14-year-old Ahmed Mohamed has a bright future as a scientist of tomorrow. But until yesterday his high school in Irving, Texas, merely thought of him as "That Muslim Kid" or "Who?"
Now they won't ever forget his name. And they'll never live down what they did to him.
See, this smart kid made a clock and took it to school. Some hysterical and stupid teacher thought it was a BOMB. However, no bomb squad was ever called, and the school wasn't evacuated. But the principal and police still interrogated this boy without his parents beside him for two hours. Over a clock that wasn't a bomb.
By the middle of the day, the obviously frightened child in a NASA t-shirt was handcuffed, arrested, and taken to jail. For being smart. And Muslim. And unfortunately for Irving, Texas, what they did there infuriated most of the known world as the hashtag #IStandWithAhmed trended for 24 hours. Now he has been invited to the White House, NASA, MIT, Harvard, Twitter, Facebook - you name it! Ahmed's story has a totally happy ending. Irving, Texas, not so much.
HOUSTON — Ahmed Mohamed’s homemade alarm clock got him suspended from his suburban Dallas high school and detained and handcuffed by police officers on Monday after school officials accused him of making a fake bomb. By Wednesday, it had brought him an invitation to the White House, support from Hillary Rodham Clinton and Mark Zuckerberg, and a moment of head-spinning attention as questions arose whether he had been targeted because of his name and his religion.
. . . The thing in question was the product of Ahmed’s love of invention. He made the clock out of a metal briefcase-style box, a digital display, wires and a circuit board. It was bigger and bulkier than a typical bedside clock, with cords, screws and electrical components.
He said he took it to school on Monday to show an engineering teacher, who said it was nice but then told him he should not show the invention to other teachers. Later, Ahmed’s clock beeped during an English class, and after he revealed the device to the teacher, school officials notified the police, and Ahmed was interrogated by officers. “She thought it was a threat to her,” Ahmed told reporters Wednesday. “So it was really sad that she took a wrong impression of it.”
Cool clock, Ahmed. Want to bring it to the White House? We should inspire more kids like you to like science. It's what makes America great.
The town of McKinney, Texas, became the new "face of racism" this week after a pool party was broken up by a rogue cop. Officer Eric Casebolt was filmed rolling on the ground as if in a video game as he entered an area where young teens were having a pool party; he then proceeded to curse at and man-handle a 14-year-old girl before sitting on her, and at one point waved his weapon directly at several boys who sought to help the girl on the ground. At that point at least two officers stepped in to make him put down his gun because he was clearly out of control.
Words can't do this situation justice, so we're lucky to have video thanks to another child who filmed the whole thing.
Just the language coming from Casebolt was bad enough, but the way these kids were treated was completely shocking and uncalled-for, not to mention blatantly racist.
Eric Casebolt has now resigned from the McKinney police force:
Cpl. Eric Casebolt's resignation comes a day after hundreds of protesters marched near the pool in McKinney where the incident took place last weekend.
McKinney Chief of Police Greg Conley said this evening that Casebolt's actions on the cell phone recording of the incident were "indefensible."
"Our policies, our training, our practice do not support his actions," he added.
Conley described Casebolt as being "out of control," while praising the actions of the 11 other officers on the scene.
"I had 12 officers on the scene and 11 of them... did an incredible job," Conley said.
But Casebolt's lawyer says he is "suffering" from this ordeal and other recent events, such as suicide calls he witnessed the same day as the pool party:
The officer, Eric Casebolt, was under emotional duress when he responded Friday evening to reports of a disturbance at a community pool in McKinney, Texas, said his attorney, Jane Bishkin. Earlier that day, the officer had handled two suicide calls, including one in which a man shot himself in the head in the presence of his children.
“The nature of these two suicide calls took an emotional toll,” she said at a news conference. “He allowed his emotions to get the better of him.”
In court documents, Albert Earl Brown Jr. described how, in April 2007, he was sitting in a car with white female passengers, when Casebolt approached the vehicle and made comments about Brown’s clothes and the white women Brown was with.
In court documents, Brown said that Casebolt asked to search the car after allegedly seeing marijuana seeds, yet Brown maintained that Casebolt didn’t find any drugs after the car search. Brown alleged that Casebolt pulled down Brown’s pants to conduct a body search while another officer slammed Brown’s face into the hood of the car. In response to the complaint, Casebolt said that he did, in fact, find marijuana seeds inside Brown’s car.
Brown was convicted of a drug charge stemming from that arrest, but he still filed a civil rights lawsuit against Casebolt and the other police officers present during the arrest. Brown argued that Casebolt conjured up a “fake charge” in order to cover up how badly and inappropriately Casebolt and the officers had treated Brown during the stop and arrest.
The lawsuit was dismissed because Brown said he was incarcerated and unable to collect all of the evidence he needed to prove his case. Brown also said he didn’t understand the legal process enough to follow through with the suit, the International Business Times reports. Later that year, Casebolt won the Patrolman of the Year award, according to the International Business Times.
There is a major concensus among those attending the party, white and black, that race was a motivating factor in the 911 calls and the reaction of Officer Casebolt.
Brandon Brooks, the 15-year-old white teen who shot the video, said there's no doubt race was a factor in how police responded. He said the officer was targeting black teens at the scene.
"I was one of the only white people in the area when that was happening," he told CNN affiliate KDAF. "You can see in part of the video where he tells us to sit down, and he kinda like skips over me and tells all my African-American friends to go sit down."
Brandon said the argument that drew police to the pool party didn't even involve most of the teens Casebolt was going after.
"It was a fight between a mom and girl, which had nothing to do with all the other kids," he told KDAF.
Brandon said he was unnerved to see his friend tackled and pressed to the ground.
"I think she was 'running her mouth,' and she has freedom of speech, and that was very uncalled for him to throw her to the ground," he said.
Talking head Megyn Kelly of Fox News took flack for saying on air that the 14-year-old girl who was wrestled to the ground by Casebolt was "No Saint," echoing a similar controversial headline by the New York Times after the shooting death of Mike Brown in Ferguson, another racially motivated attack by police. People on social media were quick to note the difference in Kelly's tone from the softball interview just last week with the Duggar clan, whose eldest son is facing a scandal over molesting several of his sisters as well as a babysitter. Kelly was also quick to interview 911 caller Sean Toon as an eyewitness without any apparent background check (scroll down to see more about that below).
Fox News host Megyn Kelly said on Monday that, while she was not defending McKinney, Texas police officer Eric Casebolt’s actions last week, the 15-year-old girl he attacked was not without blame.
“The girl was no saint, either,” Kelly said of Dajerria Becton. “He had told her to leave, and she continued to linger. When a cop tells you to leave, get out.”
Conservative radio host Michael Berry said the McKinney kids were "acting like jungle animals," and thus the actions of Casebolt were justified.
“You’ve got a ready-made crowd of people who don’t have day jobs that are ready to storm the streets and threaten the cops,” Berry said on his eponymous show on Houston’s KTRH, which is an iHeartRadio network station. “Let me suggest that for the people who end up getting in fights with the cops: Shut your mouth!” NBC News cannot be certain the audio was not edited.
“Let me ask you, how many among you would put on a badge and a police uniform today?” he added. “How many of you would put on a badge, police uniform and be the first to respond — by yourself — to a crowd of teenagers, amped up — watch ‘em! Man, they’re screaming! ‘Get outta here! Who are you?! You don’t know what you! You go! You get! Who are you?! You can’t do that! No man, we gon’ get you! You bet!’ I mean you’re talking about, like, jungle animals. I mean this is wild, crazy, out of control.”
On his Monday broadcast, Berry also defended the “probably white” people who called police to the scene at the pool party, saying they were “scared to death” because “there’s a bunch of black people and they’re out on the streets and they’re fightin’ and carryin’ on and they’re playing that music from Jay-Z.”
Yeah, but not racist, right?
Several white adults are believed to have called the police when they thought the black teens were getting rowdy or believed the children of color "didn't belong there" due to, you know, their race. But that wasn't true - most of the kids were from that development, known as Craig Ranch, if police had bothered to listen to them.
A local white man named Sean Toon admitted to calling 911 and the next day posted a "thank you" sign at the pool for the police. Twitter's revenge was the hashtag #SeanToon911. Some digging from people on Twitter uncovered a felonious history for Mr. Toon, who was once charged for brutally killing farm animals as a teen, and later served jail time for "assault with a deadly weapon" on a human being.
In November 1999, aged 18, Toon and three high school friends were arrested and expelled from school after vandalising the agricultural centre of a rival high school district and attacking animals housed there, many of which were owned and cared for by school children.
“Cows and pigs were cut and bruised, apparently beaten with wooden boards. And baby turkeys were slain, their limbs torn apart,” the Dallas Morning News reported at the time. Dale Gardner, a teacher in the school district’s agriscience and technology program, told the newspaper: “It was brutal. There’s no way to describe it. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
About a dozen prize turkeys, which were reportedly being bred by a student aiming to win money for his scholarship fund, were feared killed.
Animals and buildings were covered in green and gold paint, according to reports. These were the colours of Toon’s high school, Newman Smith, whose football team rivalled that of RL Turner High, whose students used the agricultural centre.
. . . Toon pleaded guilty to felony criminal mischief and was sentenced in August 2000 to 285 days in jail and fined $300. His three friends were also punished for the incident.
A Dallas County court clerk confirmed details of the case on Wednesday but was unable to confirm how long Toon served in jail.
In September 2000, Toon was charged in nearby Denton County with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to court records. After pleading guilty to an unspecified lesser charge, Toon was sentenced to 75 days in jail.
On Saturday December 13, 2014, there was a March for Justice in Washington DC, and another in New York City, that drew thousands to the streets, while millions watched on TV and computers worldwide. And the marching will continue all over the country because there needs to be Justice for Mike Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin - the list is apparently endless. Society has to change. The Police need to police themselves. The scales of justice have to balance again so our country can survive.
One witness allowed to testify to the Ferguson Grand Jury on the death of Mike Brown was a self-avowed racist who had raised money to help shooter Darren Wilson. She also seems to have fabricated a "journal" in which she describes Mike Brown as "running at the cop like a football player, head down." But there's a problem - she can't prove she was even there that day, and the FBI can't find video of her car anywhere near Florissant Avenue that day.
Also, she testified that she was there after waking up that morning and deciding to "cure" her habit of saying the "N-Word" by driving through the black part of town.
Is that believable? I don't think so. No one thinks so.
Yet Bob McCulloch, the Ferguson Prosecutor, allowed her crazy-ass, obviously false testimony into the record, and even showed the Grand Jury a nutty interview she did with FBI agents in which she can't remember much and admits to being racist anyway. Then McCulloch didn't bother to question the reality of her statements, or give the jurors any sense of direction. It was admitted as if it was all factual.
This witness should be investigated and charged with perjury, or at the least needs some type of psychological intervention.
McCulloch should be disbarred and a Federal Prosecutor should cut through this crap immediately - not next week, not next month. This is a travesty of justice.
Of course, the Fox Racist News is running with Witness 40 as "proof" that Darren Wilson was in fear of his life from "linebacker" Mike Brown. Sean Hannity is using that line as often as possible - he loved George Zimmerman who killed unarmed Trayvon Martin, and now he loves Darren Wilson who shot down unarmed Mike Brown in the street. See a pattern there? Oh, but not racist, right?
The FBI warned this person not to lie, but she then told them a completely garbled story, and she's probably lying about not having cable TV too. And probably everything else! FBI Interview Transcript Here
We have to let you know that, we tell this
to everybody, if you lie to a federal agent, and
you, (inaudible) it is a crime. You are better off
not saying a word and just not talking to us if you
plan on lying and sitting in here and telling us
lies.
Well Im gonna take my random drive to Alousant (sp. Florissant). Need to understand the Black was better so I stop calling Blacks N*****s and start calling them People. Like dad always said you cant fear an hate an entire race cause of what one man did 40 yrs ago.
4PM
OMFG it was crazy I dont even know where I was I ask Q.T. guy for directions but went wrong way. I just wanted to take drive. I ended up in Some Apartment Complex & asked directions again. Real nice kid in wife beater he had no idea he asked guy in green Shirt & Jeans that guy was realy sweet. Then I heard a weird noise caught my attention this cop was backing up saying [?]
I couldnt hear but they was some kids I almost hit with car. A big one & a skinny one. The Cop tried getting out & the big one hit the door the cop looked pissed & tryed opening door again. The big kid hit the door with his gut & the little one punched the mirror someth gold fell on the ground. The big one is half in the window/door cant Remember. I swear the little one had the cops leg. I heard a noise not sure what the guy in the green shirt was yelling stop the big kid pulled his pants up they was tan shorts & he started running the skinny one took off on opp direct the cop got out left hand on face right hand on gun. The cop scream but I could not understand . Every one was screaming. I heard 'lay yo stupid ass down' I think it was a lady next to me. The cop was wobbling the big kid turned around had his arms out with attitude. The cop just stood there dang if that kid didnt start running right at the cop like a football player head down. I heard 3 bangs but the big kid wouldn't stop. I heard cop say something but not sure what or if he was just making noise. Cop took a couple steps forward then backwards and the gun went off 2 more times. The last one the top of the kids head. OMG the blood. The green shirt man grabbed my arm and said get your ass out of here. I got in car & drove into into neighborhood some how[?] I went through parking lot across the street & back to Main Rd. Not sure how long but police were every place with Police tape. There was other cops there I seen one pull his gun but he didnt fire. Dont even remember when he got there. There was lady in parking lot of QT I just pulled up and asked for the close highway. She points & I left. Then to top shit off I got on highway going the wrong way. Had to ask for direct again. Real nice old man helped me out. Home has no cable so not sure whats on news.
9PM
Talked to [REDACTED] without telling him everything. He told me 1st I was nuts to taking drive up there and 2nd keep my mouth shut. He's prols right noone will believe me anyway.
McCulloch didn't release #Witness40's FBI transcript with the others because he knew it was damning when coupled with her journal. #Ferguson
— Robert Mitchell (@RLM_3) December 10, 2014
#inners Witness #40 may not have been at murder site but her other personalities were and they'll swear to it. <Looking for tinfoil hat>
— Bill Wong (@ten24get) December 10, 2014
Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho,
These Killer Cops
Have Got to Go" ~ Chant During Washington D.C. Die-In Screencap Via Reuters Video
Protests are continuing night after night over the Eric Garner decision in New York, as well as the cumulative numbers of police shootings that continue each day.
What is your life? It is even a vapor,
that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away. New Testament James 4:14
There are really no words - or breath left to speak words - after the non-decision of a New York Grand Jury in the tragic death of Eric Garner, who was killed by a cop while in a stranglehold on a public sidewalk. The whole thing was caught on film from the first interaction to his dying breath, yet to the bafflement of the world, no indictment against the cop was brought by the Grand Jury. Once again a prosecutor chose to protect law enforcement instead of enforcing the law.
And it's been another sad day for our country as we grieve another senseless death at the hands of the police, the death of a man who was selling cigarettes on the city streets. He wasn't a thug, he wasn't being violent. There was no danger for the cop who killed him. There is no instant death sentence for resisting arrest.
We have to solve this, and soon.
Eric Holder has announced an investigation into the Garner case, as well as in Ferguson for the victim Mike Brown. Until there is some kind of justice and cops are held accountable by somebody somewhere, protests are going to fill the streets of our country. Tonight thousands flooded into the streets from New York to Seattle, and Reverend Al Sharpton has called for a march on Washington on December 13th. It would be nice to have some sense of resolution of all these racially motivated cop shootings by Christmas, but the thin blue line is into protecting itself these days and most politicians don't seem to give a damn.
Missouri is under a state of emergency tonight, and Governor Jay Nixon is supposed to make a statement at 6 p.m. Central Time. He has called out the National Guard (again) and the FBI has also issued a statement. Something's coming down.
Governor calls State Of Emergency. National Guard waiting. FBI giving warnings. KKK issuing threats.
What 'effing year is this?
#ferguson
Update: Not a speech, a conference call with media. Scroll down for quotes from reporters. It seems that Governor Nixon was mainly reading from his own press release.
Governer Nixon couldn't get his act together on this call. Reporters pressed and he ran from the issues. We'll post audio soon.
Jan Brewer, Governor of Arizona, announced that she has vetoed bill #SB1062 which would ostensibly give business owners the right to turn away anyone based on their sexual orientation (or whatever) for religious reasons.
"Reality Trumps Prejudice"
~ Former Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass,
Can you smell that? It's the smell of defeat in Arizona for RWNJ and Teaparty. #palin#tcot#teaparty
— Imperial Aerosol Kid (@HeyGeno) February 27, 2014
People thanking Jan Brewer... Please, she is more concerned about the money than humanity. She won't get my thank you. #SB1062#Az#LGBT
— Reckless.Wild.Youth (@ashley_melendez) February 27, 2014
BREAKING: Governor Jan Brewer vetoes #SB1062, although Sheriff Arpaio says he will still harass any gays who look even slightly Mexican
— The Daily Edge (@TheDailyEdge) February 27, 2014
Here comes the veto from gutless Jan Brewer.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) February 27, 2014
Not sure what the GOP stands for when it stands against religious freedom out of pure fear of political correctness.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) February 27, 2014
Both parties now agree that our government can tell us what to do with our property, and how to violate our religion in doing it. Terrific.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) February 27, 2014
Brewer veto shows that poorly informed hysteria works
— Rich Lowry (@RichLowry) February 27, 2014
Arizona now says, "gay rights trump freedom of religion." #tcot
— ✞♕In God I Trust♕✞ (@InGodIDoTrust) February 27, 2014
Imagine the US Government forcing a Jewish American to bake a cake for Nazis. #tcot
— ✞♕In God I Trust♕✞ (@InGodIDoTrust) February 27, 2014
If we can force you to buy health insurance, we can force you to bake a wedding cake. What were you thinking silly. #tcot
— ✞♕In God I Trust♕✞ (@InGodIDoTrust) February 27, 2014
#sb1062 has failed. Remember folks, your constitutionally-protected right to religious liberty be damned, you WILL LOVE homosexuality! #tcot
— Klauss S (@TheRealKlauss) February 27, 2014
@TwitchyTeam OK for Left to be intolerant of my rights & gays to bully my religious rights. Why are we cowards on things that matter? #RNC
— Jim M from KS (@C7CorvetteZ06) February 27, 2014
@MentonGini@HeyTammyBruce isn't that the way most politicians do? Can discriminate against Christians but no one else !
— Lily's Brenna (@lilysgram1824) February 27, 2014
REALITY CHECK: Republicans are now praising "common sense Conservatism" after Arizona GOP took five days to veto a Jim Crow law. #SB1062
— The Baxter Bean (@TheBaxterBean) February 27, 2014
Arizona governor Jan Brewer will probably be impeached now, or declared a non-Christian, or burned at the stake. Maybe all three.
— Abraham Lincoln (@Mr_Lincoln) February 27, 2014
With A&E's decision Friday to bring Robertson back to its most-watched show, it remains to be seen if it can mend fences with both sides — or at least with those viewers who hold opposing views.
The channel's interest is in ratings and revenue, not refereeing social discord.
Will those who called for an A&E boycott unless Robertson returned be satisfied? Will "Duck Dynasty" fans who enjoy the Louisiana duck call-making family but were offended by Robertson's comments watch again?
. . . Within a day of Robertson's removal, more than a half-million people liked an impromptu Facebook page demanding A&E be boycotted until he returns. A petition calling for A&E to bring him back reached 250,000 signatures and counting in about a week.
The controversy similarly ensnared the Cracker Barrel restaurant chain, which removed "Duck Dynasty"-related merchandise from its shelves and then reversed course and apologized after being hit with complaints.
Cracker Barrel puts “Duck Dynasty” items back on shelves…right next to the KKK coffee cups http://t.co/MWNBMGqTXg
— Ben Alper (@Ben_Alper_APIL) December 23, 2013
Here's What Happened When Cracker Barrel Briefly Decided To Get Rid Of Duck Dynasty Merchandise http://t.co/9TsD05TpEz
— Business Insider (@businessinsider) December 22, 2013
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our family has become even closer through the past 9 days and we are excited to keep making a quality tv show for our dedicated fans, who have showed us wonderful support. We will continue to represent our faith and values in the most positive way through 'Duck Dynasty' and our many projects that we are currently working on. The outpouring of support and prayer has encouraged and emboldened us greatly. ~ Phil Robertson's eldest son, Alan - a Preacher
Some of Robertson's fans are pledging they'll be part of a "Chick-Phil-A National Support Day" on Jan. 21.
As of early Friday afternoon, there were about 25,000 "likes" and nearly 165,000 "guests" on the Chick-Phil-A-Day Facebook Page.
The idea, according to the Facebook campaign, is this.
1. Wear your Duck Commander or camouflage gear.
2. Eat at Chick-fil-A.
In August 2012, you'll likely recall, that boosted sales at the chain as conservatives showed their support for the company's president, Dan Cathy, and his stand against same-sex marriage.
Chick-fil-A says it has nothing to do with the upcoming Chick-Phil-A Day.
~ From NPR
I’m glad that A&E came to their senses and recognized that tolerance of religious views is more important than political correctness. Today is a good day for the freedoms of speech and religious liberty.
~ Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana
This is why A&E now has, if not an obligation, a golden opportunity. The network should return Robertson and Duck Dynasty to the air, but not in the adulterated, cartoon version that has conservatives so besotted (a Facebook page calling for a boycott against A&E has generated over 1.8 million likes). No, Duck Dynasty should get real. It should show Robertson being as homophobic as he pleases, in his home, his church, his community. The show’s editors have previously been criticized for asking Robertson to not say “Jesus” at the end of his prayers; they should now let him get his Jesus freak on, whether in words that invoke hellfire and damnation or those that profess to love the sinner but hate the sin. And, as long as the show’s producers “guide” reality along, they should film Robertson interacting with actual gay people. If the LGBT population of West Monroe, Louisiana is camera-shy, they can fly some folks in for a good old duck hunt. I bet Mary Cheney is pretty handy with a shotgun.
~ Richard Kim of The Nation via AlterNet
Phil Robertson to return to Duck Dynasty in special episode "A&E Agrees w/Me: Gays Are Insolent, Arrogant God Haters" http://t.co/EVHNRzwu8m
— The Daily Edge (@TheDailyEdge) December 28, 2013
Dear @AETV, We learned recently that Phil Robertson was preaching to old guys that they should marry 9th grade girls. #WontWatch#Pedophile
— Deb Vermaas (@debv219) December 29, 2013
