Clock Kid: Creative Mind or Potential Threat
By Andrew Urko, Staff Writer
Ever since September 11th, 2001, there has obviously been a heightened sense of awareness of the possibility of another terrorist attack. It has likely been evidenced to you anytime you try to board a plane or attend a sporting event. After going through an unusual number of invasive pat-downs and scanners, you may be appreciative of all the preventative measures that are now in place to prevent further acts of terrorism and violence. However, sometimes we take our precautionary measures a step too far without justified reasoning and people are adversely affected because of it.
Ahmed Mohamed is the fourteen-year-old student who attended MacArthur High School, located in Irving, Texas. The boy, of Sudanese descent, recently gained notoriety when he brought a homemade clock into school to show to his teacher. [1] The ninth grader had built the clock himself using a pencil box. His English teacher saw the device and believed it to be a bomb. [2] Taking one of the many precautionary steps we have today, the teacher confiscated the device and called the police. [3] Ahmed Mohamed was arrested that day, but later released with no charges filed. Was this the only precautionary step the teacher could have taken? Was the teacher discriminating against Ahmed due to his ethnicity? What exactly did Ahmed do wrong?
Initially, the teacher’s actions may seem to be correct in their intent. The teacher felt that the confiscation of such a device to determine the possibility of its potential danger to the students was the correct move. One may agree with the teacher’s conduct in that regard. However, until determining the full capabilities of the clock, did the police department have to become involved in such early stages? The teacher viewed this device as a possible threat and therefore viewed Ahmed as a possible threat as well. However this information is construed, the teacher felt as if they were protecting the other students and themselves by taking these precautionary measures. Nonetheless, these steps were not the only precautionary measures that could have been taken.
Ahmed is of Sudanese descent with a Muslim faith. Many look to this as a deciding factor in determining this device to be a bomb. The issue of racial or ethnic discrimination is raised in Ahmed’s situation. We all have the right to freedom from racial discrimination that is protected under our civil rights. In this instance however, the teacher would likely have acted similarly facing another device from someone of (insert racial or ethnical background here). In today’s world, we should exercise caution when it comes to safety and especially when it comes to schools with children, considering the numerous tragedies that fill our daily news everyday. However, in exercising these cautious tendencies, we should not discriminate against individuals, viewing them as potential danger due to the color of their skin or religious views. Nevertheless, Ahmed’s race or ethnicity likely played a role or contributed in some way as to the inclination that the teacher had considering the clock as a bomb in this instance.
Finally, people may be wondering what Ahmed actually did wrong. All he did was make a clock and bring it into to school with him. It was not actually an explosive. All of this is a very good analysis of the facts, however deep in the heart of Texas exists a statute for hoax bombs that, if violated, constitutes a Class A misdemeanor. [4] Tex. Pe. Code Ann. § 46.08 on hoax bombs states, “A person commits an offense if the person knowingly manufactures, sells, purchases, transports, or possesses a hoax bomb with intent to use the hoax bomb to:
(1) make another believe that the hoax bomb is an explosive or incendiary device; or
(2) cause alarm or reaction of any type by an official of a public safety agency or volunteer agency organized to deal with emergencies.” [5] Ahmed did manufacture what was believed to be a bomb, however he did not do so for purposes of convincing others that it was a bomb or to alarm anyone by its presence. In other words, Ahmed lacked the necessary intent to be considered in violation of the statute. Therefore, Ahmed did not violate the hoax bomb statute, as evidenced by his release, but there may have been good and non-discriminatory reasoning to believe it was in fact a bomb.
The teacher, school, and police have received much scrutiny for the handling of this situation. While the court of public opinion found them all to be guilty, the most important thing is the fact that this situation ended without the loss of any lives. However, did the means justify the end in this instance? It is likely that they did as a possibly tragic terrorist attack was averted. However, a fourteen-year-old boy was at least partially racially discriminated against and arrested for bringing a homemade clock into school with him. He was not a terrorist, but an aspiring innovator. Ahmed Mohamed dreamed of being an engineer, and has received much support from the whole ordeal. Ahmed has since left the school and reports are that he is headed to Qatar.
[1] Ashley Fantz, Steve Almasy & AnneClaire Stapleton, Muslim Teen Ahmed Mohamed Creates Clock, Shows Teachers, Gets Arrested, CNN (Sept. 16, 2015, 6:03 PM ET), http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/16/us/texas-student-ahmed-muslim-clock-bomb/ (last visited Oct. 26, 2015).
[2] Id.
[3] Id.
[4] Tex. Hoax Bomb Code Ann. § 46.08 (West Current through the end of the 2015 Regular Session of the 84th Legislature)
[5] Id.
