Purely out of curiosity...

[Mark Thibodeau]

>You've emphasized twice that the sources are 'mainstream.'
>Why is that? To indicate that it is an unbiased take (as opposed
>to a really political, say, blog) or to imply that it is more
>stringently fact checked or...

I mention it because, as someone who was "internet famous" between
1999 and 2006 (peak years 2000-2003) as sole author and content
provider of a quite successful proto-blog email newsletter (The Daily
Dirt), I am intimately aware of and particularly sensitive to the
(ahem) "liberties" taken by the reactionary right-wing side of the
blog-and-comment-o-sphere. I spent much of my seven years as Jerky
LeBoeuf (coinciding as they did with the Dubya preznitcy) debunking
and fact-checking the likes of Drudge Report, Fox News, Rush Limbaugh,
Free Republic, Little Green Footballs, and all the rest of the
then-nascent ultra-conservative first-gen blog-rolls. So I would hate
to be mistaken as one of those. On the other hand, I am currently on
the edge of despair due to so many of my former friends, readers and
other allies behaving as left-leaning versions of the assholes I
mention above, ever ready to assume the worst of any institution (or
cis-gendered white male), accept any and all claims to victimhood as
valid, and basically display the same kind of ravening, drool-flecked
howling, pack mentality, as if they've torn a page from the main
stylebook of the turn-of-the-millennium Conservative Movementarians.

>It's hard, in something this complicated, to rely on second-
>(and third-, and...)hand reportage. When everyone involved
>has so much at stake now (even if the teachers acted 100%
>rightly, they're now in a situation where they are probably
>compelled to act and testify in their own self-interest, just for protection).

Yes. And that's why I always try to reason these things out for
myself, with as cool a head as humanly possible. In this case, for
instance, I asked myself, would it be REASONABLE for a teacher to
believe that someone who brought such a thing into class was up to
some kind of mischief? As soon as I saw the "clock" in question... it
was clear to me that, OF COURSE the teachers were right to be
suspicious. The thing could not possibly look less like a clock. The
only way it could look more like a cliche'd action movie bomb was if
it was a bowling ball with a firecracker sticking out of the top. So,
next step for me, if the teachers were correct in SUSPECTING POSSIBLE
BAD INTENT, then were they right to call in the police? It turns out,
considering the school district's zero tolerance policy, they probably
didn't even have a choice. Same as if they'd caught him with booze, or
a joint, or if he'd pinched a female student's bottom and she'd
complained... the authorities HAD TO BE called in. And they were. Now,
that leads us to the question of whether the authorities did anything
wrong by taking Ahmed into custody, or putting him in handcuffs, or
keeping him from his parents for an hour and a half. And you know
what? There is NO legislation that prevents police from detaining or
handcuffing a 14 year old. This should be patently obvious to anyone
who went through junior high school (as it was to me, as I myself have
personally witnessed teacher and police behavior towards 13/14/15 year
olds that was FAR more egregious and unjust than what poor Ahmed went
through). But apparently most of the members of the media who have
been reporting on this story were hot-house flowers who grew up in
social justice enclaves where they were taught (hahaha) that life
should be "fair" or something, or that if you have a problem with
authority, you can always sue the bastards. Well, maybe that's true. I
certainly hope it isn't, because for the Muhammed family to get one
thin dime out of this would be a travesty of justice and a blow
against common sense, in my opinion as an anti-racist, anti-fascist,
authority-skeptic liberal of long standing.

Sincerely;
J

On Fri, Dec 11, 2015 at 11:52 PM, Steven Koteff <steviekoteff at gmail.com> wrote:
> I don't mean to imply anything. Just thanking you for doing the research--I
> am in that gray area of being curious enough to want to know the timeline
> without being curious enough (or having enough time) to do much digging
> myself.
>
> And also, because you seem much more up on this than I am, I am curious to
> hear your takeaway.
>
> I think if everything in that article is right then it kind of seems like it
> was at best incredibly ignorant and irresponsible on the part of the dad and
> the son. At worst (and the direction it seems to lean, if the article is
> right) possibly a deliberately provocative act on the part of the father. To
> what end? Is it just about money and attention? I actually think, if the
> provocation is deliberate, it betrays not just run-of-the-mill selfish
> motives but also personal disturbance on the part of the father, and the kid
> too.
>
> But all that comes with the caveat that the account is true. You've
> emphasized twice that the sources are 'mainstream.' Why is that? To indicate
> that it is an unbiased take (as opposed to a really political, say, blog) or
> to imply that it is more stringently fact checked or...
>
> It's hard, in something this complicated, to rely on second-(and third-,
> and...)hand reportage. When everyone involved has so much at stake now (even
> if the teachers acted 100% rightly, they're now in a situation where they
> are probably compelled to act and testify in their own self-interest, just
> for protection).
>
> I read that article saying that the police said something, but at least half
> of me is thinking I should be asking, "But who says the police said that?"
>
> On Fri, Dec 11, 2015 at 10:38 PM, Mark Thibodeau <jerkyleboeuf at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>>
>> Here's a handy timeline from the ArtVoice blog. The facts all check
>> out (meaning the author hasn't misrepresented the mostly mainstream
>> articles to which he refers):
>>
>> On the morning of Sept 14, Mohamed El Hassan Mohamed drove his son
>> Ahmed to school and at that time, according to NBC Dallas/Ft.Worth,
>> Mohamed "encouraged him to demonstrate his gift of technology" at the
>> school. He was referring to a small plain metal case, inside of which
>> contained the hastily arranged and unshielded electronic components of
>> a 1980's Micronta digital alarm clock. A device Ahmed would repeatedly
>> insist he threw together the night before in just 15 minutes from of
>> "scraps" laying around his house, a device that he himself considered
>> to appear suspicious and threatening.
>>
>> Defying common sense, it appears that Mohamed, the man who runs the
>> National Reform Party of Sudan, who is considered an enlightened
>> scholar in Sudan, who ran for its presidency twice in the last 5
>> years, whose daughter was suspended from school for a bomb threat,
>> whose son was detained and suspended for multiple disciplinary
>> problems and electronic pranks, in a town recently rocked by a double
>> murder honor killing and lies 25 minutes from the Garland TX Jihadi
>> attack, on the first day back to school after the anniversary of 9-11,
>> encourages his son to bring in a nondescript metal case with a timer
>> and loose wiring inside without being asked to by any teacher, a
>> device even his son admits looked threatening and suspicious.
>>
>> Next we are told by Ahmed that he shows the device to his 1st period
>> Science teacher who sensitively and politely tells him the device is
>> "nice" but it looks like a bomb and so he should put it away and not
>> take it out and show it to anyone else at school.
>>
>> According to Mark Cuban who spoke with an Irving resident who's friend
>> is a teacher in Mac Arthur H.S., Ahmed proceeded to show off the
>> device to each teacher all the way to 6th period where in English
>> class, Ahmed claims to have plugged the device into the wall outlet
>> and set the alarm to go off in the middle of class "to show a friend".
>> When the teacher reacted to the disruption he "unplugged it right
>> away". After showing the English teacher what caused the disruption,
>> the teacher told him it looks like a bomb, that it is making her
>> nervous and would make others nervous, and to put it away in his
>> backpack, to which Ahmed said "I don't think it looks like a bomb". At
>> the end of class the device was confiscated and the Principal alerted.
>> The Irving school system adheres to a zero tolerance policy regarding
>> threatening devices, and being that the possession of such a device
>> with intent to alarm others is a criminal offense in Texas, the police
>> were called to question Ahmed and determine what his intentions were.
>> Later 3 teachers would sign a complaint to the police about a hoax
>> bomb, as the Principal decided to contact the police on the issue.
>>
>> The police arrived at school and entered the conference room where
>> Ahmed was detained and one officer claimed "that is who I thought it
>> was". Likely referring to Ahmed's past troubles and his family's
>> notoriety. The police questioned Ahmed, and claimed he was not
>> forthcoming, passive aggressive, and would not directly answer their
>> questions. They decided to arrest him for possession of a hoax bomb
>> and bring him to the police station where they would continue their
>> investigation to determine whether he intended to raise alarm with his
>> device, a Class A misdemeanor.
>>
>> Somehow or other it appears Ahmed's 18 year old sister Eyman found out
>> that Ahmed was being taken to the police station. There is an iconic
>> photo of Ahmed in handcuffs taken by Eyman, and some captions under
>> that photo indicate it was taken at the police station. This implies
>> his sister arrived shortly after Ahmed arrived, because he would not
>> have been in handcuffs after he was released without charge an hour
>> later. There is also speculation Eyman took the photo as Ahmed was
>> leaving the school in handcuffs.
>>
>> Ahmed's father claims the first he heard of his son's problem was from
>> a phone call from the police. We do not know if he arrived with or
>> separate from Eyman. It is hard to believe Eyman heard about the
>> incident and arrived at the police station to take that photo and
>> never alerted her father. If Eyman only knew through her father, this
>> would mean they both arrived at the station in time to see Ahmed
>> before he went in a private room for questioning. Improbable but
>> possible. The father's account follows.
>>
>> **The first he heard of it was when he received a call from police,
>> who said his son was being charged with having a hoax bomb, Mohamed
>> said.
>>
>> He rushed to the police station, where he saw his son "surrounded by
>> five police and he was handcuffed," the father said. Ahmed told his
>> father he'd asked to phone him but the police told him he could not
>> because he was under arrest, Mohamed said.
>>
>> "I asked if I could talk to or speak to my son and they told me, 'No,
>> not right now' because they were taking his fingerprints and asking
>> him questions," Mohamed said. "I asked if I could see the thing they
>> were calling a bomb. The police never let me even see it but I knew
>> what my son brought to school. It was an alarm clock that he made. He
>> wakes up with it most mornings. **
>>
>> Here we have Mohamed contradicting his son's claim the device was
>> hastily thrown together the night before. His credibility as a
>> responsible parent and supervisor of his child already strained to the
>> limit, he goes on to claim, "my son was hurt and tortured and arrested
>> and mistreated in front of his friends at school".
>>
>> After further questioning, the police could not find anything in
>> Ahmed's statements to indicate he intended to cause alarm, and
>> released him without charge.
>>
>> The family went on to set off a social media firestorm portraying
>> Ahmed as persecuted and harassed, "hurt and tortured" by Islamophobic
>> xenophobic, vindictive officials from the school and police station,
>> holding press conferences where suddenly their son was able to speak
>> in great detail about the incident, as opposed to the "name rank and
>> serial number" routine he gave the police.
>>
>> There was never a moment where Mohamed El Hassan expressed even a
>> small fraction of responsibility as the parent the person at the
>> center of this incident. No apology or humility, only strident
>> arrogant and slanderous accusations issued from him. Even today as
>> Ahmed has been seen laughing, joking, and smiling all across the USA
>> as he visits dozens of august institutions and famous talk shows that
>> roll out the red carpet for the self proclaimed "inventor of a clock",
>> his family insists Ahmed is "severely traumatized" and "lacking
>> appetite and ability to sleep". Furthermore Mohamed refused to accept
>> the police repeated offer to come pick up the device, while hiring
>> lawyers to sue the police, in part, for refusing to release the device
>> to the family. The family has refused to sign a waiver allowing the
>> school and police from telling their side of the story to the media,
>> while they continue to offer a contradictory version that evolves
>> daily, along side baseless and slanderous accusations against
>> officials.
>>
>> According to Ahmed's own words, his authority figure (Science teacher)
>> confirmed Ahmed's own perception and told him his device looked like a
>> bomb and not to show it to anyone. Ahmed then set the alarm on the
>> device in the middle of class. He appears to have had the intent to
>> evoke some reaction. His actions were reckless, and arguably criminal.
>> Yet the media continues to portray him as a persecuted victim, even as
>> he and his family stood in NYC with the Mayor who proclaimed 9/29/2015
>> as "Ahmed day", before flying to the Middle East where they met with
>> various community and political leaders (including more than one with
>> a history of conducting large-scale massacres of non-combatants).
>>
>> On Fri, Dec 11, 2015 at 11:34 PM, Mark Thibodeau <jerkyleboeuf at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> > And for those of you who are wondering "Where on Earth did he ever ADMIT
>> > that his creation might look SUSPICIOUS or LIKE A THREAT, Mister Smarty
>> > Pants?!", kindly jump to the 1 minute, 30 second point on this video to
>> > see
>> > where he basically admits that he knew the thing would probably freak
>> > people
>> > out.
>> >
>> > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bGeBk8Fus0
>> >
>> > On Fri, Dec 11, 2015 at 11:30 PM, Mark Thibodeau
>> > <jerkyleboeuf at gmail.com>
>> > wrote:
>> >>
>> >> I think a more pertinent question might be, please cite where it's
>> >> illegal
>> >> for police to detain and question 14 year olds.
>> >>
>> >> The teachers followed the rules, and the people who best know this kid
>> >> --
>> >> the teachers who work with him on a daily basis (you know... teachers?
>> >> those
>> >> underpaid heroes we love so much? the same people some of you are now
>> >> willing to throw under the bus because it suits your OMGRACISM
>> >> worldview?)
>> >> thought his behavior merited action.
>> >>
>> >> Before I bring you guys the most complete narrative I can put together
>> >> of
>> >> what happened (based on mainstream news sources), HERE is a video
>> >> showing
>> >> what it took to "invent" the clock that he "invented"
>> >>
>> >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIzQjS6tn4w
>> >>
>> >> On Fri, Dec 11, 2015 at 3:45 PM, <rbollinger at austin.rr.com> wrote:
>> >>>
>> >>> Please cite your statute governing reassembled clock parts...
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>> Rob Bollinger
>> >>> Austin TX
>> >>>
>> >>> ---- ish mailian <ishmailian at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >>> > Was the clock a school project? In other words, did a teacher, a
>> >>> > club
>> >>> > adviser, any adult in the school assign a project, and did the clock
>> >>> > fit
>> >>> > the assignment? Or did the young man make a clock and bring it to
>> >>> > school?
>> >>> >
>> >>> > As far as I can tell the young man did not build a clock or make a
>> >>> > project,
>> >>> > or in any way bring something to school that was part of an
>> >>> > assignment
>> >>> > from
>> >>> > any adult in the building. It was not a project. It was not show and
>> >>> > tell.
>> >>> > It seems the student took apart a clock, re-fashioned it and put in
>> >>> > in
>> >>> > a
>> >>> > box and brought it to school.
>> >>> >
>> >>> > Why did he do this? What was his motivation?
>> >>> >
>> >>> > Whatever his intentions, if he re-assembled clock parts in a box and
>> >>> > took
>> >>> > them to school, he broke the law. While 14 year old boys, and
>> >>> > sometimes
>> >>> > 14
>> >>> > year old girls, are instructed that bringing a clock in a box, a
>> >>> > plastic
>> >>> > gun, a plastic sword, a paper bomb or dynamite  etc..., even on
>> >>> > Halloween
>> >>> > is dangerous and against the law, young people do make these kinds
>> >>> > of
>> >>> > mistakes, from time to time. Best if they make them in school as
>> >>> > school
>> >>> > is
>> >>> > the safest place in the world for students. Obviously, doing so in
>> >>> > the
>> >>> > street may get one killed by a police officer or even a gun toting
>> >>> > citizen.
>> >>> > In a school the child, age 14, will be interrogated, handcuffed,
>> >>> > probably,
>> >>> > and asked to write a statement explaining his or her intentions and
>> >>> > the
>> >>> > police will contact the guardians and book the kid. This is the law.
>> >>> > It
>> >>> > matters not the race or religion of the child.
>> >>> >
>> >>> > From time to time, a  brave administrator, more likely an
>> >>> > experienced
>> >>> > teacher will protect the child with a slap on the wrist, but the
>> >>> > current
>> >>> > mood in the country and in schools is making this a rare act
>> >>> > of....welll
>> >>> > not courage, but decency.
>> >>> >
>> >>> >
>> >>> >
>> >>> > On Fri, Dec 11, 2015 at 9:02 AM, The Jonathon Hunt Experience <
>> >>> > newtalkingwall at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >>> >
>> >>> > > Is there any evidence that the kid "only" took apart a store
>> >>> > > bought
>> >>> > > clock
>> >>> > > and put it back together, beyond people online pointing out that
>> >>> > > doing so
>> >>> > > is a thing that people can do? Beyond that, if the child acted as
>> >>> > > maliciously as Richard Dawkins and others would like to believe,
>> >>> > > this
>> >>> > > means
>> >>> > > his whole plan hinged on the knowledge that his teachers and
>> >>> > > police
>> >>> > > would
>> >>> > > confuse a circuit board and some wires with something that can
>> >>> > > explode. If
>> >>> > > our teachers and police are this stupid (which seems to be the
>> >>> > > case,
>> >>> > > here),
>> >>> > > then we are lucky in getting off with a $15 million dollar fine.
>> >>> > >
>> >>>
>> >>> -
>> >>> Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l
>> >>
>> >>
>> >
>> -
>> Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l
>
>
-
Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l