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MaKenziSchmidt
Ms.Robillard
LA8Hour5
12March2015
ChildSoldiersAreVictims
Itdoesnttakeageniustofigureoutthatmiddleschoolagedchildrenshouldbelearning
atthistimenottrainingtobeawarrior!Formanyyears,childrenoryoungteensarebeingsent
intothehellthatiswar.Theyarekilled,trickedintofighting,andrewiretheirbrainsemotionally
sotheycanmurderpeopleandnotstop.Thesekidsarevictimsinthewarbecausetheyare
forcedtobeinitandlivethroughit.
Howevertheothersidemaysaythattheyshouldbeputinthewarforbeingyoung
criminals,butwouldyouwanttotakeawayafutureofayoungchild?Theycanbepunishedin
manydifferentways,butpeoplechoosetoputtheminthewartobekilled.
ThefirstreasonIbelievechildrensoldiersarevictimsisbecausemanykidshavebeen
killedbythehandofanenemyinwar.Aquotationfoundinarecentarticlestates,..inthelast
tenyearsovertwomillionchildrenhavebeenkilled..(ChildSoldier:Victimsor
Perpetrators?).Thisshowsthatmanychildrenareblindlybeingforcedintothisviolentwar,not
givenmuchofachoiceinthedecisioningoingintowar.Also,anotherquotewasfoundinthe
samearticle,whichislinkedtothisone,..over10millionhavebeendiagnosedwith
psychologicaltrauma..(ChildSoldier:VictimsorPerpetrators?).Children,whenforcedinto
this,arenottreatedwithrespectnorkindness,sowhentheydie,theydiealone.Thisisextremely
sadandveryshocking.Furthermore,thelastsliceofevidencethatwasgatheryetagain,fromthe

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samearticleis,..oversixmillionhavebeenleftseriouslyinjuredorpermanentlydisabled..
(ChildSoldier:VictimsorPerpetrators?).Thisdoesnotsaythatmanychildrendied,butdogo
homewithvariousinjuriesandotherlifethreateningdisabilities.
AsecondreasonthatIbelievechildrensoldiersarevictimsisbecausetheyaregiven
thingstocoaxthemintofighting.Anarticlewiththisclearproofreads,Theyprovidethemwith
water,food,shelterandwealth.Notonlythis,butdrugsandalcoholaswell,whichmakesitso
whentheyareincombat,theyaredrunkandunabletorecallthattheymurderedsomebody.
(ChildSoldier:VictimsorPerpetrators?).Achildmaynotbeabletorecallthatthiseventever
occurred,butcanstillrememberthattheyobviouslykilledsomebody.Notonlythis,buttheyare
alsounabletodenythesenecessitiesbecauseiftheyaresupplyingthenewsoldierswiththem,
theolderoneswouldnotbeabletosatisfytheirownabilitytosustainlife.Continuing,afairly
similarquotestates,..aslongastheyfight,thentheyweretoberewardedwithgoodssuchas
thedrugsandalcohol,maybeevensweets.(Unknown).Thisisobviouslyshowingthatthese
childrenarebeingabsentmindedlycoaxedintothisragingwar,notgivingthoughtaboutwhat
dangerslayaheadintheirpaths.Thissituationsoundsfairlysimilartoachildabduction,ifIam
notmistaken.Movingon,thelastpieceofevidencefoundinthisnextarticleexplainsinashort
amountofwords,thatthisisinfacthappening,..deathoftheirfamilies.Becausetheydont
havefamilyleft,theyareinneedofhavingfoodandshelterandotherthingstolive.Whatthis
shows,istheplainfactoftakingawayfamilyinordertogainmoreyoung,freshmindedsoldiers.
LastlyIbelievethatchildrensoldiersarevictimsbecausetheiremotionsandmindsets
willhavebeenchangedduringthatperiodoftime,notbeingthesamepersontheywerewhen
theygohomefromthewar.Amanthatwroteanarticleonthisexplains,..Ibelievetheyshould

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betakentorehabilitationcenterinorderforthemtobereintegratedintosociety.(Child
Soldier:VictimsorPerpetrators?).Inallhonesty,thisshouldbethecase.Afterwartakesplace
inayoungadultslife,theyshouldcertainlyseesomeoneandtalkaboutthethingsthattheyhave
seen.Somethingsthattheyseewillchangetheirviewsonmanythings,nottomention
posttraumaticstressdisorderthatcomesalongwiththosethings.Arelatedquotationstressesthe
importanceofrehabilitationafterbeinginwar,notactuallysayingthewordsbutmakesitclear
thattheyshouldgethelp,..Theyarealsoforcedintofightingthroughdrugsandalcohol.The
drugs,oftencocainemixedwithgunpowder,brainwashthechildrentothepointwherethey
wouldrathernotescapefromthehorrorunravelingaroundthem.(ChildSoldier:Victimsor
Perpetrators?)Ibelieveanyonecouldseethatpeoplewithdrinkingproblemsneedrehabilitation
buttobeinawarandgetusedtodrinkingasaminor,isabsolutelyterrible,andwillneedmore
thanenoughhelptogetbackontrackwiththeirlife.Althoughthismaynotbetherightkindof
thingtodo,itwillhelpinthelongrun,whichthenextquotewillemphasize,...Iangrilypointed
mygun...andkilledmorepeople.Ishoteverythingthatmoved.(Beah)Thisisarealquote
madebyIshmaelBeah,amanwhowasanactualchildsoldier.Hewroteabookabouthis
experienceinthewarasachild,explaininghowthischangedhiminmanydifferentways.He
wasatruevictimoutofmanychildsoldierslefttotellaboutwhathappened.
Childsoldiersarevictimsandshouldnotbeforcedintowar,butinsteadstudyingwith
friendsandmakingdramaforthemselves.Thisistruebecausetheyarekilledbytheenemy
daily,coaxedintofightinginthewar,andtheyarementallychangedbythethingstheysee
everyday.Ibelievethatchildrenshouldnothavetofightinwar,butonlyadultsshould.Many

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childrenwanttogrowoldanddieold,butinsteadthatisgettingtakenawayfromthem.Would
youwanttobethepersonwhotakesawaytheirfuture?

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WorksCited
Beah,Ishmael."TheMaking,andUnmaking,ofaChildSoldier."
TheNewYorkTimes
.The
NewYorkTimes,13Jan.2007.Web.09Mar.2015.
"InvisibleChildren."
InvisibleChildrenLegacyComments
.InvisibleChildren,n.d.Web.01Mar.
2015.