ChildSoliders

Militariesallovertheworldarerecruitingchildrentobeintheirarmies.Thesechildren
gointowarwithminimalexperienceandareusedasweapons.Thechildrenwhoenlistinthe
armythinkthattheywillhaveabetterchancestayingaliveandhealthyiftheyjointhearmybut
thatsnottrue.Childrenactuallyhaveabetterchanceofdyingonthebattlefieldthennotbeingin
themilitaryandifyoudon'tdowhatthecommanderswantyoutodotheywilldrug,torture,or
killyou.Therearemanydifferentreasonswhypeoplethinkchildsoldiersarevictimsandarent
victims.Butchildsoldiersarevictimsformanyreasons.
Childsoldiersarevictimsbecausetheyareforcedtoenlistinthemilitary
(Beah)
.Former
childsoldierIshmaelBeahsays,
AfterIdiscoveredthatmyparentsandtwobrothershadbeen
killed,Ifeltevenmorelostandworthlessinaworldthathadbecomepregnantwithfearand
suspicionasneighborturnedagainstneighborandchildagainstparent(Beah).Survivingeach
passingminutewasnothingshortofamiracle(Beah).Thisprovesthatchildsoldiersarevictims
becausemostchildrenthathavebecomesoldiershavefamilythathavebeenmurderedandthey
havenooneornoplacelefttogosotheyenlistinthemilitarytostayalive(Beah).Some
childrenrunfordaysorevenmonths,whileothersfearthattheyaregoingtogetkillednextand
don'tknowwhattodoanymore(Beah).Othersturntothemilitaryforhelpornecessitiesbut
insteadtheymakethembecomesoldierstohelpthemfight(Beah).Ishmaeloncesaid,Ihave
neverbeensoafraidtogoanywhereinmylifeasIwasthatfirstday(Beah).Aswewalkedinto
thearmsoftheforest,tearsbegantoforminmyeyes,butIstruggledtohidethemandgripped
mygunforcomfort(Beah).Weexhaledquietly,afraidthatourownbreathingcouldcauseour

deaths(Beah).Thesechildrenwenttothemilitarybaseseekingsafetyandmaybesomefood
andwaterbutinsteadtheygetputintotrainingtobecomeasoldier(Beah).Anotherreasonchild
soldiersarevictimsisbecausetheythinkthey'resafebutthereactuallynot.IshmaelsaidWe
thoughtwewerenowsafelittledidweknowwhatlayahead(Beah).thisshowsthatthe
childrenhavenocluewhatthey'regettingintoandtheyweredoingitjusttostaysafeandgetout
ofpovertyandstarvation(Beah).Also,thechildrenaren'tintherightmindsetiftheycometo
thebasetolookforhelpandsafetybecausethey'rescaredandconfusedandjustwanthelpthey
didn'twanttobeinthemilitary(Beah).
Secondly,childsoldiersarevictimsbecausetheygetdrugged(Beah).Ishmaelsharedhis
experienceofbeingdrugged,Iwassweating,andtheythrewwateronmyfaceandgavemea
fewwhitecapsules(Beah).Theywerethesamecapsulesthatwedallbeengivenbeforewehad
goneintobattle(Beah).Thisshowsthatthesoldiersaregivendrugstocalmthemdownandnot
feelbadforwhattheydid(Beah).Beahalsosaidtothisday,Idonotknowwhatthey
contained(Beah).Istayedupallnightandcouldntsleepfordays(Beah).Wewentouttwomore
timesthatweek,andIhadnoproblemshootingmygun(Beah).Thisshowsthatthepillsthey
givethechildrenmakethembelievekillingisokayandblockthekidsfromfeelingbadforwhat
theydo(Beah).Thechildaregiventhetabletstohelpthemkillpeoplewithoutfeelingguiltyand
theywotthinkofitasmurderinginnocentpeopletheywillthinkofitaskillingtherebels(Beah).
AnotherexperienceIshmaelsharedaboutbeingdruggedwasWesmokedmarijuanaand
sniffedbrownbrown,cocainemixedwithgunpowder,whichwasalwaysspreadoutonatable
neartheammunitionhut,andofcourseItookmoreofthewhitecapsules,asIhadbecome
addictedtothem(Beah).Thisshowsthataftertonsofchildrengetgiventhosewhitecapsulesthat

theygetaddictedtothemandotherdrugs(Beah).Also,iftheydon'tgetthedrugstheywillhave
urgesforthemandcouldruintheirhealth,alsomanykidsdiefromjusttherefirsttimeoftaking
drugs(Beah).
Finally,childsoldiersarevictimsbecausetheyarebrainwashedortrickedintothinking
they'redoinggoodwhenthey'reactuallydoingbad(Beah).IshmaelscommandersaidWeare
movingoutinfiveminutestokillsomerebelsandtaketheirsupplies,whichreallybelongtous.
Heoftenmadespeechesabouthowweweredefendingourcountry,howhonorablewe
were(Beah).Thisshowsthatthecommandersweretrickingthekidsintothinkingthattheywere
doinggoodandthattheyarehonorablepeopleforwhattheydo(Beah).IshmaeloncesaidThe
ideaofdeathdidntcrossmymind,andkillinghadbecomeaseasyasdrinkingwater(Beah).
Afterthatfirstkilling,mymindhadstoppedmakingremorsefulrecords,orsoitseemed(Beah).
Thisshowsthattheyhavebrainwashedtheseyoungkidsintothinkingitslikeagametokillthe
rebelsandtheyfeelnopainorguiltanymorebecauseofthedrugstheytake(Beah).Ishmael
shareshisexperiencewiththerebelsHespatinthecorporalsface,andthecorporal
immediatelyshothimintheheadatcloserange(Beah).Hefelltotheground,andbloodslowly
leakedoutofhishead.Wecheeredinadmirationofthecorporalsactionandsalutedhimashe
walkedby(Beah).Thisshowsthattherebrainwashedtokillanddon'tfeelanythingwhenthey
killsomeoneorseesomeonedoing(Beah).Also,itshowsthatgivingthemdrugsmadethemnot
feelanythingandtheyarehappytoseearebeldieingwhichwouldn'tbethenormalreactionofa
youngboy(Beah).
Somemightsaythatthechildrenchosetojointhemilitaryandhelpfurtherthisproblem
byChildsoldiersarethesameaschildcriminals(Beah).Childsoldiershavebeenresponsible

formanykillingsandbrutalactsofviolencebutitskillorbekilledandtheywannalivebecause
theybarelygottoliveaquarteroftheirlivessotheydecidetokill(Beah).Childsoldiersare
brainwashedanddruggedintothinkingthatviolenceisokayanditsnotthekidswhowanttodo
ititsthedrugsandtrickspulledbythemilitarycommanders(Beah).Anotherargumentpeople
havesaidisthatthechildrenkepttakingthedrugstohelpthembutthatsnottotallytruebecause
theywereforcedtotakethedrugsandthentheygotaddictedtothemsotheycouldntstop
takingthem(Beah).
Therefore,childsoldiersarevictimsbecausetheyaretricked,drugged,brainwashed,and
scaredforlifefromthisexperienceandnochildshouldhavetogothroughthishorrid
experience.

WorkCited
Beah,Ishmael."TheMaking,andUnmaking,ofaChildSoldier."
TheNewYorkTimes
.The
NewYorkTimes,13Jan.2007.Web.09Mar.2015.