Arrow star Stephen Amell has announced he’s taking a social media break following his controversial statements about a Texas teen.
The 14-year-old Muslim student named Ahmed Mohamed was arrested on Monday after he brought a homemade clock to school, which was mistaken for a bomb. The incident sparked outrage among many, but Amell took to Twitter to make the point that, “two wrongs don’t make a right.”
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Unfortunately, the statements incurred a backlash of their own as Amell tried to defend Texas in the incident.
Stereotyping Texas isn't any better than stereotyping Ahmed. Just so we're clear.
— Stephen Amell (@StephenAmell) September 16, 2015
How many times have you been to Texas? https://t.co/jaE57FD5me
— Stephen Amell (@StephenAmell) September 16, 2015
Fans and haters alike replied to his tweets with some serious disdain.
@lazyevening It's nice to see rumors of his douchiness confirmed firsthand though tbh.
— Linda Ge (@lindazge) September 16, 2015
https://twitter.com/jyndonce/status/644262588524699648
@amellywood why talk about these things and forget about the main subject .. what happened is not acceptable . Period.
— AsMaE (@Asmae_walf) September 16, 2015
It got so out of hand that Amell took to Facebook on Wednesday night with a video message clarifying his intent.
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“I think I did offend people, the best thing to do in these scenarios is just to go away for a little bit,” he added. “So be well, I’ll be back, and that’s it.”
It’s important to note, the actor was clear that he wasn’t apologizing. He also said he won’t remove the tweets.
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He continued his explanation by posting eight points regarding his statements on Twitter.
1. I can't believe I broke my rule and tweeted about an actual event. Staggering to remember that debates in 140 characters don't work.
— Stephen Amell (@StephenAmell) September 16, 2015
2. What happened to Ahmed was terrible. Obviously.
— Stephen Amell (@StephenAmell) September 16, 2015
3. I happened to read a series of tweets pronouncing that this is a systemic problem in Texas, which is also profiling.
— Stephen Amell (@StephenAmell) September 16, 2015
4. It's profiling in a much less hurtful / destructive way… but it is profiling.
— Stephen Amell (@StephenAmell) September 16, 2015
5. Anywho, I'm not apologizing or deleting the tweets. If you're outraged at an opinion it's because you're bored.
— Stephen Amell (@StephenAmell) September 16, 2015
6. My wife is from Texas, I have extended family in Texas, and I've met thousands of Texans that are wonderful, polite individuals.
— Stephen Amell (@StephenAmell) September 16, 2015
7. This gave me an excellent opportunity to block several employees of a couple companies I don't like. That's exciting.
— Stephen Amell (@StephenAmell) September 16, 2015
8. Last thing: Ahmed's White House visit will be an awesome, awesome moment.
— Stephen Amell (@StephenAmell) September 16, 2015
As for Mohamed, everyone across the country — including Texas — seems to be doing all they can to make the situation right. Multiple celebrities have tweeted their support, and Obama has even invited him to the White House.
Do you think Stephen Amell was incorrect in his statements or are people, again, just too sensitive?
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