Sep 17, 2015 4 min read

There’s a variant of an old saying that goes, “No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.”

Unfortunately, that statement sometimes applies to the folks who are educating our children, as evidenced by a couple of recent incidents.

Close to home, a 10-year-old girl was kicked out of a private school in Ligonier after bringing a small Swiss Army knife with her to an orchestra concert near the end of last school year. Did young Abbigail Cunkelman intend to wreak havoc on other members of the string section? Hardly. The girl brought the knife – with a blade barely an inch long – to trim the frayed hairs from her violin bow.

Officials at Valley School responded as school officials often do in these “weapons” cases. They overreacted and showed no common sense, telling the girl’s parents in a letter this summer that Abbigail was expelled.

The parents took the case to Westmoreland County Court, and earlier this month reached a settlement with the school that put the matter to rest. Abbigail is now going to public school.

The other case is much more troubling. It reflects not just a lack of good sense, but bigotry.

As you might have heard, a 14-year-old boy named Ahmed Mohamed was arrested the other day at MacArthur High School in Irving, Texas, after he proudly brought a clock he had built to the school. School officials said they thought he had a bomb.

Of course, Ahmed, who is known for his interest in science and robotics, told school officials and the police officers who were summoned the object he had was, in fact, just a clock.

In a video posted by The Dallas Morning News, Ahmed said, “An officer and the principal came in … and they took me to a room filled with five officers. They interrogated me and searched through my stuff and took my tablet and my invention. Later that day, I was taken to a juvenile detention center, where they searched me, they took my fingerprints and mug shots of me, and they searched me until my parents came and I got to leave.”

Though he was not charged, the boy was still suspended for three days, apparently for causing alarm with his clock.

According to reports, a police spokesman said even though Ahmed repeatedly explained his creation was just a clock, and not a bomb, “there was no broader explanation.” We’re not sure how difficult this could be to understand, and what sort of further explanation is required, unless of course one is predisposed to think someone with brown skin and a “foreign” religion must be up to something.

It’s very clear what’s at work here. Does anyone really think Ahmed would have been treated like a terror suspect if he had blue eyes and blond hair, and his name were Dave?

Ahmed’s father, Mohamed Elhassan Mohamed, sure doesn’t think so.

“(He) just wants to invent good things for mankind, but because his name is Mohamed and because of September 11, I think my son got mistreated.”

Bingo!

Fortunately, Ahmed’s story gained national attention and brought him support from far and wide, including an invitation from President Obama to visit the White House.

The boy was clearly moved by the outpouring, saying on Twitter, “Thank you for your support! I really didn’t think people would care about a Muslim boy.”

It’s a sad indictment of our society a youngster like Ahmed believes many would dislike him, or refuse to support him in the face of injustice, just because of his religion and Middle Eastern background.

We long ago came to realize facts mean nothing to a certain element of our population that is unable – or, more likely, unwilling – to differentiate between al-Qaeda and the many millions of peace-loving Muslims who wish only to live in harmony with us. But we certainly should expect better of school and public safety officials.