I don't usually venture off into non-health related issues, but this has frankly pissed me off enough that I've made an exception.[[This post was originally on my other blog, Scritch, but due to the content I decided to transfer it here, since this blog's theme is a better fit for the subject matter.]]
NOTE: This is not an updated post in any way, and appears here just as it did on the original posting!
-------------------------
Over the past few days, the story of Ahmed Mohamed has been all over the place. That's great. The responses, however, have been the most frustrating mix of absolutely amazing- it's fantastic that Chris Hadfield, Mark Zuckerberg, and even the President reached out to this kid- and incredibly, maddeningly, ignorant and hateful.
I just wanted to make one thing absolutely clear- something important.
I keep hearing things like 'Well, how the school and police reacted was wrong, but…' or 'maybe in the future he should…' and it makes me angry, especially because some of the people who are starting their sentences this way are people who say they stand with Ahmed.
"Well, how the school/teachers and police reacted was wrong/overkill, but…'
There are no 'but's.
How the school and police handled the whole situation was wrong in multiple, telling ways.
If the teacher/school actually believed they were dealing with a suspicious package incident, why on earth did they not follow whatever action plan is certainly in place in every single public school IN THE COUNTRY in case of that exact situation?
If the police actually believed the clock was a possible bomb, they certainly have protocols for handling it as such. Why did they not stick to those protocols?
I've seen more than one news article say that the police 'decided not to press charges'. Let's be clear: There were no charges that could have stuck. None. He didn't break any rules and he certainly didn't break any laws. The charge they initially tried to pin on him- a 'hoax bomb offense'- hinged on:
1. The item actually being a fake bomb, instead of a clock.
2. Ahmed telling people that the item was a bomb, instead of telling them, as he did over and over, that it was a clock.
3. Ahmed Mohamed having the 'intent to cause alarm or reaction'.
No fake bomb. No intent to cause alarm- at least not by Ahmed himself. So no hoax bomb charge.
As for his suspension, perhaps the teachers who not only raised a false alarm, but handled it with the type of idiocy that is incredibly unsettling to see in our schools, should be the ones who are suspended while it's determined whether or not they're fit to continue working. Because it's incredibly obvious that had this been an actual threat, had circumstances been very very different, their inability to follow the school's action plan for dealing with a suspicious package would have put a lot of people in what could have been serious danger. That's pretty scary.
In fact, that's a good way to describe this whole situation: scary, and not because of Ahmed Mohamed, either.
Let's review what we know about Ahmed's actions:
He built a clock at home, on his own time.
He brought his clock in to show it off to his teachers and friends.
When confronted, he kept telling people it was a clock.
I'd review what the various teachers and police did, but that would take a long time, and some speculation. So let's go with a few highlights:
They handcuffed and perp walked a minor out of school based on a complete overreaction on the part of faculty.
They repeated handled and moved- even photographed- something they apparently thought was a possible bomb. In a school. (Hold your applause.)
They punished the student- first arresting him and then suspending him- despite the fact that he had- again- broken no laws or rules.
"Maybe next time he should-"
No.
Here's what Ahmed Mohamed should do in the future:
Ahmed Mohamed should keep being a student. He should keep up the intellectual pursuits. He should keep being the curious, bright individual that he is.
Maybe next time the school should have a policy that states very clearly what is and isn't acceptable to bring to school- and it sure as hell had better not include any vague terms like 'if it looks threatening'. Perhaps saying something like 'We encourage our students in intellectual pursuits and projects outside of school, but ask that should a student wish to bring in a personal project, he/she give notice to the faculty ahead of time, to avoid any potential misunderstandings."
And this time, all parties involved owe this young man an apology- a personal, detailed apology which does not include a single ounce of blame pointed in his direction, or a 'but' of any kind.
