CailinInman

Mrs.Robillard
LA8Hour7
12March2015

ChildSoldiers
Childrenallaroundtheworldaretakenfromtheirfamiliestoanunknownplaceand
forcedintofightingforanunknowncause.Militariesallovertheworldhavebeenrecruiting
childrentofightintheirarmies.Thesechildrenareputintocombatandusedasweaponsduring
war.Militarieswantasmanypeoplefightingfortheirsideaspossible,sousingchildrenaddsto
thesizeoftheirarmy.Therearemanydebatesaboutwhetherusingchildrenisanappropriate
choice.Childsoldiersarevictims.

First,childsoldiersarevictimsbecausetheyareforcedtojointhemilitary.Aformer
childsoldier,IshmaelBeahsays,Ifeelasifthereisnothingleftformetobealivefor,Isaid
slowly.Ihavenofamily,itisjustme.(
IshmaelBeahChildSoldier
)Thisshowsthatthe
childrenarevictims,becausemostofthechildrenwhobecomesoldiershavefamiliesthatwere
murdered,oncetheirfamilyiskilledthekidshavenowheretogo.Afterthemurders,childrenare
scaredandconfused.Mosttrytorunawayandescapetheirproblems.Someturntothemilitary
forhelp,butareforciblyrecruitedintobecomingsoldiers.Withouthavinganyparentsorfamily
tolookupto,theywilltrustanyonetheycanfind.OnceIshmaelBeahhadarrivedatthemilitary
basehesaid,Wethoughtwewerenowsafelittledidweknowwhatlayahead.(
Ishmael
BeahChildSoldier
)Theythinkgoingtoamilitarybasewillprovidethemwithsafety,the
childrenareonlylookingforasafeplacetostayandadultstotrust.Littledothesekidsknow

theywillbeputintomoredanger.Uponarrivingatthebase,thechildrenareforcedintotraining,
tobecomeasoldier.AfteralongtimeofbeingasoldierfinallyIshmaelandtheotherchildren
werebroughttoasafeplace,awayfromthemilitarybase,thestaffwhoworkedtherekepttelling
them,Noneofwhathappenedwasyourfault.Youwerejustalittleboy(
IshmaelBeahChild
Soldier
)Thisshowsthatthesechildrenarebeingforcedtojoinwhentheyaretooyoungto
understand.Eveniftheychoosetobecomeasoldiertheyaretooyoungandnaivetoknowbetter.
Mostofthechildrenarejustlookingforasafeplaceoncetheirfamilyisgone.
Second,Childsoldiersarevictimsbecausetheyaredruggedtokill.Ishmaelsharedhis
experiencesofbeingdrugged,Iwassweating,andtheythrewwateronmyfaceandgavemea
fewwhitecapsules.Theywerethesamecapsulesthatwedallbeengivenbeforewehadgone
intobattle,andtothisday,Idonotknowwhattheycontained.Istayedupallnightandcouldnt
sleepfordays.Wewentouttwomoretimesthatweek,andIhadnoproblemshootingmygun.
(
IshmaelBeahChildSoldier
)Thetabletstheyfedthechildrenmadetheirmindsbelievethat
killingwasokay.Thechildrenwerebrainwashedwithdrugs,theynolongerhadasenseofwhat
theyweredoingwaswrong.Oncethedrugswereintheirsystem,theyneversecondguessed
murderinginnocentpeople.ChildsoldierBeahalsostated,ThefirsttimeItookallthesedrugs
atthesametime,IbegantoperspiresomuchthatItookoffallmyclothes.Mybodyshook,my
sightbecameblurredandIlostmyhearingforseveralminutes.(
IshmaelBeahChildSoldier
)
Thedrugsarenotonlytrickingtheirminds,butputtingthemintodangeraswell.Drugsarevery
dangerousespeciallytokids.Inmultiplecases,childrenhavebeenknowntodiefromjusttrying
themonce.Afterrepeatedlytakingdrugsforalongperiodoftime,Ishmaelsaid,The
combinationofthesedrugsmadeusfierce.Theideaofdeathdidntcrossmymind,andkilling

hadbecomeaseasyasdrinkingwater.(
IshmaelBeahChildSoldier
)Thedrugshadturnedthe
childrenintoviolentkillingmachines.Theycouldnolongercontrolthemselves,andcouldnt
thinkofanythingbuttokill.Thedrugswerenolongerjustpartofthechildrenslives,theywere
controllingtheirlives.
Finally,childsoldiersarevictimsbecausetheyareputintodanger,treatedbadly,andare
mentallyandphysicallyscarred.Afterbeingtakenoutofwar,Ishmaelsharedanexperienceof
his,Theywerealllinedup,sixofthem,withtheirhandstied.Ishotthemintheirshinsand
watchedthemsufferforanentiredaybeforefinallydecidingtoshootthemintheheadsothat
theywouldstopcrying.BeforeIshoteachman,Ilookedathimandsawhowhiseyesgaveup
hopeandsteadiedbeforeIpulledthetrigger.Ifoundtheirsombereyesirritating.(
Ishmael
BeahChildSoldier
)SinceIshmaelhadbeenshotinhisshinsandhadsuffered,hefeltthat
othersneededtofeelhispainaswell.Theycapturedrebels,heshotthem,andwatchedthem
suffer.Hewassoscaredbyhisownexperiencesthathewantedotherstoliveittoo.Oncethe
boysatBeahsbasehadbeenbroughttosafety,theywerestillfullofangerandviolence,afight
brokeoutandtheworkerstriedtoputastoptoit,Ithadntcrossedtheirmindsthatachangeof
environmentwouldntimmediatelymakeusnormalboysweweredangerous,brainwashedto
kill,(
IshmaelBeahChildSoldier
)Ishmaelsaid.Theonlythingtheseboyswereevertaught
wastokillmostoftheirlivestheyhadbeentaughtthattherebelsweretheenemy.Theonly
thingtheboysknewhowtodowaskill,whentheywerenearrebelstheironlythoughtwasto
murder.Itwasntintheirnaturetothinktwiceaboutwhattheyweredoing,theyjustdidit.
Ishmaelstatedthattheywereproudoftheirkills,Whenweconversedwithoneanother,we
talkedonlyaboutthemoviesandhowimpressedwewerewiththewayeitherthelieutenant,the

corporaloroneofushadkilledsomeone.Healsosaid,Wecheeredinadmirationofthe
corporalsactionandsalutedhimashewalkedby.Wecheeredagain,raisingourgunsinthe
air,shoutingandwhistling.(
IshmaelBeahChildSoldier
)Theboyswereproudoftheir
murders.Killinghadbecomeanaccomplishment,andothersadmirationwastheprize.The
moreviolentthekillthebetter,iswhattheboyshadgrownuplearning.Killingpeoplewasnot
anoption,itwasalifestyleforthesechildren,iftheydidntmurderothers,thechildren
themselveswouldnotbealive.
Somemightsay,thatchildsoldierskillmanypeopleandareresponsibleformany
horribleincidents,thisisprovenby,Childsoldiersarenodifferentfromchildcriminals.Child
soldiershavebeenresponsibleforsomeofthemostbrutalandviolentactsinwartime.(Child
Soldier,Prosecution)Itistruethatchildsoldiershavebeenresponsibleformurders,butthese
childrenhaveonlyoneoption,killorbekilled.Thesechildrenaredruggedandbrainwashedinto
thinkingthatkillingisokay,theydontknowanybetter.Childsoldiersjustfollowtheorders
giventothem.
Itisalsotruethatconsideringthesechildrenasvictimscouldencouragemilitariestouse
thesechildren,becauseinawaytheyareoffthehook,thisisshownby,Notprosecutingchild
soldiersmayencouragecommanderstousechildsoldierstocommitwarcrimesbecausethey
knowtherewillbenoconsequences.(ChildSoldier,Prosecution)Thisistruethatmilitary
leaderswillseeusingchildrenasaloophole,butwhatthechildrendoisnottheirfault.These
childrendonotknowwhattheyaredoingiswrong,mostofthemdontevenknowwhattheyare
doingbecausetheyaresohighondrugs.Thefaultbelongstomilitaryleaderswhoarewillingto
turnthesechildrenintokillingmachines,fortheirownuse.

Allinall,Childsoldiersarevictims.Childsoldiersarevictimsbecause,theyareforcibly
recruited,druggedandbrainwashedintokillingandareputintotremendousdanger.Everyday
childrendie,becauseofthedangerouswarsituationstheyareforcedtobeapartof.Eventhe
childrenwholivethroughthesewars,willhavetoforeverlivewiththementalandphysicalpain
thatisleftoverfromtheirhorribleexperiences.Warisahorribleevent,thatchildrenshouldnot
beexposedto.Dowereallywanttoliveinaworldwhereinnocentchildrenareforcedinto
combat,torturedandthenforcedtotortureandkillothers?

WorkCited

ChildSoldiers,Prosecution."
Debatewise
.Debatewise.org,n.d.Web.21Feb.2015.

IshmaelBeahChildSoldier
.
YouTube
.YouTube,1May2007.Web.09Mar.2015.