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.
— President Obama (@POTUS) September 16, 2015As I write this a 14 year old boy, to whom should be in school, is instead talking with lawyers about protecting himself and his family from rules set in place for the children and teens at the Irving ISD. I have to say that I'm floored that it has come to a point in our society that we have to throw our instincts out the window because we instead want to spread the laws so thin and distort them so much to our own advantages. This time, with the previous statement in full effect here, it has caused a teen to change his whole outlook of life and the community around him. His family has also felt the strain. This is not a teen to whom is a problem-child. Even I can see this; And if I can see this. I know full well that those who police and enforce the laws within that school knew he was not a threat. They could and should have handled this differently.
Thank you fellow supporters. We can ban together to stop this racial inequality and prevent this from happening again pic.twitter.com/fBlmckoafU— Ahmed Mohamed (@IStandWithAhmed) September 16, 2015To the first teacher he showed the clock to:
Although being kind to him and giving him a heads up as to not to show other teachers, this was wrong. Instead of just saying what you did, you should have explained to him what you were thinking as to why you were telling him not to show others. Bluntly, you're a teacher. TEACH him what those outside the box would see, no matter if what they are seeing is wrong or hurtful to them. They will learn from it, trust me.
Secondly, I sure hope you were there to side by him once you were aware that they had placed him in a position of defending himself on, what most of the world would call, an excellent usefulness in his hobby talents. I would be terribly upset to find out that, once this was brought to your attention, you instead decided to go the way of the silent and let him defend himself without your aid.
To the principal of this High School:
I honestly don't know where to begin here. I'm astonished that it has come to a point to where policing your student body has pulled your rights away to be able to decide if this child is a threat or not. Come on, now. Are you telling me that during your first hour of investigating this concern you found that he was a severe enough threat to be handled in the manner that you had done? Really? I'm flabbergasted. If you think the community is wrong in siding with this teen and indeed find him as such a severe threat, I urge you to speak up now. Right now. Because you, and the Irving ISD silence is not only wrong, but it's causing the whole community to second guess those who police the student body. Are these enforcers truly intelligent enough to teach and educate our children in all aspects of life? Because the decisions you made not only isolated an intelligent young man from gladly showing his projects to those he looked up to, he's also lost respect for some forms of authority. You have changed him in ways that shouldn't have been changed. For that, I'm so very disappointed in you. I expect to hear a reasonable explanation from you soon since you have already been telling your student body that the media does not have all the facts yet.
#IStandWithAhmed "one side of the story" ¿? pic.twitter.com/bc8YAjR6oR— Jenny Jenn Jenn. (@jenn_loya) September 16, 2015
Moved Here Recently.
We just moved here in late March of this year. I, and my two girls, were reserved yet excited about the move. I was oblivious to the state of what Irving, Texas was like then. Within two weeks I was overwhelmingly informed about the turmoil that community was having to deal with here. My religious background is Southern Baptist, but I have my own beliefs. I love hearing about other religions too. I've welcomed conversations from those who knock on my door to enlighten me on their religion. I listen carefully to what they believe. And, in talking to them, I began to understand why they side with those beliefs. I, in turn, explain my beliefs to them and why I side with those. Some are willing to give me the time to have my say as I gladly let them say theirs. Others prefer to make my time speaking short. Either way is okay with me. I just want to know my new community. I want to be able to find my place in my new neighborhood so that my two girls can find theirs. I have no regrets moving here. It's obvious we've been placed here at this time for a reason and I'm very willing to find out what that reason is. Maybe this is the first step at finding out why we're here. Maybe I'm placed here right now to enlighten those who have lost their "outside of the box" look on things. And outside of this subject box, it sure looks like the Irving ISD and the Irving Police investigators that were brought into investigate this matter have made rapid decisions about this young man. On his ethnicity and religious background and not using their instincts about this kind intelligent teen. This young man is obviously not a threat. He is, however, a future teacher, engineer, designer or director that will make out lives better. Stop destroying his chance at that because you can't seem to differentiate between a threat and a kid who wants to point out his accomplishments that many of your own teachers in Irving ISD helped him accomplish!
