# RO: This is totally going to kill Bring Your Clock to School Day **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 16, 2015, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454 "2015-09-16T08:35:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 31
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/601 "2015-09-22T18:39:19Z")
I don’t know, but I find **BigT** ’s knowledge of bomb-making practices concerning. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/602 "2015-09-22T18:39:37Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > Who on earth is this directed at? I’m guessing the Incorporated Slacker. ---
**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/603 "2015-09-22T18:49:27Z")
Does it even matter? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/604 "2015-09-22T18:52:43Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I don’t know, but I find **BigT** ’s knowledge of bomb-making practices concerning. Just so long as he doesn’t know how to take apart a clock, we’re OK. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/605 "2015-09-22T18:57:38Z")
It’s OK - they always stop when the counter gets down to 007. Or when you cut the red wire. Or is it the blue wire? ---
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/606 "2015-09-22T19:25:08Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Oh for fuck sake. Call it a “a case” if you want. It makes not a whit difference. > > The kid fucked up by bringing it to school and not listening to what his Engineering teacher told him. > The Engineering teacher fucked up by not keeping the device with him. > The English teacher fucked up by over reacting (but let’s not forget that she’s subject to “zero tolerance” bullshit, so I can kind of sympathize). > The police fucked up by cuffing the kid and treating him like a dangerous criminal. > > No one acted intelligently here You keep letting the principal off the hook; I have no idea why. The biggest fuck up of all was calling the cops. But even so, you’re wrong that the kid fucked up. The kid behaved like a 14 year old. He gets to, because he’s like… 14 years old. ---
**Author:** ![Alkash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ec9cab/32.png) [@Alkash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alkash)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/607 "2015-09-22T19:44:40Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Not among reactionary right-wing morons, he’s not. I’m sorry your bias makes you refuse to face the facts. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/608 "2015-09-22T20:03:05Z")
> [@Alkash](#): > > I’m sorry your bias makes you refuse to face the facts. Pot, meet Kettle. ---
**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/609 "2015-09-22T20:25:36Z")
The “facts” seem to be a fluid and changeable thing in this matter. Like what CNN reported as “facts”. > [@](#): > > A teenager with dreams of becoming an engineer, he wanted to show his teacher the digital clock he’d made from a pencil case. Really? Anyone still think that is a fact? > [@](#): > > “I built a clock to impress my teacher but when I showed it to her, she thought it was a threat to her,” Ahmed told reporters Wednesday. “It was really sad that she took the wrong impression of it.” That doesn’t seem to be the story at all. Now. One can only wonder and wait as this great tragedy plays out. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/610 "2015-09-22T20:33:27Z")
> [@FXMastermind](#): > > The “facts” seem to be a fluid and changeable thing in this matter. > > Like what CNN reported as “facts”. > Really? Anyone still think that is a fact? > That doesn’t seem to be the story at all. Now. > > One can only wonder and wait as this great tragedy plays out. I’m not sure what your issue is with either of those two statements. Care to elucidate us? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/611 "2015-09-22T20:45:52Z")
> [@FXMastermind](#): > > The “facts” seem to be a fluid and changeable thing in this matter. > > Like what CNN reported as “facts”. > Really? Anyone still think that is a fact? > That doesn’t seem to be the story at all. Now. Different teachers. The second one is the English teacher who confiscated the thing. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/612 "2015-09-22T20:51:44Z")
> [@FXMastermind](#): > > The “facts” seem to be a fluid and changeable thing in this matter. > > Like what CNN reported as “facts”. > Really? Anyone still think that is a fact? > That doesn’t seem to be the story at all. Now. > > One can only wonder and wait as this great tragedy plays out. do you have a link to teh actual article? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/613 "2015-09-22T20:55:23Z")
[This](http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/16/us/texas-student-ahmed-muslim-clock-bomb/)appears to be the source article. I’m not sure which part is supposed to be non-factual, and I am assuming those are the wrong quotes or something. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/614 "2015-09-22T20:59:57Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > [This](http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/16/us/texas-student-ahmed-muslim-clock-bomb/)appears to be the source article. I’m not sure which part is supposed to be non-factual, and I am assuming those are the wrong quotes or something. Thanks - I found it after I requested the source (or I found what I assume he is reffering to) - and yeah - it was the english teacher that Ahmed is quoting there, not the Engineering teacher. \*\*FXMastermind \*\*appears to be trying to imply the first teacher that said “dont show it” is the one that got freaked. Disingenuous at best. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/615 "2015-09-22T21:48:49Z")
> [@Alkash](#): > > I’m sorry your bias makes you refuse to face the facts. You’re sorry, all right. But your actual apology is an insincere abortion of rhetoric. > [@beowulff](#): > > Pot, meet Kettle. In your analogy, I’m a fuckin beluga whale. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/616 "2015-09-22T23:16:23Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > Assuming she realized that the clock was not actually a real bomb, there are two possibilities > > 1. The student is as he says simply a tinkerer > 2. The student intended to make a bomb threat but you caught him before hand. Are those really the only possibilities you can think of? That displays a paucity of imagination. I think the true answer is most likely: 1. The student is not simply a tinkerer, never intended to make a bomb threat, but wanted to incite authorities to think that’s what he was doing, so he could surf a social-media wave of righteous progressive outrage. > [@BigT](#): > > Oh, for fuck’s sake. I had to say this on Reddit, but I thought the Dope would be better than this. Maybe our more intelligent Dopers haven’t said it because they think it’s obvious, but it clearly isn’t. > > **REAL BOMBS DON’T HAVE VISIBLE CLOCKS ON THEM!** There is no reason for them to. It’s an extra component that costs more, and it serves to alert the person that there is a timer on it. You might hook up a display to set it up, but then you don’t need one anymore. > > It’s amazing that, even in their stupidity, these people at the school are smarter than some Dopers about this. WE KNOW THEY KNEW IT WASN’T A BOMB. No one is stupid enough to keep something they think may blow up in their face in a place where it can hurt them.Any argument that the people involved thought it was a real bomb is a complete non-starter. > > And can you stop fucking assuming that Muslim political activist father means terrorist, please? Yes, the guy is anti-anti-Muslim. Yes, he’s run for president in a Muslim country. Why the fuck would you jump from there to “taught his kid to be a terrorist”?! > > The kid modified a clock (even if only its case) and brought it to school. There is no evidence of bad intent. And we all seem to agree the school was being stupid. So what else is there to discuss? > > As for how much he modified the clock–that matters only in that we know he’s less of a tech genius than he first seemed. It has not reflection on his intent. I understand why those who are predisposed to think the kid must be a terrorist are looking for anything to discredit him, but I don’t get why anyone else is jumping on this bandwagon. > > Don’t forget, he only claimed he took a clock and modified it. He did not claim he built it from parts or anything. Wow, so much wrong here. Did you only parachute into this thread just now? I mean, I did the same thing a few days ago, not reading the first couple pages, but I didn’t attempt to characterize the whole thread that I hadn’t read. I just responded to the last post. (1) Plenty of Dopers have repeated this bit about “real bombs” not having timers, ad nauseam. Which is entirely beside the point, because most of us have only seen movie bombs, which do have them. (2) No one, that I have seen, has argued that the school thought it was a real bomb. So this is a straw man. (3) Other than a very recent crude troll, I don’t believe anyone has stated or implied that his father is a terrorist or is teaching his son to be a terrorist. So, another straw man. What _I_ have said is that I think the father is a publicity hound and an _agent provocateur_ who set up a publicity stunt that would allow his son to surf on a wave of social media outrage. How that got interpreted as “he’s a terrorist”, I can’t imagine. (4) You are lying or mistaken about Ahmed’s representation of the clock. From the WaPo (emphases mine): > [@](#): > > “I’m the person who **built a clock** and got in a lot of trouble for it,” the jittery and smiling ninth-grader said during a press conference outside of his home after his arrest became national news. > […] > “They interrogated me and searched through my stuff and took my tablet and **my invention** ,” the teen said. “They were like, ‘So you tried to make a bomb?’ I told them no, **I was trying to make a clock**.” > > But his questioner responded, “It looks like a **movie bomb** to me.” > [@Punoqllads](#): > > The kid fucked up by not turning off the clock’s alarm after the Engineering teacher recommended he not show to anyone else. But when the English teacher ordered him to take the device out of his pack, are you suggesting he should have said “No”? Please provide the cite for the English teacher \*ordering \*him to take it out. In the articles I read and quoted earlier, that is not what was stated–although a lot of people took it as an inference. > [@John\_Mace](#): > > Oh for fuck sake. Call it a “a case” if you want. It makes not a whit difference. > > The kid fucked up by bringing it to school and not listening to what his Engineering teacher told him. > The Engineering teacher fucked up by not keeping the device with him. > The English teacher fucked up by over reacting (but let’s not forget that she’s subject to “zero tolerance” bullshit, so I can kind of sympathize). > The police fucked up by cuffing the kid and treating him like a dangerous criminal. > > No one acted intelligently here This, all of it–except that the kid may have (in concert with his father) acted pretty cleverly in provoking all the rest of it. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/617 "2015-09-23T00:16:29Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > **Princhester** , did you ever suggest that Ahmed was trolling people? I missed this. The answer is “hell no”. **SlackerInc** is confused. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/618 "2015-09-23T00:50:11Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > I missed this. The answer is “hell no”. **SlackerInc** is confused. Confused? No, clearly he was using you as an appeal to authority; it was a way to say: “See, **Princhester** , who is reasonable, and I agree on this point, therefore I must be reasonable too.” ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/619 "2015-09-23T00:59:41Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > This, all of it–except that the kid may have (in concert with his father) acted pretty cleverly in provoking all the rest of it. \You’re a _looney_.\ ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/620 "2015-09-23T01:18:54Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Confused? No, clearly he was using you as an appeal to authority; it was a way to say: “See, **Princhester** , who is reasonable, and I agree on this point, therefore I must be reasonable too.” No. In context, I thought it was clear that I was not imputing that view to **Princhester** , but simply saying “yes, as you suggest, this is the scenario I am arguing for”. If you would like to go back and look at the actual post and offer a suggestion as to how I could have worded it better, I’m open to that — but I think it was pretty clear at the time that I was not saying what you are claiming I was. I have already noted that I don’t keep track of people’s screen names around here (with the admitted exceptions of **Marley** and **Evil Captor** , and even there it took some time for their monikers to sink in), so I was completely unaware that **Princhester** is apparently some kind of Grand Poohbah in these parts. Nor do I think you will have success if you endeavor to find other examples of my randomly citing other posters as expressing a viewpoint they have not in fact expressed or endorsed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454.md?page=30) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454.md?page=32)