombers/terrorists would wire up a helpful digital clock to let you know just how long before it goes off?

If I were going to plant a bomb, I'd include a "helpful" digital clock - not connected to the detonation timer in any way, and showing a countdown roughly half an hour longer than the time to detonation. After all, anyone stupid enough to trust the guy who plants a bomb is a candidate for a Darwin award.

[s_stabeler]

I don't have a problem with the "If you see something, say something" campaign. It works.

What I do have a problem is seeing something, seeing it's not a threat, calling the cops anyway, and actually arresting him. That's just a huge clusterfuck on everyone's part (but the kid's)

pretty much, yeah. ( I'd say there's two people being sucky, actually: 1. the person reporting something that is obviously not a threat ( the worse of the two, in my opinion, since they are both causing a massive fuss, and wasting police time) and whoever took the decision to actually arrest the kid. (it's a waste of police time, traumatic to the kid, not to mention the risk of causing the kid to lose trust in the police- which, if it goes too far, can make the kid vulnerable to recruitment by gangsters/terrorists.)

[Greenday]

People have made a huge stink over this and rightfully so. The situation was...blown...out of proportion.

But the level of response has been quite fascinating. A visit to the White House. A tour of MIT and other schools. Space Camp scholarship. A shirt that was worn in space. Etc,

After really taking a look at the clock now that the outrage stage is over for me, I've realized what his "invention" was. A disassembled alarm clock. This is what everyone is praising him for? I mean, it's cool that he's interested in learning how things work by taking them apart and putting them together, but are we really going to act like this is a spurned genius? As Gravekeeper said, he was in high school classes where they actually had to make their own circuit boards and make stuff with them. I bet he didn't get a trip to see the Prime Minister for his efforts.

I think it's an overboard reaction to attempt to be PC and be all "America isn't racist!"

[the_std]

I think it's an overboard reaction to attempt to be PC and be all "America isn't racist!"

Just... No. It's not PC in the slightest. It's an attempt to show the kid that not all of the powerful figures in his life are going to be as incompetent and tone-deaf as the people handling this were. So the invention isn't something new or amazing. Why does that matter? He's not receiving praise and accolades for having invented something big. He's receiving this attention as a way to say to ALL the kids paying attention to this shit storm - "keep inventing, keep being curious, and don't let morons fuck it all up for you".

[Gravekeeper]

Just... No. It's not PC in the slightest. It's an attempt to show the kid that not all of the powerful figures in his life are going to be as incompetent and tone-deaf as the people handling this were.

This ^. The sad truth of the matter is these sort of things can pretty much destroy a kid. I mean, we needed a "It gets better" campaign just to convince LGBT kids to not kill themselves before graduating high school for fark sakes. Picture how this kids situation would have played out even just 10 years ago or so. It would have been a lot uglier.

Also, I don't think he ever claimed he invented the clock. regardless of what that asshole Dawkins is on about ;p

[Kara_CS]

It's a circuit board, some wires, and a digital clock. Even if it was components for a bomb (Which it obviously wasn't because 9th grader), where's the explosive? Where's the method of initiation?

A lot of "experts" on social media keep going on about how it looks like other bombs in suitcases they've seen (on TV, no doubt). It's an assortment of circuit boards and wires, therefore it must be a bomb. A frightening number of disgusting people have said the "little Jihadi" should have been shot, because "Muslims train their kids at an early age to kill Christians." I keep seeing people reference videos they've seen of parents teaching their children to behead dolls, though no one can ever provide a link to said video. I've seen it suggested that Ahmed was conducting a "dry run" in preparation for the real thing and was merely testing the school's security.

I truly detest the far Right. They make me feel ashamed of even living in this country.

[s_stabeler]

People have made a huge stink over this and rightfully so. The situation was...blown...out of proportion.

But the level of response has been quite fascinating. A visit to the White House. A tour of MIT and other schools. Space Camp scholarship. A shirt that was worn in space. Etc,

After really taking a look at the clock now that the outrage stage is over for me, I've realized what his "invention" was. A disassembled alarm clock. This is what everyone is praising him for? I mean, it's cool that he's interested in learning how things work by taking them apart and putting them together, but are we really going to act like this is a spurned genius? As Gravekeeper said, he was in high school classes where they actually had to make their own circuit boards and make stuff with them. I bet he didn't get a trip to see the Prime Minister for his efforts.

I think it's an overboard reaction to attempt to be PC and be all "America isn't racist!"

a) I think you'll find that in the real world, every single invention can be summarised as taking parts from something else, and finding new ways to put them together. Is what this kid has done particularly unique? not really. However, it shows he has at least some of the instincts that an inventor needs- it's not about what he has made, but about what he COULD make if he is encouraged.
b) he's in high school. He isn't exactly likely to make anything actually unique for a while.
c) some of the things on the list can be summarised as "this is what you could be doing if you keep experimenting ( MIT, for example- the idea is to try to spark the kid's interest, to encourage him to continue to experiment with things. After all, being arrested as a suspected bomber WILL have had a discouraging effect.)
d) there's an element of PR in this as well.
e) it's not actually about race- or at least, I hope it sin't. It's about a kid who brought something relatively innocuous into school, and was heavily punished for it. So it's ALSO about showing the kid- and other kids in similar situations- that not everyone's out to get them.

[Kara_CS]

a) I think you'll find that in the real world, every single invention can be summarised as taking parts from something else, and finding new ways to put them together. Is what this kid has done particularly unique? not really. However, it shows he has at least some of the instincts that an inventor needs- it's not about what he has made, but about what he COULD make if he is encouraged.
b) he's in high school. He isn't exactly likely to make anything actually unique for a while.
c) some of the things on the list can be summarised as "this is what you could be doing if you keep experimenting ( MIT, for example- the idea is to try to spark the kid's interest, to encourage him to continue to experiment with things. After all, being arrested as a suspected bomber WILL have had a discouraging effect.)
d) there's an element of PR in this as well.
e) it's not actually about race- or at least, I hope it sin't. It's about a kid who brought something relatively innocuous into school, and was heavily punished for it. So it's ALSO about showing the kid- and other kids in similar situations- that not everyone's out to get them.

Reverse-engineering is still engineering, and it does take some skill. I didn't have the inclination or know-how when I was in high school to do something like that.

It has nothing to do with race. A white kid built a nuclear reactor for a science fair project a few years ago, and Obama invited him to the White House (and the Department of Energy gave him a research grant).

[Shangri-laschild]

From the sounds of it, this was one of the more basic things he had built and he has actually made things that are a lot more complicated. This was a super quick before bed thing for him which I'd say increases the impressiveness.

[Gravekeeper]

Now the town's officials have weighed in and stated the kid "Got what he asked for."

That is not an exaggeration.

[Greenday]

Now the town's officials have weighed in and stated the kid "Got what he asked for."

That is not an exaggeration.

And by "Got what he asked for.", the principal specific stated that he asked for attention.

[Tama]

One thing I'm sick of now is all these people posting pictures of bombs even a 6 year old would know was a bomb, and going "bringing my watch to work."

Like really? Really?

[Gravekeeper]

And by "Got what he asked for.", the principal specific stated that he asked for attention.

I'm a bit lost here. Are you actually trying to defend this?

[Tama]

I'm pretty sure it's just clarification on Greenday's part, getting the entirety of what the principal said.