Story Archive

“Hoax Bomb” Blows Up

Ahmed Mohamed said it was a clock he had invented. But his engineering teacher said he shouldn’t show it to other teachers, his English teacher said it looked like a bomb, and the police said he was arrested and led out of the school in handcuffs for bringing a “hoax bomb” to school — even though Mohamed, 14, never claimed it was a bomb. “He kept maintaining it was a clock, but there was no broader explanation,” said a spokesman for the Irving, Tex., police. A cop, Mohamed says, took one look at him and said, “Yup. That’s who I thought it was.” Mohamed was suspended from school, and prosecutors declined to file any charges. The story exploded on social media, where President Obama, Mark Zuckerberg and others came down firmly on Mohamed’s side. (AC/Dallas Morning News) ...Some conservatives argue the Mohameds deliberately baited the authorities. If so, they sure took the bait.
Original Publication Date: 20 September 2015
This story is in True’s book collections, in Volume 22.

Is There a Problem on This Page? Let Me Know using the Help button lower right, and thanks.

I believe humanity is held back by the lack of thinking. I provoke thought with examples of what happens when we don’t think, and when we do. This is True is my primary method: stories like this come out every week by email, and basic subscriptions are free. Click here for a subscribe form.


Search for:

Category: