Ahmed Mohamed, 14, arrested over clock mistaken for bomb. Reasonable precaution or massive overreaction?

In America, common sense seems to have taken a backseat to political correctness. It's like saying just because you're riding down a road in Iraq and see a what looks like an IED emplacement, even though you are EOD you should not take the necessary precautions and just drive over it. One, his parents should have said no, it's not appropriate because of the things going on right now, maybe later. Two, if he is as intelligent as is presumed, he would have had some kind of inkling that this might get me in trouble. Three, what if it was a test run. How many test runs were ran on the WTCs before they got it right? Just saying, political correctness needs to be a passenger, not the driver of decisions being made in the car of this country.

The whole thing was a set-up by the boys father and it worked.

Your post failed to say even by the kids account the teacher told him NOT to show it to anyone else because it looked like a bomb but he did anyway.

definitely over reaction

Cool tri nitro toluene clock

I think the misleading photo needs to be removed and the actual photo of the clock should be returned allowing folks to make their own informed opinion.

And if it had been real? It was not that long ago that kids were suspended for playing cops and robbers, or chewing a sandwich into the shape of a pistol. If the kid was a Christian what would your response be? Now the little turd stands to make big bucks from a lawsuit, what the hell is wrong with all you people?

The same folks defending him would be crying about the lack of response and looking for signs if it had been real.

I love how everyone is playing one race card or another here. In this day and age his parents should be smacked on the back of their heads for even thinking it would be ok to take his "clock" to school. Sure the only reason it made national news is because the media loves to portray everyone as evil so they can get better ratings and if he was a white or hispanic kid the story would have probably stayed in Texas. No matter what race he is taking something that resembles a bomb is a bad idea. If you look at the "clock" the case could be seen as a suitcase bomb from the pictures the news outlets were showing.

When I was in high school, many moons ago, you could walk the parking lot and count at least 20 weapons hanging in gun racks during hunting season. We hunted before classes started. It never occurred to anyone to bring the weapon inside and shoot someone. That was then, and no matter how liberal or conservative you are, you wouldn't allow it today. Not because the weapons are more dangerous, but the students are. Leave a bag unattended in your local BX and see how folks react. Times have changed and how we react to things have as well. How different the world would have been for Ahmed Mohamed if it wasn't for a Muslim with a box cutter.

Let me get this straight:

1. Kid takes old clock and puts it into a pencil box. He does not build a clock, he simply moves components from one container to another.
2. Kid uses some wires to hold box shut in lieu of a lock for fear of what the box would look like with a lock on it.
3. Kid shows this clock to a teacher, who applauds him but warns him not to show the clock to any other teachers and that he should take it home immediately.
4. Kid not only dismisses this advice, but goes to the extent of plugging it in and setting off the alarm for it in another class.
5. Teacher sees clock and reports it.
6. Scenario escalates due to policies and procedures followed by both school and Law Enforcement.
7. Kid is praised as some sort of genius and given free rides all over the world.

Seems like a contrived stunt to me, personally. All the crazy conspiracy agendas aside, the kid knew better but did it anyway. On top of this, he didn't create anything, yet he is still taking credit for building a clock on further interviews. I think it will take some time for this to either pan out into a stupid kid and teachers/cops following procedures, or an elaborate stunt with other intentions and agendas. Either way, this isn't a kid who was victimized for being Muslim and talented, this was a kid who made a mistake and refused to correct it when the opportunity arose, and for what reasons remain to be seen.

For anyone here who refutes the claims that this looks like a bomb, I'll be happy to let you know you're absolutely wrong through firsthand knowledge.