Comment Re:Knowledge (Score 1) 312
What I'm saying is that jailing a teenager for giving a lift, no matter how much he knew, isn't going to fix anything. Sure, he knew is buddy was going abroad to "wage jihad".
But how much meaning does that have for a 17-year-old who grew up in Virginia?
He needs to be taught about the horrors of war, and the difference between an independence movement and a terrorist organization. 15 years of prison is going to intensify his misguided anger towards western democracy, not weaken it. When he gets out, all he will have is no future (because he's an ex-con), social bonds only with criminals (because that's who he's had to talk to for half his life), and an abiding anger towards America.
Yes, this kid is screwed up. Yes, he was a tiny part of someone else's journey to do something very screwed up. But I don't think it's a felony, I think it's something that could be corrected by talking and by teaching.