Boy arrested for making digital clock.

There is a whole cast of ignorant people in this show. And to me it shows how much Hollywood has influenced how people think. Everyday people are so conditioned to think that bombs are designed to beep, because the Hollywood producers want sound effects and a big, large digital counter to help show the story in their films. And of course every bomb maker knows to use the red wire for the critical circuitry - or is it the blue wire? No bomb maker would ever think to use the same color wire for all the wires to confuse the inevitable hero who diffuses the bomb. I'd design my bomb to fire off at 0:33 seconds, just to defeat the hero.

The first person (the teacher?) who saw the device should have simply asked the kid what it was if they didn't know. It is extremely unlikely that it would have been a bomb, and he could have demonstrated it right then and there. All you need is a battery and an explosive, you don't need all that other crap if he was a suicide bomber. This person obviously doesn't know what all those parts are, just like many people look under a car hood and just see a bunch of black, greasy shapes, unable to differentiate the radiator from the battery from the air filter from the transmission ...etc. If they didn't trust the kid, they could have just asked for a more informed person to take a look at it, such as a science teacher perhaps? Either way, whom ever it was that called the cops could have used his/her brain instead, but they don't teach judgement and decision making in schools, so it's likely the teachers didn't have those skills either.

And the cops (who to me are all drunk on authority anyways), should have simply held the kid back to maybe stand in the corner until they were able to identify what was going on. Handcuffs? Were they afraid this little kid was going to overpower them and make a run for it? To where, his hideaway tree house? There are those who say "rules are rules", but if a cop is not allowed to use his brain and make that decision for himself, that is pretty sad and and a poor statement for his management who I'm sure is also an authority junkie and who would fire the cop for making their own decision. I bet those same cops are free to pepper-spray any individual they choose. I believe it was in Texas a few years ago when a small girl was arrested and carried away in handcuffs for something stupid, the same state that allows drunken idiots to carry guns everywhere. People worry more about the terrorist event that doesn't happen than the thousands of murders that do happen every day, and that is the most ignorant, stupidest thing of all.

KeepItSimpleStupid said:

The education program needs to be updated. T/F test with pics of items that are bomb/no bomb. Identify.
Sprinkle the test with pics of racially different people holding the IED's.and different scenes.

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So, you want to design a T/F test that one can extract the test takers beliefs, not their knowledge of various devices. Nice. Shall we take those who fail out back and shoot them?

People worry more about the terrorist event that doesn't happen

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You cannot be serious!

Rich D.

Nice. You failed to call out the STEM teacher who "liked" the project and advised the young man not to show it to others.

So far, this STEM teacher failed to materialize. Why are they hiding? or Did the 14 year old make that part up?

The kid never said anymore than "it's a clock" and I saw the press conference where he mentioned "I built it to impress my teacher." What did he say when the police asked further questions? All I've heard was he didn't expand on "it's a clock."

Connect the dots ... There are too many questions left unanswered. The politicos certainly jumped on this bandwagon for their self-gratification, from the president to any other group with an agenda.

"Burn the witches" There's nothing like a good old fashioned witch hunt.

Pommie said:

You think it's acceptable to have different laws depending on religion or sex?

Mike.

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Almost all religions have a type of "court" for non-civil litigation. Things to do with interactions between members. And no I don't think it's right/correct. Was just saying that to call out Islam when all 'major' religions do it is/was wrong.

shortbus= said:

Was just saying that to call out Islam when all 'major' religions do it is/was wrong.

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Did they call out Islam, or are they preventing Isalmic courts from enforcing laws that contradict U.S. or State laws? The article stated that distinction.

Suppose the religious courts, of any faith, decided that you are at the top of their short list for termination. Should the police intervene and arrest the religious leaders for conspiring to violate a state law, or should they just stand by and watch your termination?

JoeJester said:

So, you want to design a T/F test that one can extract the test takers beliefs, not their knowledge of various devices. Nice. Shall we take those who fail out back and shoot them?

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I wasn't serious. It was partly because I recently read an article about the FBI's IED inventory and forensics.

I have ordered a large suitcase and a back pack, I am going to take apart a Ipad,Iphone, Miniature TV and of course a large alarm clock. My intention is to fit this into the case then use the straps from the pack pack so it can be carried on the shoulders. This is my take on a portable smart watch!
Mine will have the added advantage of being able to also carry a small amount of clothes, can someone please give me the address for MIT and google? I would like to claim my place at the uni so I can learn how to do up my shoelaces before heading off too google for a glittering career. Is it compulsory to get arrested before entry into a top university their? And do I really have to go and visit Obama first or can I skip this bit?
I was going to apply to a university here, but apparently we have this stupid system where you have to have good grades to get into the top uni's!! I cant be bothered to do my own projects anymore but I would love to work for google, so I figured this was a better way

JoeJester said:

Rich D.

Nice. You failed to call out the STEM teacher who "liked" the project and advised the young man not to show it to others.

So far, this STEM teacher failed to materialize. Why are they hiding? or Did the 14 year old make that part up?

The kid never said anymore than "it's a clock" and I saw the press conference where he mentioned "I built it to impress my teacher." What did he say when the police asked further questions? All I've heard was he didn't expand on "it's a clock."

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I agree about the STEM teacher and the media but that person has talked to the police and the police dropped all charges on the kid.

The kid not talking to the Police?

The sign of a very smart kid.
Rule #1 if you are arrested or detained, give them the needed ID information and then SAY NOTHING ELSE (double important if you are innocent) until you have legal representation. (or your parents in this case)

nsaspook said:

I agree about the STEM teacher and the media but that person has talked to the police and the police dropped all charges on the kid.

Talking to the Police?

The sign of a very smart kid.
Rule #1 if you are arrested or detained, give them the needed ID information and then SAY NOTHING ELSE (double important if you are innocent) until you have legal representation. (or your parents in this case)

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Unless you have nothing to hide in which case the above would seem pointless

Little Ghostman said:

Mine will have the added advantage of being able to also carry a small amount of clothes, can someone please give me the address for MIT and google? I would like to claim my place at the uni so I can learn how to do up my shoelaces before heading off too google for a glittering career. Is it compulsory to get arrested before entry into a top university their? And do I really have to go and visit Obama first or can I skip this bit?

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I would seperate out the political stuff from the personal actions of the kid in this story. How smart he actually is has little bearing on the facts of the case before the media hype of him being the next Richard Feynman.

Little Ghostman said:

Unless you have nothing to hide in which case the above would seem pointless

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This shows how little you know about US law.

nsaspook said:

This shows how little you know about US law.

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I know nothing about US Law, I dont know too much about UK Law and intend to keep it that way.

On the one hand you paint a picture of a bright but Ni eave kid who made a genuine mistake, then on the other you point out he knew enough about the world to keep his mouth shut until he had representation. Seem's you have made your mind up he was an innocent victim of all this, I doubt anyone will really know the truth but I doubt he was totally blameless.
Ultimately he came to no harm and in fact did well out of it, as a added bonus it was in fact just a clock so no one got blown up. Here in the UK we hear about people on watch lists that go on to do terrible things, but no one stops them because they dont have enough reason to arrest them. Which is worse a kid being arrested and found to be harmless or a reluctance to arrest someone and an atrocity happening?
Freedom has a price and while he paid it the fact is he also did well out of it

Little Ghostman said:

On the one hand you paint a picture of a bright but Ni eave kid who made a genuine mistake, then on the other you point out he knew enough about the world to keep his mouth shut until he had representation. Seem's you have made your mind up he was an innocent victim of all this, I doubt anyone will really know the truth but I doubt he was totally blameless.

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I blame him for being a 14yo nerd in an insane world.

The bottom line for me is that he was released the same day by the Police in the state of Texas in a city that's known for not being nice to people who are 'different'. I was born and raised in the state so I know if there was the slightest hint something was amiss he would still be in a jail cell.

nsaspook said:

I blame him for being a 14yo nerd in an insane world.

The bottom line for me is that he was released the same day by the Police in the state of Texas in a city that's known for not being nice to people who are 'different'. I was born and raised in the state so I know if there was the slightest hint something was amiss he would still be in a jail cell.

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I see, so your prejudiced by your own experiences with that state. I did wonder why you were so adamant he was innocent and badly treated, we dont really get to see everyday life over there. I think its Texas that has banned home chemists from owning a conical flask or other glassware without a permit, according to people on a chemistry forum you are presumed to be a drugs cook if you own chemistry equipment.

Little Ghostman said:

I see, so your prejudiced by your own experiences with that state. I did wonder why you were so adamant he was innocent and badly treated, we dont really get to see everyday life over there. I think its Texas that has banned home chemists from owning a conical flask or other glassware without a permit, according to people on a chemistry forum you are presumed to be a drugs cook if you own chemistry equipment.

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Yes, and my prejudice is if they could find anything on him they would do it in a heartbeat.

ericgibbs said:

You cannot be serious!

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I AM serious. I think you are reading into this more than I actually wrote or thought.
I was only comparing the fear people experience over a largely perceived terrorist threat and a real-life actual threat killing hundreds or thousands of people every year in the USA.

What I did not say was that we should never worry about terrorist activities. We should of course, but keep that in perspective. Don't worry about a birthday candle burning when the next room is engulfed in flames.

To be fair ericgibbs, next time you should not extract or read only part of the sentence. Here is the whole sentence again:

"People worry more about the terrorist event that doesn't happen than the thousands of murders that do happen every day, and that is the most ignorant, stupidest thing of all."

Why in your opinion is Texas different from other states? I am talking about general things like the chemistry glassware and chemicals you can and cant have, as a UK resident it seems strange they are so anti drugs etc to the point of banning laboratory beakers without a permit, and yet they seem one of the most in favor of gun ownership states??
From an outsiders view point this is somewhat of a contradiction, ban glassware just in case you make drugs but please feel free to carry a gun. Again from an outside perspective its a bit odd that on the one hand there is this great reverence for the constitution, and the protection and freedom it is meant to give you, but on the other hand freedom seems to be increasingly cherry picked.

Little Ghostman said:

Why in your opinion is Texas different from other states? I am talking about general things like the chemistry glassware and chemicals you can and cant have, as a UK resident it seems strange they are so anti drugs etc to the point of banning laboratory beakers without a permit, and yet they seem one of the most in favor of gun ownership states??

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Explaining Texas is like explaining sex, you can't really do it, you have to experience it so I won't even try.