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Well we all say that we hate waking up to go to school, but can you imagine waking up in the middle of the night to prepare for a war that you're not even ready for? These kids were taken from their homes their families some were kidnapped from events. They never got to feel safe again these kids have gone through so much. Kids were drugged they dependent on them we tell our kids to stay away from them, when there's kids younger than 10 doing them. All these kids thought the other soldiers were trying to kill them but in reality they were trying to help them! The kids that are older than 18 should not be given amnesty because after the years of fighting they should have caught on that they are killing innocent soldiers trying to rescue them. The kids eventually don't care what they are doing and why they are doing it. The kids were drugged, kidnapped, sold into the war. No child should go through all that pain!
A 13 year old girl from Mogadishu told Amnesty
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In the article titled (Think Again:Child Soldiers) it stated “Child soldiers are are usually depicted as victims.That's accurate:Exploited,torn from their families,deprived of their education,and forced into battle, child soldiers are casualties of war.” It's sad that these kids are so called “casualties” of war.They never got to play with dolls or sports all they know is their family didn't want them or just needed the extra money. Now in the article titled (Armed & Underage) written by Jeffrey Gettlman it quoted “Thousands of boys,some as young as 10,are purchased,kidnapped, or terrorized into joining the country's army.”Do they think these kids are merchandise? These kids are humans too they want to be treated like it! In the cover of the magazine (Armed & Underage) it stated “Hundreds of thousands of children are being forced to serve as soldiers in conflicts around the war.” I think that just says it as it
As defined by Timothy Webster, author of Babes with Arms: International Law and Child Soldiers, a child soldier is “any person under the age of eighteen who is or has been associated with any kind of regular or irregular armed group, including those who serve as porters, spies, cooks, messengers and including girls recruited for sexual purposes (Webster, 2007, pp.230). As this definition reveals, a child soldier is more than simply a child with a gun. It is estimated that there are approximately 300,000 children under the age of 18, being used as soldiers in 33 conflicts currently, and this figure continues to rise (Webster, 2007, pp.227). Similarly, in 1999 it was estimated that more than 120,000 children, under the age of 18, were used as soldiers to fight ...
...t they are easy to access; they are low cost, and easy to manipulate. When children are on the battlefield fighting for their lives, they become more violent and tend to do more killing than usual, raping girls, and torturing others. The armies, militia, and rebel groups recruit the children and separate the community to resist the conscription. The child is being forced to commit murder and turn against their family and friends because this proves that the child is recognized and implicated in the violence they have created. Child soldiers are known to be criminals, traitors, or even terrorists, so they would be held in military prisons. When either girl or boys are captured they go through abusive interrogation procedure, torture, isolations, rape, and death threats. These are the consequences of children being on the battlefield and shortly after being captured.
As an example, in the article Child Soldiers it states “ More often than not, children have no say in whether they enlist or not and once recruited the children have become brainwashed through the use of drugs and alcohol” (Child Soldiers) As you can see, this shows how children have no control if they kill or not from either being threatened with death or being drugged. In addition, in the article The Child Soldier on Trial at Guantanamo it talks about how a child soldier got interrogated by guards where they told him he would be gang-raped and murdered if he didn’t obey (Prasow). This is another example of how these kids have to choose between life and death at such a young age. This is just one main reason why these kids deserve
Children have been used as soldiers in many events, however two that stand out are the use of child soldiers in the Sierra Leone civil war and the drug cartels in Mexico. Most people agree that forcing children to be soldiers is wrong and not humane. The people that make them soldiers transform them into belligerent beings by force. Child soldiers of drug cartels and the armies of Sierra Leone were threatened with their lives if they didn’t become soldiers. The lives of these child soldiers are lives that nobody should live. Situations in both countries are horrible because of the high number of youngsters that are forced to take part in drug use and are transformed into extremely belligerent and inhumane people; in addition they are deprived
They are just kids. Only, they are not normal, they have lost everything they love and need to feel safe. Their family, a reliable food source, and their shelter- all gone. These kids are left completely stranded. Searching for the things that were taken from them. This is terrible because when these kids see others around their age fighting with these commanders, that are around the age of their parents or older siblings… the kids must think that now they have a chance getting the things they are searching for. Although now they are trapped, they are going to fight with these people no matter what, and some of these commanders have children as young as nine years old fighting for on their front lines. As told in the article “Armed and Underage” by Jeffrey Gettleman. Also, it is not just boys who are joining and fighting. Girls will join too, because they are looking for the same thing. But it is even worse for them. They are forced to be cooks, messengers, spies, and sexual slaves. This comes with sexual abuse, and rape. The sad thing is, this is only my first reason as to why child soldiers should be given amnesty, and a guided path to
In 2007 the world was introduced to a family of eight from California through a reality show titled “Keeping Up With The Kardashians.” America had no idea who these people were and why we needed to keep up with them. In the beginning they were viewed as an average family, but it was quickly revealed to the world that they were far from the average American family. The kids have no respect for their parents, they constantly curse and yell at their mom, the kids touch each other inappropriately, and say inappropriate things while being filmed and later air these things for America to see. People have very negative views on this family, constantly criticize and bash them on the internet, but the only changes they have made stem from cosmetic surgeries. Despite all the negative responses the Kardashians have received the family is on their eleventh season of the reality show, and it appears that the family has gained power over many Americans because of the ratings that the television show has received over the years, but the question is why. Why is America along with the rest of the world keeping up with this family even
In the world, there are about 300,000 children recruited as child soldiers (Hill 1). One-third of this number of children fight and serve for the government military or rebel groups in Africa (Hill 1). “According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, child soldiers are defined as all children engaged in hostilities under age 18. Although they are under 18, the roles of children in armed conflict are not limited because of their young age. Some children fight on the front lines of combat. Others perform manual labor, such as digging trenches, working in the kitchen, or carrying food, ammunition, or other supplies, often for long distances. Still others, primarily female children and adolescents, are reduced to sexual servants for military and rebel leaders” (Hill 1).
“Children, you call them? They can pull a trigger just as well as veterans …” (Colonel Marcus Cullen, War Hammer 40,000). People should question the world in which they live when a child is forced to become a soldier. Especially when the children are under the age of 18, they should not be required to fight. Many children who are demanded to fight are taken from their families. These young adolescents are mistreated; malnurtured, abused and the girls are usually used for sexual purposes.
Should child soldiers be prosecuted or should they be given amnesty? There are thousands of child soldiers committing war crimes around the world in countries such as Afghanistan, Colombia, India Iraq, Israel, and more. For many reasons I believe that yes they SHOULD be prosecuted.
Throughout the world children younger than 18 are being enlisted into the armed forces to fight while suffering through multiple abuses from their commanders. Children living in areas and countries that are at war are seemingly always the ones being recruited into the armed forces. These children are said to be fighting in about 75 percent of the world’s conflicts with most being 14 years or younger (Singer 2). In 30 countries around the world, the number of boys and girls under the age of 18 fighting as soldiers in government and opposition armed forces is said to be around 300,000 (“Child Soldiers: An Overview” 1). These statistics are clearly devastating and can be difficult to comprehend, since the number of child soldiers around the world should be zero. Furthermore, hundreds of thousands adolescent children are being or have been recruited into paramilitaries, militias and non-state groups in more than 85 countries (“Child Soldiers: An Overview” 1). This information is also quite overwhelming. Child soldiers are used around the world, but in some areas, the numbers are more concentrated.
Every year an estimation of child soldiers is about 300,000. Child soldiers are another form of human trafficking or in other words modern day slavery. A child soldier is any child under the age of eighteen who is a part of any armed grouped. Children, who are poor, have limited access to education or separated are most likely to be abducted. Both girls and boys as young as age seven are forced into child soldiers. Young girls and women are raped by the soldiers and if they refuse they are killed instantly. Once recruited, child soldiers serve as spies, cooks, messengers, and guards. Children are easily targeted because they can easily be manipulated especially when drugs are being
For decades, there has been constant conflict on whether or not children should be used in war or battle. Millions of children have been forced into fighting for militaries. The question is, should child soldiers be given amnesty? “Children are forced by commanders through false promises, drugs and things which you can’t even imagine, to kill innocent civilians, other children, and even their own families.” This quote from Child Soldiers helps give a good idea of what these children are being put through and what they are being forced to achieve.
“More often than not children have no say in whether they enlist or not and once recruited the children become brainwashed through the use of drugs and alcohol. The drugs and alcohol make the children become more compliant enabling them to commit atrocities which they never would have before,” (Child Soldiers: Victims or Perpetrators?, childsoldiersinvisiblechildren.org). They are exposed and forced to consume alcohol and drugs; such as marijuana, crack, and gunpowder mixed with cocaine. These are obviously substances that would mess with anyone’s mind, not just children. It has an even bigger effect on minors, who’s brains aren’t fully developed.
In many Middle Eastern and African countries, independent groups and even armies are enlisting children, many younger than ten. Some are forced to do it, being taken from their homes, or even enlisted by their own parents. Child soldiers are unable to understand the consequences of their actions, and they kill others mindlessly. Even if the children do initially understand what they are doing is wrong, they are lied to and brainwashed until they believe it is right. Child soldiers should not be punished with war crimes because they do not want to fight, do not understand what they are doing wrong, and are constantly being brainwashed by leaders.
Child Soldiers: The use of children in the military. Child Soldiers have three different roles in armed conflict. They can take a direct part in hostilities, or they can be used for support, such as sexual slaves, lookouts, messengers, and spies. Also, they can be used in the political aspect of war. Because many children have been physically or mentally damaged by their participation in armed conflict, children should not have any involvement in any armed conflict and should be removed indefinitely from warfare. Every child has the right to go to school, free from violence. Children have been used in the military for hundreds of years.