IS volunteer no ‘teen’
Re the Oct. 7 article Illinois teen was trying to join militants: Why is 19-year-old Mohammed Hamzah Khan, who planned to volunteer and fight for the Islamic State in Syria, referred to as a teen? Other teens his age are enlisting in the U.S. Armed Forces and dying in Afghanistan nearly every day.
Do we refer to them as teens questioning the sincerity of their sacrifice? No. They are old enough to vote and to carry a gun for the country of their choice. They are heroes.
Likewise, Khan has made choices. We should not try to attribute Khan’s terrorist intentions to immaturity or misguided youthfulness.
Eliot Pearlson, Miami Beach
This story was originally published October 13, 2014 at 7:12 PM with the headline "IS volunteer no ‘teen’."