Big Lizards:Blog:Entry “Farris Hassan's Day Off”

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December 29, 2005

Farris Hassan's Day Off

Hatched by Dafydd

Or,

Heart In Right Place; Brain MIA

Look, I know this kid is an "idealist" (his term), and he's actually more or less on our side. But being an idealist is tough work requiring a realistic understanding of the world where you intend to practice your "ideals;" and at age sixteen, he doesn't yet have the chops. He's "jumping the queue," so to speak:

AP: U.S. Teen Runs Off to Iraq by Himself
by Jason Straziuso
Associated Press
Dec 29, 2005

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Maybe it was the time the taxi dumped him at the Iraq-Kuwait border, leaving him alone in the middle of the desert. Or when he drew a crowd at a Baghdad food stand after using an Arabic phrase book to order. Or the moment a Kuwaiti cab driver almost punched him in the face when he balked at the $100 fare.

But at some point, Farris Hassan, a 16-year-old from Florida, realized that traveling to Iraq by himself was not the safest thing he could have done with his Christmas vacation.

And he didn't even tell his parents. [Emphasis added]

Neither "safest" nor sanest. Taking a high-school course in "immersive journalism," Hassan (his parents immigrated here from Iraq in 1970) decided it would be, like, way cool to fly to the Middle East, take a taxi to Baghdad, and, you know, like, sorta hang with the, like, people there. You know. (Didn't this used to be called gonzo journalism when the late Hunter S. Thompson was doing it?)

From a self-indulgent "essay," which Hassan mailed to his parents from the Kuwait City airport:

"Those terrorists are not human but pure evil. For their goals to be thwarted, decent individuals must answer justice's call for help. Unfortunately altruism is always in short supply. Not enough are willing to set aside the material ambitions of this transient world, put morality first, and risk their lives for the cause of humanity. So I will."

As the theme from Dragnet goes, dumb dumb-dumb dumb. Fortunately for Hassan, the gods who look after fools and teenagers were on duty, and he failed several times to ride into Iraq in a taxi. He eventually got there by the (slightly) safer route of flying into Baghdad International Airport, and he ended up at an American hotel there (AP doesn't say which one; the Palestine Hotel, perhaps, where the journalists stay).

At that moment, he abruptly awoke from his Pulitzer pipe dream and turned himself into the AP, which summoned the American embassy. The 101st Airborne will evidently accompany him to BIA, pour him onto a plane, and send him back home (which of course means several soldiers wasted ferrying an American youth around Iraq, rather than patrolling or training Iraqi Army units).

When he gets back, I'm sure dozens of people will ask him why he did it. I can already tell you his answer: "it seemed like a good idea at the time!"

Youth is wasted on the young.

Hatched by Dafydd on this day, December 29, 2005, at the time of 2:50 PM

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Comments

The following hissed in response by: KarmiCommunist

In any Prison on the Planet Earth, he would be a "fat butt young boy"...so, he could have found all the info he needed right here in Florida.

Not enough are willing to set aside the material ambitions of this transient world, put morality first, and risk their lives for the cause of humanity. So I will.

However, he was not raped by horny Florida Inmates, so perhaps he was safer in Iraq whilst he sought adventure. ;)

The above hissed in response by: KarmiCommunist at December 29, 2005 3:39 PM

The following hissed in response by: KarmiCommunist

Farris,

MSM, your parents, and your teacher probably never explained the "facts of life". Heck, MSM refused an 'Invite' to New video reveals real torture scandal - Saddam's daily horrors make America's Abu Ghraib abuses seem almost trivial

Or, Naming Names - The Torturers of Saddam's Abu Ghraib and Their Place in the New Iraq.

At one time, AEI and other sites showed videos. Heck, at one time there was a video of Nick Berg being beheaded, with sound. Hard to find now...

Farris, if you really want to become a Journalist, then use this recent experience, and use that "immersion journalism" to expose the so-called journalists of MSM...since they have clearly duped you previously. Heck, just look at Jason's AP story on you, and notice how he and the AP keep backing your teacher!!! Personally, exposing teachers and schools have already been tried, so sue them all, and use that money to become a Journalist...if your Lawyer doesn't understand your point, then tell her or him to contact me. Basically, your teacher told you and taught you to live "the life of his subject in order to better understand it", so sue is my advice. That way, if journalism doesn't work out quickly, then you still have enough money left to write a book.

If you screw up, and end up in a Florida Prison, i will make a fortune Pimping you out to horny Florida Inmates...simple as that.

KårmiÇømmünîs†

The above hissed in response by: KarmiCommunist at December 29, 2005 4:47 PM

The following hissed in response by: Towering Barbarian

All that said, let us note for the record that he has just proven himself more of a journalist at 16 than certain NYT reporters have been in their entire lives. I respect him for that. Let's hope he learns survival sense to go with his energy as he gains experience. ^_~

The above hissed in response by: Towering Barbarian at December 29, 2005 6:58 PM

The following hissed in response by: KarmiCommunist

Well said!!! Both Dualistically and Non-Dualistically...

Well said...

The above hissed in response by: KarmiCommunist at December 29, 2005 7:09 PM