preview

Speech On Child Soldiers

Decent Essays

Imagine you are in Syria, you are in a military base, drugged and there is a gun pointed to your head. This is what child soldiers face every day. The issue of children being soldiers has dated back to World War 1, when 250,000 children under 18 in Great Britain enlisted to fight. Today, there are 300,000 child soldiers around the world, fighting grown men with more experience, and many are dying. The big issue with children being soldiers is the fact that they’re being intoxicated with harmful drugs and alcohol, their minds aren’t fully developed to make educated decisions, and these children are becoming soldiers against their will. On top of all of this, the child soldiers and their commanders are committing war crimes. Examples of war crimes are willful killing, causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health, and torture or inhumane treatment. In some parts of the world, people think children being soldiers is okay, but it really isn’t. Even though some children commit war crimes on purpose, most do not; therefore, should be granted amnesty. The first reason why child soldiers should be given amnesty is because they are being fed harmful drug concoctions to make them better killers and their minds aren’t developed enough to make good decisions. According to an interview of a former child soldier, “By the time he was 12, Beah's parents and two brothers were all dead.” (Beah) Ishmael Beah escaped his hometown to find safety from the rebels that killed his

Get Access