Then, sure enough, the next day the news shows Acme Bank CEO Guido Gambino being hauled out of his office in handcuffs by Federal Marshal's.
The national news about the 14-year-old super-kid, Ahmed Mohamed, who was arrested in his high school in Irving, Tx for bringing his home-made clock to school, seems to be quieting down, but not so here in North Texas. What we're hearing now is becoming more and more "smelly". Here is the latest:
Now there is considerable question about whether Ahmed's clock was home-made at all. It seems it may have just been an old Radio Shack model that he (or someone) took out of its case and installed in a briefcase to look as if it was home-made. But why?
From YouTube
Then it was reported by Irving Mayor Beth Duyne that the city was to meet with Mr. & Mrs. Mohamed (the parents) the day of the "incident", but the family cancelled. Instead, "at the exact time they were to be meeting with us" said Mayor Duyne, "they were on their front lawn with a news conference." And the parents won't allow the police account of what happened that day at school to be released to the public, which they can prohibit since Ahmed is a minor. Why not, if it will bolster their claim of profiling?
And a nice little shindig their news conference was, too. It seems the family served pizza and refreshments to the assembled news media beforehand. Hmmmm....
I find it hard to believe that geeky, innocent looking 14-year-old kid could perpetrate such an elaborate hoax, if that's what it turns out to be (assuming anyone digs deep enough, long enough to find out one way or the other). So who might? His dad, Mohamed Elhassan Mohamed, an ambitious, one-time candidate for President of Sudan, today the director of the Islamic Sufi Center in Texas?
"It was Islamophobia", they protested. May be. But something just has my bullshit guard on high alert.
S
My thoughts are on Saturdays Opinion Post. My nose has a tickle as well.
ReplyDeleteWhen news first came out I commented on Facebook that I thought the school over-reacted, but they felt "Better safe than Sorry." Boy Howdy did several people who don't vote Republican lambast me for that racist comment!
I was kicked by jerking knees!
Me too, Joe , but I just call 'em Iike I see 'em.
DeleteOnly Republicans are enlightened?
DeleteJust one man's opinion, Bill. Each of us has many, some offensive to others, some not. :)
DeleteI never accept these stories when I first hear them on the news because new facts always come out and change things.
ReplyDeleteSo how long after the story breaks does it take for the stories to settle down, for the often inaccurate first reports to be discredited and more concrete "facts" emerge? The reports above were directly from the mouth of the Mayor, and the photos seem to substantiate the claim of "wining and dining" the media. Obviously I don't know the facts yet, but if this were a court, and these were the questions brought up by the defense attorney (the one representing the City of Irving), I would suggest they raise reasonable doubt about the young man's and his parent's story. As it stands now, I don't think either side has told all they know. I hope they will eventually do that.
DeleteLord knows it can't be coincidence, or a parent motivated by greed, or some other scam we see often in our world. It's gotta be something about the religion.
ReplyDeletePlease, don't be disingenuous. About the only comment you don't challenge are those like Joeh's, a worthy contributor, who uses phrases like 'knee jerk', 'not voting republican', etc. Yeah, you think Islam is the culprit. But I think it's just possible that the world is more complicated than you think. And simplistic interpretations, simplistic solutions, are more problematic than their solutions.
I do wish the world was black and white, and the good guys were always definable from the bad guys. Alas, they ain't.
I wish your opinion pieces were more.....nuanced, thought-out. More something than what they are. One dimensional. You give a nod to other opinions with a 'wink' (we know these are not right...), but obviously think that you, and those that think as you do, to be the one correct opinion.
That's the thing with these blogs, eh? People like you, and like me. Like I heard so many times in Vietnam 50 years ago: "Everybody's got an opinion, man. They are like...."
My point with this piece was to say that there were a lot of questions still not answered, enough to suggest that things weren't necessarily what they seem to be on the surface. You say, "Yeah, you think Islam is the culprit." Not necessarily....maybe someone else wants to play the "religion card" in order to gain some personal political advantage. Maybe Islam is just the tool to that end. I have no idea. Do I think too simply? Yes, possibly so. But I will tell you honestly that I am willing to change my mind and say so publicly if someone can put forth a well thought out position that makes more sense than mine. I hope I've raised some interesting points here. Please offer some other possible explanations for these contradictions. I greatly respect your intellect and would always, honestly and respectfully, consider your opinion. I just don't like loose ends. I hope that more digging is done to establish, if at all possible, the TRUTH, whatever it might be.
DeleteKnee jerk reactions....yes, definitely! When sides are taken before all the facts are in, that's knee jerk. To "lean" one way or the other pending a thorough investigation is OK, as long as an open mind is willing to hear more.
Let me challenge you with this: Research my points here for yourself, then write a post to explain how this information might confirm or contradict what has been reported in the press to date. Please think outside MY box and show me the conclusion a different thought process might arrive at. I would look forward to that.
DeleteAfter all this started coming out (and I'm still catching up on the news about this), I started wondering if maybe I should feel sorry for the kid - both for getting arrested when he shouldn't have been, AND for having such manipulative parents.
ReplyDeleteScott, you don't need to be defended, but your opinions are diverse and generally well thought out. I don't know if you are predominantly Liberal or Conservative, I believe you think issues out and form decisions on information and logic, and not any predominant ideology. See once again all I said was the school has the obligation to be safe rather than sorry and I still get lambasted. Sorry, I think the media has a knee jerk reaction and liberals hopped all over this without all the facts. Zero tolerance is the buzz word in schools today, and it is used regardless of the students name.
ReplyDeleteDamn, I wasn't going to write or comment on anything political any more...I really didn't think this was a political issue...wrong again.
ReplyDeleteSo you're equating a 14-year-old science nerd with a scam artist CEO who bilked innocent people out of millions?
ReplyDeleteIn both cases, they aren't what they necessarily seemed to be on the surface. First impressions are not always accurate.
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ReplyDeleteI commented on Joeh's site that I had read this was a science project and that the kid had showed it to his science teacher, who praised it, and then the kid went to English class with it and the teacher went ballistic. But as I said to Joe, I don't know if that's true because I WASN'T THERE. And neither were any of the rest of you. So, as you (Scott) seem to be saying a bit . . . chill.
ReplyDeleteVery true Bruce. None of us reading this truly knows what happened, or what motives were in play that day. I do think there is more to the story than either party is telling us. We have some very good investigative journalists here in Dallas, and I'm hoping they can some day discover the truth, whatever it might be, and put an end to this series of charge/countercharge.
ReplyDelete