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I'm glad Ahmed got all the support and encouragement he did but not one person of note/power, including Obama and Hillary Clinton (who offered their cute tweets

I'm glad Ahmed got all the support and encouragement he did but not one person of note/power, including Obama and Hillary Clinton (who offered their cute tweets) have talked of punishing, penalizing, or in the very least reprimanding the officers and teachers who put him through this. How is that? It's criminal to handcuff and interrogate a 14-yr old in front of his entire class and school when they found nothing to implicate him. It's an unconscionable act. These people are not only stupid (look at that 'suspicious' device), they are abusing power with no repercussions. "The student was handcuffed for his safety and for the safety of the officers". Are they out of their mind?

rhizome 11y ago
"Officer safety" is statutory language that supports a whole host of discretionary powers, from handcuffing to shooting dead. It's criminal to handcuff and interrogate a 14-yr old in front of his entire class and school when they found nothing to implicate him. It maybe should be, but isn't. However, what is illegal is questioning him without his parents or a lawyer present, which he requested multiple times to no effect. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/09/16/police-violated-ahmed-mohamed-s-civil-rights-by-keeping-away-his-parents.html http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/09/16/police-viol...
- blizkreeg 11y ago
  I meant criminal in a metaphorical sense. But shouldn't they be prosecuted for questioning him without parental consent or presence, at least?
  - rhizome 11y ago
    But shouldn't they be prosecuted for questioning him without parental consent or presence, at least? No, because Civil Rights violations are generally established through civil suits, not criminal. More specifically, 42 USC 1983 is civil, 18 USC 242 is criminal. There is a telltale loophole in the criminal statute, "willfully," that provides wiggle room for the violator to play dumb.
jcfrei 11y ago
>I'm glad Ahmed got all the support and encouragement he did but not one person of note/power, including Obama and Hillary Clinton (who offered their cute tweets) have talked of punishing, penalizing, or in the very least reprimanding the officers and teachers who put him through this. How is that? Maybe because the world has bigger problems than one police officer and a teacher acting out of line. It's a story the internet loves and perpetuates but frankly absolutely unimportant.
- moron4hire 11y ago
  Maybe we have more than enough resources to handle even the problems you deem trivial.
- blizkreeg 11y ago
  By that measure, unless someone dies, nothing is important. Couldn't you conceive of a situation where he (let's say out of panic) acts weird and an officer shoots him dead on suspicion of a suitcase containing a bomb? Would that make it important enough?
  - blakeja 11y ago
    Funny you should put it like that. Now that actual pictures of the "digital clock" are available, that is first time I have seen a clock built into a metal suitcase that, golly gee, somewhat resembles a bomb. Ya'll are being absurd. That kid new what he was doing, I did stupid shit like that when I his age...worse in fact, these days I would have made national headlines if I had been caught. So I know what I am talking about here. He may be be a smart boy, but you put that briefcase in any Hollywood movie or video game and they would call it a bomb. If he was really building a clock it would at least somewhat really resemble a clock. Bear in mind, I am a strong opponent of the rising police state and slow creep of tyranny that I hope is becoming obvious to even the more ignorant sections of the populace. But this...come on guys, call a spade a spade.
    - Gigablah 11y ago
      "Metal suitcase"? "Briefcase"? It's merely the size of a pencil box. In fact, it IS a pencil box. Call a spade a spade.
patrickaljord 11y ago
Apparently there is such a law as anti-hoax bomb so it would be hard to prosecute officers. Another reason it's hard to prosecute bad cops is the same reason it's hard to fire bad teachers: powerful unions, which by the way Obama and Hillary support. These unions don't care about safety or education (in case of teachers unions), they only care about protecting officers and teachers jobs, no matter how bad or criminal they can act.
- 001sky 11y ago
  The design of the clock is absurd for a "random project". If the kid walks into an airport with that, its basically like yelling fire in a movie theatre. its not freedom of speech, even tho its speech. If this is a politicised stunt (which it appears to be), same issues at play. This whole insident basically looks like a johnny knonxville stunt form Jackass (the mtv show). If its true that his father is a former presidential candidate from an african country (ie, apparenely delusions of grandeur -- hhttps://www.vox.com/2015/9/16/9339063/ahmed-mohamed-elhassan https://www.vox.com/2015/9/16/9339063/ahmed-mohamed-elhassan) it further undermines this entire narrative of the media frenzy.
  - bigiain 11y ago
    Seriously? You think it's the _clock design_ that's absurd, and not the school and cop's ignorant reactions? Should I be convicted of a "bomb hoax" for this? https://www.flickr.com/photos/bigiain/5162711688/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/bigiain/5162711688/ Note my description from five years ago shows somewhat more considered-but-not-carried-out intent than this kid... I think you are 100% wrong. People who assume anything vaguely electronic that they don't understand must be "terrorism" are the problem here, not smart kids building things out of what they have at hand with whatever aesthetic they like. In my opinion, it's the school and the cops who were yelling "fire" in this movie theatre. And this isn't the first time "the authorities" have go this just as badly wrong: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Boston_bomb_scare https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Boston_bomb_scare https://boingboing.net/2007/09/21/mit-student-arrested.html https://boingboing.net/2007/09/21/mit-student-arrested.html
guelo 11y ago
Federalism means that the federal government doesn't have much power at the state or lower levels unless there are constitutional issues involved (you could argue 14th amendment but it's a stretch). If Obama tried to get the teacher fired it would be a massive abuse of power.
- MCRed 11y ago
  United States Code 18-242 makes it a federal crime (a felony if armed) to violate a citizens constitutional rights under color of law. There are several rights that I think were violated here, or appear to have been enough to make it indictable and possibly merit prosecution.
  - krauthammer 11y ago
    You are forced by law to respect a jewish enclave and you should respect Irving and Texas.
alien_robot 11y ago
> These people are not only stupid (look at that 'suspicious' device), they are abusing power with no repercussions. That's the part that bothers me the most - that they were too stupid to know what they were looking at. He was proud of his invention and wanted to show it off.
Random_BSD_Geek 11y ago
I understand and agree with your outrage. But isn't the attention and humiliation they are receiving enough? Elevating the dialogue was the graceful thing to do.
- GBond 11y ago
  Taking high road is best. The fear these authority had comes from ignorance. And the HNer types can help change that. Geeks can do a better job of presenting technology to normals in a way that is palpable.
vfclists 11y ago
I don't suppose any of you have heard of the School to Prison Pipeline. Lookup Dr Umar Johnson
krauthammer 11y ago
You belong in an asylum. Ignorant bastard.

rhizome 11y ago

"Officer safety" is statutory language that supports a whole host of discretionary powers, from handcuffing to shooting dead. It's criminal to handcuff and interrogate a 14-yr old in front of his entire class and school when they found nothing to implicate him. It maybe should be, but isn't. However, what is illegal is questioning him without his parents or a lawyer present, which he requested multiple times to no effect. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/09/16/police-violated-ahmed-mohamed-s-civil-rights-by-keeping-away-his-parents.html http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/09/16/police-viol...

blizkreeg 11y ago
I meant criminal in a metaphorical sense. But shouldn't they be prosecuted for questioning him without parental consent or presence, at least?
- rhizome 11y ago
  But shouldn't they be prosecuted for questioning him without parental consent or presence, at least? No, because Civil Rights violations are generally established through civil suits, not criminal. More specifically, 42 USC 1983 is civil, 18 USC 242 is criminal. There is a telltale loophole in the criminal statute, "willfully," that provides wiggle room for the violator to play dumb.

jcfrei 11y ago

>I'm glad Ahmed got all the support and encouragement he did but not one person of note/power, including Obama and Hillary Clinton (who offered their cute tweets) have talked of punishing, penalizing, or in the very least reprimanding the officers and teachers who put him through this. How is that? Maybe because the world has bigger problems than one police officer and a teacher acting out of line. It's a story the internet loves and perpetuates but frankly absolutely unimportant.

moron4hire 11y ago
Maybe we have more than enough resources to handle even the problems you deem trivial.
blizkreeg 11y ago
By that measure, unless someone dies, nothing is important. Couldn't you conceive of a situation where he (let's say out of panic) acts weird and an officer shoots him dead on suspicion of a suitcase containing a bomb? Would that make it important enough?
- blakeja 11y ago
  Funny you should put it like that. Now that actual pictures of the "digital clock" are available, that is first time I have seen a clock built into a metal suitcase that, golly gee, somewhat resembles a bomb. Ya'll are being absurd. That kid new what he was doing, I did stupid shit like that when I his age...worse in fact, these days I would have made national headlines if I had been caught. So I know what I am talking about here. He may be be a smart boy, but you put that briefcase in any Hollywood movie or video game and they would call it a bomb. If he was really building a clock it would at least somewhat really resemble a clock. Bear in mind, I am a strong opponent of the rising police state and slow creep of tyranny that I hope is becoming obvious to even the more ignorant sections of the populace. But this...come on guys, call a spade a spade.
  - Gigablah 11y ago
    "Metal suitcase"? "Briefcase"? It's merely the size of a pencil box. In fact, it IS a pencil box. Call a spade a spade.

patrickaljord 11y ago

Apparently there is such a law as anti-hoax bomb so it would be hard to prosecute officers. Another reason it's hard to prosecute bad cops is the same reason it's hard to fire bad teachers: powerful unions, which by the way Obama and Hillary support. These unions don't care about safety or education (in case of teachers unions), they only care about protecting officers and teachers jobs, no matter how bad or criminal they can act.

001sky 11y ago
The design of the clock is absurd for a "random project". If the kid walks into an airport with that, its basically like yelling fire in a movie theatre. its not freedom of speech, even tho its speech. If this is a politicised stunt (which it appears to be), same issues at play. This whole insident basically looks like a johnny knonxville stunt form Jackass (the mtv show). If its true that his father is a former presidential candidate from an african country (ie, apparenely delusions of grandeur -- hhttps://www.vox.com/2015/9/16/9339063/ahmed-mohamed-elhassan https://www.vox.com/2015/9/16/9339063/ahmed-mohamed-elhassan) it further undermines this entire narrative of the media frenzy.
- bigiain 11y ago
  Seriously? You think it's the _clock design_ that's absurd, and not the school and cop's ignorant reactions? Should I be convicted of a "bomb hoax" for this? https://www.flickr.com/photos/bigiain/5162711688/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/bigiain/5162711688/ Note my description from five years ago shows somewhat more considered-but-not-carried-out intent than this kid... I think you are 100% wrong. People who assume anything vaguely electronic that they don't understand must be "terrorism" are the problem here, not smart kids building things out of what they have at hand with whatever aesthetic they like. In my opinion, it's the school and the cops who were yelling "fire" in this movie theatre. And this isn't the first time "the authorities" have go this just as badly wrong: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Boston_bomb_scare https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Boston_bomb_scare https://boingboing.net/2007/09/21/mit-student-arrested.html https://boingboing.net/2007/09/21/mit-student-arrested.html

guelo 11y ago

Federalism means that the federal government doesn't have much power at the state or lower levels unless there are constitutional issues involved (you could argue 14th amendment but it's a stretch). If Obama tried to get the teacher fired it would be a massive abuse of power.

MCRed 11y ago
United States Code 18-242 makes it a federal crime (a felony if armed) to violate a citizens constitutional rights under color of law. There are several rights that I think were violated here, or appear to have been enough to make it indictable and possibly merit prosecution.
- krauthammer 11y ago
  You are forced by law to respect a jewish enclave and you should respect Irving and Texas.

alien_robot 11y ago

> These people are not only stupid (look at that 'suspicious' device), they are abusing power with no repercussions. That's the part that bothers me the most - that they were too stupid to know what they were looking at. He was proud of his invention and wanted to show it off.

Random_BSD_Geek 11y ago

I understand and agree with your outrage. But isn't the attention and humiliation they are receiving enough? Elevating the dialogue was the graceful thing to do.

GBond 11y ago
Taking high road is best. The fear these authority had comes from ignorance. And the HNer types can help change that. Geeks can do a better job of presenting technology to normals in a way that is palpable.

vfclists 11y ago

I don't suppose any of you have heard of the School to Prison Pipeline. Lookup Dr Umar Johnson

krauthammer 11y ago

You belong in an asylum. Ignorant bastard.