#IStandWithAhmed (or Inventing While Muslim is a thing?)

[Artemus]

You have already been given the correct answer numerous times. And in fact, back in the 00's we told our electrical engineering seniors not to carry their senior projects openly in public. The reason was that, in a case very similar to the current one, a student was pulled from the university bus and questioned by police because he was "muslim-looking" and had something with chips and wires visible. Our department head had to explain to police that it was standard digital circuitry common to all of our assigned project. Then, as now, only an idiot could have thought it was some type of bomb, but some idiot did.

So, I assure you that the real reason the engineering teacher told him not to show the clock is anyone else is that he understood that in the ignorant, paranoid, islamophobic backwater that is the bible belt, there are more than enough idiots who will think that anything with a wire "looks like a bomb", provided that it is carried by someone who "looks muslim".

So, you are essentially agreeing with me that the reason the engineering teacher told him not to show it to people is they would think it's a bomb.

No, I didn't agree with you in the least. I did not say that "people' (implying the general population) would think it is a bomb. I said that ignorant, paranoid, islamophobic idiots would assume that anything with a wire carried by someone of his skin complexion would think it looks like a bomb. You've consistently denied that any of qualifiers could apply. They do.

I'll note that we never had a white guy named "Steve" pulled of the bus and questioned by police even though everyone was carrying their projects around at the time. I wonder why?

 

[AthenaAwakened]

NO. You load up a culture with right wing fear mongering, and this is what you get.

What do you think the odds of an English teacher in a 90% minority school district being a right winger are?

IN IRVING TEXAS???? Pretty damn good.

You act like the kids get to vote on who teaches them.

 

[skepticalbip]

This kind of absurdity happens all the time to people of all races, sexes, and religions in our school system in every state in the union because of the Zero Tolerance policies. The only reason this particular incident became such a buzz in the media is that the kid happened to be Muslim. It should be the Zero Tolerance policies that are being criticized.

 

[Artemus]

Especially the part where the school official said (paraphrased), "When they told me a student had a bomb, I knew it was you."

Is there a link for this?

 

[AthenaAwakened]

This kind of absurdity happens all the time to people of all races, sexes, and religions in our school system in every state in the union because of the Zero Tolerance policies.

This is true.

The only reason this particular incident became such a buzz in the media is that the kid happened to be Muslim.

Uh, yeah, I'm sure the reason Mark Zuckerberg invited Ahmed to FB HQ is because he's Muslim.

It should be the Zero Tolerance policies that are being criticized.

Zero Tolerance Policies should be criticized, but the wrongs here go beyond ZT.

 

[laughing dog]

No, I didn't agree with you in the least. I did not say that "people' (implying the general population) would think it is a bomb. I said that ignorant, paranoid, islamophobic idiots would assume that anything with a wire carried by someone of his skin complexion would think it looks like a bomb.

To be fair, that means people in Texas.

- - - Updated - - -

This kind of absurdity happens all the time to people of all races, sexes, and religions in our school system in every state in the union because of the Zero Tolerance policies. The only reason this particular incident became such a buzz in the media is that the kid happened to be Muslim. It should be the Zero Tolerance policies that are being criticized.

What was being "zero tolerated"? Since there was no weapon and no threat, what is the zero tolerance justification for suspending the student?

 

[Nice Squirrel]

Especially the part where the school official said (paraphrased), "When they told me a student had a bomb, I knew it was you."

Is there a link for this?

Yeah, make me work for it...

http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/17/us/texas-student-ahmed-muslim-clock-bomb/index.html

In middle school, Ahmed said, he had been called "bombmaker" and a "terrorist."

"Just because of my race and my religion," he said, adding that when he walked into the room where he was questioned, an officer reclined in a chair and remarked, "That's who I thought it was."

"I took it to mean he was pointing at me for what I am, my race," the freshman explained.

 

[skepticalbip]

This is true.

The only reason this particular incident became such a buzz in the media is that the kid happened to be Muslim.

Uh, yeah, I'm sure the reason Mark Zuckerberg invited Ahmed to FB HQ is because he's Muslim.

He was invited to to police headquarters because that is the established policy when a "bomb threat" is called in by the school.

It should be the Zero Tolerance policies that are being criticized.

Zero Tolerance Policies should be criticized, but the wrongs here go beyond ZT.

Did you read the link I gave earlier giving some of the specific asinine results of ZT policy? One woman was hauled into police headquarters and charged with trespassing for responding to a "frantic" call by her child's teacher.

 

[dismal]

What do you think the odds of an English teacher in a 90% minority school district being a right winger are?

IN IRVING TEXAS???? Pretty damn good.

You act like the kids get to vote on who teaches them.

I'm not sure why you think citing of IRVING TEXAS!!!!! settles this thing somehow.

This argument really doesn't have much effect on people who aren't anti-Texas bigots, completely ignorant about what Irving is like.

Perhaps you should familiarize yourself a bit with who attends the Irving ISD before citing IRVING TEXAS!!!11 as if it is proof there is some hotbed of right wingery there.

Irving ISD is made up of 80% low-income families, including 9,500 high school students. It is also a majority-minority district. The student population represents more than fifty-six countries speaking over ninety-five languages.[3]

African American 12.06%
American Indian 0.47%
Asian 3.57%
Hispanic 70.84%
White 11.66%

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irving_Independent_School_District

When you cite IRVING TEXAS11!11 as if it is some sort of insult these are the people you malign.

 

[Artemus]

When you cite IRVING TEXAS11!11 as if it is some sort of insult these are the people you malign.

As noted earlier, the twice-elected mayor of Irving, Texas is a paranoid islamophobe who is convinced that there is a subversive plot to replace the court system with sharia law. That doesn't speak well for the electorate.

 

[AthenaAwakened]

This is true. Uh, yeah, I'm sure the reason Mark Zuckerberg invited Ahmed to FB HQ is because he's Muslim.

He was invited to to police headquarters because that is the established policy when a "bomb threat" is called in by the school.

It should be the Zero Tolerance policies that are being criticized.

Zero Tolerance Policies should be criticized, but the wrongs here go beyond ZT.

Did you read the link I gave earlier giving some of the specific asinine results of ZT policy? One woman was hauled into police headquarters and charged with trespassing for responding to a "frantic" call by her child's teacher.

And?

I am agreeing with you that ZT is wrong. Hell, I will lead the protest to get it repealed from every school district currently using it. If I had the money, I would hire skywriters to fly over every board of education building in the USA and write "END ZERO TOLERANCE NOW!"

But every other result of ZT does not excuse the school's failure to initiate anti-bomb procedures, the police sending multiple officers to the school, arresting a 14 year old for NOTHING, and interrogating a minor without parent or counsel present. If these things are not unlawful, they are at the very least ridiculous, malicious, and wasteful of tax dollars. AND ALL deserving of criticism and condemnation.

 

[AthenaAwakened]

When you cite IRVING TEXAS11!11 as if it is some sort of insult these are the people you malign.

As noted earlier, the twice-elected mayor of Irving, Texas is a paranoid islamophobe who is convinced that there is a subversive plot to replace the court system with sharia law. That doesn't speak well for the electorate.

Dismal knows this. Because if he didn't, that would mean he isn't reading the responses, and that would mean he isn't engaging in discussion, and that could mean that he just want's to say hateful stuff because he likes saying hateful stuff.

And that's not you, now is it Dismal?

 

[dismal]

As noted earlier, the twice-elected mayor of Irving, Texas is a paranoid islamophobe who is convinced that there is a subversive plot to replace the court system with sharia law. That doesn't speak well for the electorate.

Dismal knows this. Because if he didn't, that would mean he isn't reading the responses, and that would mean he isn't engaging in discussion, and that could mean that he just want's to say hateful stuff because he likes saying hateful stuff.

And that's not you, now is it Dismal?

As I mentioned earlier, I would be surprised to learn the mayor was there teaching English that day.

If she wasn't I can't figure out what she has to do with any of this. It seems a bit of a desperate stretch.

 

[Artemus]

Dismal knows this. Because if he didn't, that would mean he isn't reading the responses, and that would mean he isn't engaging in discussion, and that could mean that he just want's to say hateful stuff because he likes saying hateful stuff.

And that's not you, now is it Dismal?

As I mentioned earlier, I would be surprised to learn the mayor was there teaching English that day.

If she wasn't I can't figure out what she has to do with any of this. It seems a bit of a desperate stretch.

I see. The political climate of the region is relevant when you believe it supports your argument but irrelevant when you see that it doesn't.

AthenaAwakened, I thank you for your comments. I will not waste anymore time here.

 

[dismal]

As I mentioned earlier, I would be surprised to learn the mayor was there teaching English that day.

If she wasn't I can't figure out what she has to do with any of this. It seems a bit of a desperate stretch.

I see. The political climate of the region is relevant when you believe it supports your argument but irrelevant when you see that it doesn't.

AthenaAwakened, I thank you for your comments. I will not waste anymore time here.

I'm not the one who is trying to make this about the region.

I'm trying to correct the lazy ignorance and bigotry of people who are trying to make it about the region.

 

[Axulus]

I see. The political climate of the region is relevant when you believe it supports your argument but irrelevant when you see that it doesn't.

AthenaAwakened, I thank you for your comments. I will not waste anymore time here.

I'm not the one who is trying to make this about the region.

I'm trying to correct the lazy ignorance and bigotry of people who are trying to make it about the region.

If being a paranoid islamophobe is an electable quality to have for the city's top politicians, then how is that not relevant to the discussion of the general attitudes of the electorate in that area?

 

[dismal]

I'm not the one who is trying to make this about the region.

I'm trying to correct the lazy ignorance and bigotry of people who are trying to make it about the region.

If being a paranoid islamophobe is an electable quality to have for the city's top politicians, then how is that not relevant to the discussion of the general attitudes of the electorate in that area?

1) I don't think most people in Irving have the slightest idea their mayor is a well known islamophobe. I doubt most people in Irving have any idea who the mayor is. I'm not sure most are even aware they have a mayor. (And, as an aside, isn't the fact she's a "her" in itself a bit of a problem for a web board that believes 90% of conservatives are misogynists?)
2) This did not first and foremost take place in "the area" it took place at a very specific place. We know the place's name and everything. We can identify the people that run this place.

These are the people that run that place:

http://irvingblog.dallasnews.com/tag/jose-parra/

It does not exactly look like the Aryan nation to me. Sure, there's a white guy who looks like he's the number 2, but as it turns out he's an openly gay LGBT activist.

My interviewee's name is Dr. Adam Grinage. Dr. Grinage currently works as Division Director of Elementary Schools in the Irving Independent School District. He is a supporter of LGBT rights and wants all people to be treated equally. During our interview, Dr. Grinage discussed his thoughts for the future of gay rights, what his personal life is like living as a gay man, and finally, his experience as a gay teacher and administrator in Irving Independent School District.

http://www.firsthandhistory.net/?view=interview&interview_id=996

eta: just for grins I looked it up. This mayor was elected with 4900 votes in a city of 230,000 people.

 

[laughing dog]

For all you people who keep claiming this is due to zealous "zero tolerance", after the school knew there was no bomb and no threat, what in zero tolerance was driving the 3 day suspension?

 

[Axulus]

For all you people who keep claiming this is due to zealous "zero tolerance", after the school knew there was no bomb and no threat, what in zero tolerance was driving the 3 day suspension?

Doesn't zero tolerance also include zero tolerance for anything that remotely looks like said item?

Not only can you not bring any real guns to school, but you'll be suspended for bringing in anything that remotely resembles a gun.

Here is an article with some examples:

6 School Suspensions Over Obviously Fake Guns

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/21/6-school-suspensions_n_4136563.html

Here is how the administration of the Irving High School in question interprets "zero tolerance"

We cannot allow items on campus that can be perceived to pose a threat.

 

[Herrick]

He was taken to a police station, handcuffed, and questioned.

OK, fair enough. But I am pretty sure that arresting is legal, meaning that 14 year olds do get arrested regularly.

But is it legal to question a kid without a lawyer or a parent present?