Farris Hassan, a Florida 16 year old has done something meaningful. He visited war-torn Iraq, on his own, without telling his parents. And what does he get for it? A lot of flak and harsh feelings.

The news is reporting it with a strong emphasis on how stupid he is, and how he could’ve been killed, and how he will get in a lot of trouble with his parents. My perspective is a lot different.

I commend him for having the guts to do it. No, it wasn’t stupid. He wanted to see how it was first-hand, with no media filter. And he did it. Yes, he’s only sixteen. So what? The kid has a bright future, as far as I’m concerned. If you can figure out how to get to Iraq via Kuwait and Lebanon, and you have the guts to actually do it, at only 16, you have my support.

Update: Rich Tatum also blogged about this, a bit more eloquently, and I completely agree with him. Be sure to read the essay Farris wrote, at the Wikipedia link above.