Imagine this. You are a child soldier, who was abducted when you were 7, and have been drugged, beat, and forced to kill ever since. You are at a battlefield, bite a bullet, and die, not even being buried. This is the life and death of an estimated 300,000 child soldiers that are in conflicts in the world, where around 40% of armed forces use them. Child soldiers are defined as any child under the age of 18 who are recruited by a state or non-state armed group and used as fighters, cooks, and suicide bombers. They are tricked or forced into recruitment by much older men, where they are poorly treated, and often force fed drugs so that they will remain loyal to their commanders. If anyone resists following the commander’s orders they are killed for disobedience. They are often forced to do some of the worst war crimes for their commanders while heavily drugged, so they don’t understand what they’re doing. All the while, people are falsely accusing them, saying that they are perpetrators and should be punished. What many people fail to see is that child soldiers are not perpetrators, because they are forced to kill, take drugs, and are often treated unfairly upon arrest. One of the greatest reasons why child soldiers are victims is they are often forced into killing others. They are often orphans or lost at the time of recruitment, with nowhere to go, and are offered food or shelter by recruiters. They are then taken to a training camp where they are treated terribly, forced to do treacherous things, and are killed if they try to escape. Many groups use them, from terrorist groups such as ISIS, to national governments such as the Democratic Republic of Congo. They are often forced to commit terrible war crimes, such as in the previously mentioned Democratic Republic of Congo, where “Amnesty International reports that, as a 15-year-old soldier, 'Kalami' was made to 'kill a family, to cut up their bodies and eat them'”. If they refuse, they are killed. They are made to kill or be killed, with some being as young as 7 to 8 years old. They are bred to kill, sometimes literally. A second, more brutal, reason is child soldiers are forced to take drugs and other dangerous substances so that they will kill people without remorse, follow their commanders requests, and remain loyal to their militant group. The child doesn’t realize how bad the things they are doing are, or what they are even doing because they had been drugged with a mix of gunpowder and cocaine ever since they were recruited. In some groups the commanders resort to forcing the children to eat others because it ruins their respect for human life, making it easier for them to kill. If they refuse to take the drugs or eat other people then they are beaten or killed. Ishmael Beah stated, “My squad is my family, my gun is my provider, and protector, and my rule is to kill or be killed.” This proves that child soldiers are brainwashed into believing that their militant groups are their family and that they have to kill to stay alive. Ishmael Beah also stated,”shooting somebody became just like drinking a glass of water.” This shows us that his respect for human life had been ruined when he was forced to take drugs. A final, overlooked reason is child soldiers are treated unfairly after they are arrested. They are often tried unfairly in court as adults even though they are legally minors. They are also often forced to wait extremely long for their trials, proved by the evidence of,”As I sat watching the sentencing hearing at Guantanamo Bay of Omar Khadr, a former child soldier, I wondered how his being detained here for eight years without trial could actually be used against him.” This proves that upon capture, they are being denied their Sixth Amendment, the right to a fair and speedy trial, which is seen as a fundamental right. In other words, he is being forced to wait far too long for a trial that is biased. This, combined with the fact the children are often tortured or beaten when in prison, shows that child soldiers are treated unfairly upon arrest. In conclusion, child soldiers are victims. They are forcibly recruited and forced to commit atrocities. They are heavily drugged so that they will listen. And when they are found by militaries or tried in court, they are unfairly tried and mistreated. They have also been seen as villains, and have been in the center of a debate about whether they are perpetrators or victims. Hopefully something can be done to save child soldiers and stop the use of them, or at least warn people about the use of them. Hopefully, they will finally be seen as victims and treated with respect.
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The class starts to work, colored markers and sharpies flying across paper and people planning how to collect money. There is hardly any time for questioning what they are doing or how they are going to do it. That is simple. They are going to raise that two thousand dollars to build the well.
The well is for a village in Africa. It isn’t set in stone what village exactly, but it doesn’t really matter. The well will get them water, which would help in many aspects of their life such as gathering food, education, and most obviously, water. The only questions are how they could raise that much. ~~~~~~~~ The class that is mainly in charge of the fundraiser is Mrs. Leonard's 5th grade class. The class is full of different people, each one different and eager to help raise money. They got the idea of a fundraiser from a book that they read. It is about the troubles in Africa about water and how a boy from there is trying to help with that. He is raising money to build wells. Mrs. Leonard's class is inspired by the book and decides to raise money for a well as well. There is some argument about how to raise the money in the beginning, but they get through that. They brainstorm ways to encourage raising money, including special days that are rewards for raising money. There are many different ways people are helping. Connor Kelly, a student in the class, explains what it is like. “Everyone is thinking up ways to raise money” he says. “ We give different groups grades to look after.” Thus, the fundraiser truly begins. ~~~~~~~~~ The class begins to put up the posters. Speeches are spoken, jokes, told. Despite the gravity of how much this fundraiser could change a multitude of lives, the mood of the class doesn’t change. They are still carefree, learning and are telling jokes. After all, raising money won’t get you out of math homework. They don’t understand the hope the well signifies as they have not faced the pain of those in Africa; they just want to help. “Kids in Africa have to walk miles barefoot under the sun to just get a drink of muddy water” says one student who doesn’t understand the true gravity of what that means. The fundraiser is ending. They have raised around three thousand dollars. One thousand dollars over the expected amount. The village in Africa now has a safe source of water. Mrs. Leonard's class would remember this. The time they, cooperating in almost perfect unison, raised more than two thousand dollars and built that well. |
AuthorIf a man does not have the sauce, then he is lost. But the same man can be lost in the sauce. ArchivesCategories |