First example = stupid adults
Second example = stupid adults
Third example = stupid adults

I have a problem with all three of these. The first two examples do not make me willing to accept the third.

But, if you read the whole story of the Seven-year-old, then there is apparently a long history of disiplinary problems and this quote was made about the kid running around the classroom.

"Had the student chewed his cereal bar into the shape of a cat and ran around the room, disrupting the classroom and making 'meow' cat sounds, the result would have been exactly the same," Nussbaum wrote, according to the Post.

It was the parents that made the story about a gun and the newspaper writer that envoked the Sandy Hook story into this incident, not the school.

 

But, if you read the whole story of the Seven-year-old, then there is apparently a long history of disiplinary problems and this quote was made about the kid running around the classroom.



It was the parents that made the story about a gun and the newspaper writer that envoked the Sandy Hook story into this incident, not the school.

I didn't say which adults were stupid. I kept it general. So, I stand by my original assessment: stupid adults.

 

Yep, it's because of the world's infatuation with finished products and ignorance of what goes into making them. To some people in the media (and elsewhere in the public), you can pass as a genius just by lighting up LEDs arranged in the pattern of your name.

This has more to do with religion and politics than it does genius. Everybody in the country including the President is jumping on this and proclaiming that this boy is on his way to MIT and onto NASA from there because of his invention. From what I can see some of you here spent as much time as I did in the basement experimenting, building and learning. So you know where this kid is coming from and where he is at. I agree that repackaging electronics takes some skill and know how. But to bring something so suspicious into school in the society that we live today gives me pause as to the motive. If it was to impress his teacher then I give him zero points for intelligence. If it was to shine a light on the racial issues consuming this country by becoming a martyr then he score high on the charts. And lastly, if it was to boost his educational standing by using current hot button topics like his race and links to IED's then I give him a standing "O" and a job well done.

 

And lastly, if it was to boost his educational standing by using current hot button topics like his race and links to IED's then I give him a standing "O" and a job well done.

Elite colleges are always looking for people who have differentiated themselves and this kid has effectively done so.

I wouldn't rule out the possibility for this motive.

 

Just on that "differentiation" point: our societies are increasingly focusing on the extremes, to the point of becoming a freak show wherever you look.

The normal people in the middle are being ignored, other than tax times.

The tyranny of the minority I guess?

 

Just on that "differentiation" point: our societies are increasingly focusing on the extremes, to the point of becoming a freak show wherever you look.

The normal people in the middle are being ignored, other than tax times.

The tyranny of the minority I guess?

The kids who manage to differentiate themselves through middle school and high school and be come outcasts or freaks or geeks are the ones who excel and become amazing people. The people with the 'popular' traits that attract teenage admiration often peak in those teen years.

Interestingly, I see many amazing sales people who are formerhigh school football stars or class presidents - attracting an audience and talking about glory days, making friends with their customers and selling a boatload of product and always getting the chance at a last offer.

 

But to bring something so suspicious into school in the society that we live today gives me pause as to the motive. If it was to impress his teacher then I give him zero points for intelligence.

Well for one at age 14 kids see the world a whole lot different than how a overly paranoid adult does and as a non paranoid adult I see zero evidence of anything that remotely suggests I need to be afraid of what a kid made unless that kid has proven themself to be of a dangerous trouble making nature of which so far I have seen zero references to this kid being a troublemaker that would justify such concerns.

As for suspicious looking most anything that could hold something inside itself like a backpack or lunch box or cardboard box and soon is suspicious looking to a paranoid person.

Now as for anyone who is intending to make a real bomb have a look at every real life bomb ever made and how it was constructed and you will quickly see zero similarities between the kids clock and a real bomb.
With real bombs the maker has every intent to do as much harm and damage as possible with the least amount of work and materials and the last thing they put any effort into is making them flashy and blindingly obvious.

Ignorance and outright stupidity of the people in charge or general public does not justify paranoia.

 

You know that when given a chance to admit they behaved stupidly, adults who double down to defend their stupidity are far more dangerous than a kid with a clock because we have delegated to them extraordinary powers in our name to control our lives. Impeach and fire the idiots! Tar and feather them! Run them out of town on rails!

 

You know that when given a chance to admit they behaved stupidly, adults who double down to defend their stupidity are far more dangerous than a kid with a clock because we have delegated to them extraordinary powers in our name to control our lives. Impeach and fire the idiots! Tar and feather them! Run them out of town on rails!

I've found it much more fun to take pride in one's stupidity. I even practice face-palming for perfect execution when necessary.

 

You know that when given a chance to admit they behaved stupidly, adults who double down to defend their stupidity are far more dangerous than a kid with a clock because we have delegated to them extraordinary powers in our name to control our lives. Impeach and fire the idiots! Tar and feather them! Run them out of town on rails!

I thought that speaking about politics (and politicians) was not allowed in this place

 

A couple of days ago, someone said my bird house example must be considered as a possible pressure cooker style bomb.
I thought about that, and I have to admit that for every ten or twenty thousand over-reactions, there has been a real event of terrorist action. Then I found that nsaspook had already covered this angle if you follow his link.

https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/11/the_war_on_the.html

And while I'm here, I would like to disagree with the idea that LEOs are trained in laws and law enforcement. I have met so many police officers that did not know the law they were supposed to be enforcing that I must either disagree or conclude that they went to training classes, but are profoundly stupid and could not understand things like, writing false traffic tickets becomes perjury when the officer signs it or trees that scratch the paint on cars can be legally trimmed.

 

The more I think about this kid's case, the more I see it as yet another example of our difficulty with people acting stupidly or provocatively in public. The guy getting on the bus with a bandolier of "bullets" as a belt. The guy that brought an "assault" rifle to the airport. I'm sure there are many more examples I can't recall and I think I've seen some of them in these forums.

On the one hand, we all want to retain our rights to behave any way we want. We cringe at any attempt to further restrict our freedom. But on the other hand we don't want these incidents where stupid people run screaming from some silly prop or perceived threat of an un-concealed carry.

Reconciling the rights of the individual with the needs of society is one of the oldest dilemmas in political science. Wherever the line gets drawn, there will be exceptional cases that make us reconsider that line.

 

Someone got to the kid. He's milking it. He'll never be the same.

 

Anyone who believes that the police are equipped to make rational judgments over what presents a threat should watch this, fortunately this guy wasn't armed with a homemade clock:

 

Anyone who believes that the police are equipped to make rational judgments over what presents a threat should watch this, fortunately this guy wasn't armed with a homemade clock:

Constable Wood!

Does anyone else think this looks like a Monty Python skit?

 

Anyone who believes that the police are equipped to make rational judgments over what presents a threat

Anyone who insist that the officers should make rational decisions under all conditions are irrational and naive. Putting them on the police patrol for a day in some rough neighborhood should cure that illness,

Reconciling the rights of the individual with the needs of society is one of the oldest dilemmas in political science. Wherever the line gets drawn, there will be exceptional cases that make us reconsider that line.

Absolutely true. Unfortunately, few people understand that.

 

and this is the future of humanity if we let stupidity rule us all.

 

Constable Wood!

Does anyone else think this looks like a Monty Python skit?

When he points at the camera

Reminded me of this:

 

I've had a chance to carefully consider this topic. Here's my opinion:

If we are at the point where a 7 y.o. gets suspended for chewing a pop-tart into the shape of a gun, or a 13 y.o. boy getting jailed for assault for kissing a 14 y.o. girl, then, yes, I have no problem arresting a boy who brings a facsimile of a suitcase bomb to school.

It looks like someone agrees with me!

 

It looks like someone agrees with me!

I agree completely.

Ahmed Mohamed was mistreated by imbeciles, and he’ll be famous for it, for 15 Warholian minutes, and then again for a 30-second spot when he graduates in a few years and goes off to MIT or wherever. The fact is that he is not worse off because his name is Mohamed, but better off: Nobody would be paying attention otherwise, and he might very well be in jail. Being mistreated by imbeciles is the sine qua non of American public education today, but that fact is of political use only periodically, as in this case.