The best newsbite about why the Army hadn't let any of the press speak with this boy yet. "We don't want to reward him for his stupidity."

If this boy gotten hurt or worse you know darn well the finger pointing would go to American troops for not protecting him. His parents need to be held accountable because he is a minor.

Exactly why should he be admitted to Harvard? He took a very risky trip using Mommy and Daddy's credit cards. He didn't exactly come up with the answer to world peace.

wrigley, you and I are on the same page! The kid took a chance, which is good - but he took a potentially lethal one, a chance that could have gotten him AND many of our troops killed!

Why be in such a huge hurry to reward stupid behavior?




ETA: I keep thinking, "what if my husband/brother/son was killed, trying to save this kid from harm?"

The boy needs to be grounded until he's 30.

Of course he did something beyond stupid and he didn't learn a single thing. He was a visitor and had exposure to nothing but risk.

He will get in because everyone loves unique stories.

-Rudey

If you're 16 and older and can furnish your original birth certificate/old passport/naturalization documents, a photo ID (license, permit, state or school), and the $$$ for the application and processing fees, you don't need parental consent to get a US Passport. There are some instances where parental consent may be required, but usually it's for special circumstances. When I used to work at the passport office at school, I'd get 16-17 year olds coming in by themselves to turn in applications, usually in March so they'll get their passports before summer break. Their applications were accepted, no problem.

If you're a minor and cannot provide an ID, then a parent/guardian must sign for you.

Significant experience
 

Unfortunately, tier one schools are going to love this. This child definitely has a "most significant or memorable experience" for college apps. Combined with the rumored perfect SAT scores and most like stellar grades, he probably will have no problem.

I completely disagree that this should happen, but as someone who works in admissions, it probably will.

I so DISAGREE with you. Parents cannot be everywhere all the time...what are they supposed to do, chain him up in the basement when they're away from home at work or grocery shopping? Yeesh.

And if he gets "hurt" when he's abroad, it's his own damn fault. If people (such as him) are too stupid to heed the warnings from the State Dept. about "unsafe places to visit", it's their own damn fault.

No sympathy here, folks.

THE END.

If someone is too immature, or too "stupid" as you put it, to know better they deserve death or to be "hurt".

-Rudey
--Great reasoning.

I'm with you on this one. It is a fascinating story, but when you look at it from a parent's perspective, I'd be scared all the time for him, not knowing what he's going to do next.

Most of us live rather boring lives. We never do anything of significance, and never take chances. Those rare people who do change the world, do so with new and strange ideas. They take chances. If everyone behaved just so their parents never had to worry, we would probably still be living in caves.

This kid is special. He's a brilliant student, a visionary, and a risk taker. That's why he will probably get into any school that he wants. Its also why we'll hear about him again.

If I ever have a son, I hope that he's a lot like this kid. I also hope that the medication will exist to let me cope with his exploits.

Sure this kid is exceptional. Exceptionally stupid! He might be "book smart," but he's got no common sense whatsoever. I'd still give him a big, fat F if I were his teacher!

Absolutely.

Russ,
What did he gain?
Do we have any concept of his intelligence or academic performance?
He arrived in a country and barely got to see much, but he exposed himself fully to the risks.
He sounds like he is bipolar and having a manic episode.

Take a chance and move to China for a year, take a chance and put all your money into a company only you believe in, take a chance and join the French Foreign Legion even, but this hardly seems worth the risk.

-Rudey

Screw the F...

His prep school threatened to expel him?

The article also includes a photo of the kid.

LMAO!! Absolutely!