Student’s Creative Clock Draws Police – And White House Invitation

Authorities urge citizens to speak up when they see possible terrorist threats and rightfully so. But over-reactions could send the wrong messages to children about how to get attention. A Texas student was arrested for bringing a homemade digital clock to his high school. He showed his engineering teacher without incident, but an English teacher expressed alarm about a possible bomb after the clock started making noise. Police were not satisfied with the boy's explanation that the device was simply a clock and charged him with bringing a hoax bomb to school. In a country where interest in science and math is lagging among many youth, the incident “created a storm of support on social media, with #IStandWithAhmed trending on Twitter,” reports USA Today. Some suggest the boy was targeted because he is a Muslim. He has since received an invitation to show the clock at the White House and “technology and engineering giants also chimed in.” An aging society must be cautious on security threats and avoid showing intolerance for youthful ambition. – YaleGlobal