While saying that the teen should not have been arrested, Bobby Jindal praised the police for being vigilant and arresting the teen during the CNN Republican debate.
During the first Republican debate, CNN’s Jake Tapper asked Bobby Jindal about striking a balance between security vigilance and anti-Muslim discrimination, and Gov. Jindal answered:
Sure, I don’t think a 14-year-old should ever be arrested for bringing a clock to school, so are you asking me am I glad he was released? I am glad the police were careful. I am glad the police were worried about safety and security issues. Look in America, we don’t tolerate. Right now, the biggest discrimination that’s going on is against Christian business owners and individuals who believe in traditional forms of marriage. They’re throwing this woman in jail in Kentucky. Let’s talk about that.
A 14-year-old Muslim student who was arrested for bringing a clock to school is no big deal. The real problem is Christian public officials who break the law being thrown in jail.
Jindal’s statement should horrify anyone who opposes discrimination. The authorities can argue otherwise, but there is no doubt that a 14-year-old white student would not have raised the same kind of suspicion if he would have brought a homemade clock to school.
It is absurd to compare a public official who knowingly broke the law to a teenager who was discriminated against because he is a Muslim. Bobby Jindal’s answer was troubling because it showed how deeply ingrained discrimination is within the Republican Party.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
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