Child Soldiers
On average half of the children who are fighting on rebel armies in africa were kidnapped and forced to take drugs, most of these kids are not even 15 years old but they have to fight or they will be killed by the rebel commanders. If any of these children escape the war they may have many years to a life time of PTSD and become scarred for life. From this I believe that child soldiers are victims and should not be punished by what rebels force them to do.
I believe that child soldiers are victims and should not be punished by their actions.
One reason that proves that child soldiers are victims are that they are kidnapped, in the blue article when it states that rebels are snatching kids off soccer fields and forcing them to fight. From the pink article when it said that when Bosco Ojok was only 14 years old he was abducted by rebel soldiers and forced to fight with them or die. From the book, when michel chikwanine was attacked by soldiers and forced to go with them.
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From the book, michels wrist was cut open by rebel soldiers, they then proceeded to put “brown brown”, a mixture of cocaine and gunpowder, in his wrist. Then they blindfolded him and put a gun in his hands and made him pull the trigger, when they took the blindfold off his best friend kevin was laying in a pool of blood in front of him. From the pink article, it said that kids were seen marching with AK-47’s to kill and if they didn't kill they would get killed.From the video, Ishmael Beal, the child soldier from sierra leone told the audience that he was told that if he didn't fight for the rebels they would kill
They include messengers, porters, spies, and sex slaves. So great is the diversity of tasks that many advocates now prefer the less punchy but more accurate term, children associated with fighting forces.” (Gates para 5) Why should an undereducated child who hasn’t committed any crimes besides being involved in a war that they didn’t want to fight be prosecuted for anything. Another example of how some child soldiers aren’t killers comes from an article titled “Prosecuting Child Soldiers For Their Own Safety.” this article says that not all child soldiers murder but some cook or as said in the article “Most girls are forcibly abducted and given roles as cooks, porters, spies, “wives”, and in combat, says Susan McKay of the University of Wyoming, who has interviewed girl soldiers throughout central Africa.” (Leahy para 10) clearly not all children in combat have committed crimes but are rather victims and shouldn’t be prosecuted for being in the military but should be helped and given a second chance at their
First off, child soldiers are held against their will to do dangerous tasks that they have no say in. In an article interviewing Ishmael Beah, a former child soldier, he states, "Somebody being shot in front of you, or you yourself shooting somebody became just like drinking a glass of water. Children who refused to fight, kill or showed any weakness were ruthlessly dealt with.”
These children have no choice but to fight if they want to stay alive. These child soldiers shouldn't be persecuted because they are just innocent children who had their families killed, their homes destroyed, and now have nowhere to go. Even if these children wanted to leave, they couldn't because if they did, they would just be killed. These children didn't really have a choice to leave or not, but they got the benefit of food, water and shelter but were forced to kill other innocent people. But overall these children were drugged if they didn't fight so that
A lot of the children interviewed within the first chapter of Peter W. Singer’s book Children at War are under the age of 12. They speak of torturing people in the most horrific of ways. Such as when joining the paramilitaries, A., age twelve, states that the first thing they make you do is kill someone. A random person is picked for the recruits to chop off his hands and arms. It is important to realize however, that not all of these child soldiers are as young as 7. Singer explains that a “A ‘child soldier’ is generally defined (under both international law and common practice) as any person under eighteen years of age who is engaged in deadly combat or combat support as part of an armed force or group.” What is most horrendous is
Child soldiers are victims because they were drugged with cocaine and marijuana so then the kids will do what they were told, but i think child soldiers should get amnesty because they had no control of going into war or staying out of war. These kids were drugged and threatened to do all of these things and if the kids didn't do it then they would be shot or most likely killed.
The first reason child soldiers are victims is because they have nothing left and everything has been taken from them. Secondly, child soldiers have been drugged and threatened. Finally, child soldiers are victims because they have had bad past experiences and have been taught that what they are doing is the correct thing. These children are being treated like a puppy, getting trained and helpless. Think if you were in their situation.
When it comes to prosecuting young children solders there are two very strong arguments. One brings up that the child soldiers are not morally responsive for their actions
One significant piece of evidence to support the claim that child soldiers are both the victims and be given amnesty is Ishmael who is a former child soldier who has been given amnesty and he tells others about his experience as a child soldier. He was taking refuge in a camp and forced to be a soldier. Before, he and other child soldiers went on missions they were given drugs and he does not remember much of what he had done. This piece of evidence supports the claim that child soldiers are the victims and should be given amnesty, because it shows that they do not have a choice in becoming a soldier and are given drugs so they are not are thinking clearly and they don’t know what they are doing.
First off, child soldiers are often forced to be recruited. “Often they are abducted at school, on the streets or at home.” ("From Cradle to War." Amnesty International. Amnesty International USA, Web. 3 May 2016.) Almost all child soldiers are forced to do things as a soldier that they wouldn’t actually do, such as hurt or kill others. So although some child soldiers want to hurt or kill, most don’t want to. So obviously, most child soldiers are forced to do bad things that they don’t want to do, and wouldn’t do if they hadn’t become a soldier.
Have you ever been forced to do something you didn’t want to do? Many child soldiers go ask them selfs the question everyday. I feel that the child soldiers shouldn’t go to jail for their actions during war. Many people might not think the same as me, but i have several reasons to support my opinion.
Are you aware that right now, at this very moment, there is a group of young boys ages 8-13 who are clenching a gun being ordered to kill against their will? It’s understood that others opinions about the dangers of child soldiers being free are only because they don’t want to risk anything but, isn’t life all about taking risks? You risk your life leaving the house, and breathing. Also, countries should not prosecute child soldiers for the crimes they committed during wartime. There also should not be an international minimum age of criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Here are three reasons why they should not be prosecuted or held responsible. Also that there should not be an age limit. One. Children are afraid, young, and clueless. Two. Children are 99.99% of the time drugged, forced, and brainwashed. “Children are often brainwashed and drugged before they are forced to fight. Their vulnerability can allow warlords to make them into cold-blooded killers” (O'Neill 1 ). Three. Children are independent, lonesome, and they want/need a family. One that gives them love.
So instead of trying to punish them for their actions, should they be given amnesty instead? There are many reasons to why child soldiers even do what they do. According to the article Child Soldiers - Summative Essay, many of them are forced to join out of their own will. This includes them being kidnapped from their family and taken to some military camp to being forcefully recruited into serving a specific fighting group. Children are forced to serve by commanders through false promises, drugs, and other things that are unimaginable.
Child soldiers are victims to an unfortunate outcome when viciously stolen from reality and their childhoods. Drugged, brainwashed,and armed these kids are taught at an impressionable age that in war it's kill or be killed. They are given no other option than to participate in this war, so child soldiers should be granted amnesty.
Many of these children grew up in poor communities, later being forced to fight after their homes had been invaded. In the article, “Helping to heal child soldiers”, it tells a story of a teenager with the name of Ishmael Beah who went from having a loving family, to nobody at all. He explains how he had been forced to fight after his town was taken over, and how this event had impacted his life. This article also states that for ishmael, the only option that he had in this war was
Children recruited into the armed forces in these countries are forced by their commanders to commit atrocities against other soldiers and villagers. They may also suffer through punishments themselves. Commanders have been known to force their child recruits to witness and/or commit abuses against their own families or captured prisoners (“Coercion and Intimidation of Child Soldiers to Participate in Violence” 1). For instance, child soldiers recruited into Uganda’s Lord’s Resistance Army have been forced to tie their parents to trees and club them to death or be killed themselves (Taylor 1). Physical