"So young" - bullshit regarding age

The latest news on the pirate who was captured after his buddies got wasted by Navy SEALS: He's undergoing trial in New York and the question is how "young" this guy is.

As stated in an Associated Press Article: "The decision by the federal government to bring Muse to justice here has thrust the skinny teenager into the international spotlight, and raised legal questions about whether the U.S. is going too far in trying to make an example of someone so young." (Pirate comes to NY, world away from home in Africa, - AP Tues April 21st 2009)

Common quote: "He's just a 17 year old boy."
The Truth: "17 year olds can fucking kick your ass."

Apparently the guy is around 18 but they can't be sure if he's exactly 18 or slightly under 18, whereas others will try to push for some bullshit about how he's 15. It's impossible to go for the records because such things don't exist in Somalia and from what I know of my experiences in 3rd world hell holes, you could have them easily fabricated. But the real question is, is 16 or 17 even that young?


Poor kid surrounded by real pirates?

Seriously though. This guy is only small because he is so malnourished. For all practical purposes, 16 and 17 year olds look just like adults. I don't know where this "he's just a boy" thing came from. Ever had to deal with a pissed off 17 year old twice your size? Not such a small "boy" anymore is he? Add an AK-47. Get the fucking picture?
16 and 17 year olds are NOT "kids." Look at the picture of the pirate. The guy looks older than I am though I've been around about a decade longer than he has. It's not uncommon either. Happens every day. But when the Press or the bleeding hearts get a hold of some 17 year old "boy" who's caused a lot of grief, they try to paint the picture like it's some 5 year old who spilled milk on the carpet. No. Hell no. It's bullshit and just because they're not old enough to fuck legally doesn't mean they shouldn't be sent behind bars for seriously long periods of time for screwing up badly. And when I mean screwing up badly, I mean hijacking a vessel for ransom money kind of screwing up.
If the whole thing about being a "boy" comes from immaturity and lack of judgement, well hell, I don't see why that should be limited by how many years you've had in this world. So I guess if you're a fucking retard and you just smashed every car in a ten block radius, you should get a more "lenient" sentence.
Bullshit. Ass whipping smartens people up.