Should Child Soldiers Be Given Amnesty?
Imagine children, that people typically see running around town and enjoying themselves, actually being forced into combat around the world for no reason. In some places such as Africa and South America, armies are forcing children to fight in their battles. When the children fight they are committing crimes such as raping, beating and maiming. These places are debating over the issue on whether or not child soldiers should be forgiven for what they have been forced to do. Child soldiers should be given amnesty because, they have no control over their life, they were under a bad influence, and they were forced to fight.
Child soldiers should receive amnesty because, at a young age these adolescents had no control …show more content…
over their life, and there only realistic choice was to fight. One child soldier named Babacho Mama was 10 years old, when he choose to be a child soldier, for he believed it was the only way to survive. According to reporter Kevin Sieff, children like Babacho went to fight because in the barracks they would at least have something to eat and would not starve. (Sieff) These children like Babacho are constantly in poverty, wondering when their next meal will be. Sometimes they may go days with minimal food. However, if these children were to join the effort of fighting, then they could at least have some food every day. So, most children actually associated in the war, but because that is their only option. For the only way they would not starve is to join this. On the other hand, some children simply didn’t want to be a child soldier at all, but were kidnapped and had no choice. Merrit Kennedy a reporter on a case about child soldiers, wrote about how thousand of children were being abducted and forced to fight. Not to mention they were also becoming sex slaves and porters (Kennedy). Clearly, multiple children are simply not wanting to become child soldiers. They may be living a decent life, and then one day it all changes. Commanders are constantly abducting children to live this life of fighting, and other consequences. These children did not have control when this happened, for if they did try to do something to get away they would be punished. To conclude one reason why child soldiers should be shown amnesty is that fact that they had limited control over whether they were one or not, and it is not there fault.
Another reason why child soldiers should be shown amnesty is because they were under a bad influence. These child soldiers were given a bad influence by commanders to do treacherous things that they were taught was right.A former child soldier named Babachu Mama had to sing,“' The enemy is raping our women, 10 men to a woman,'he sang.'I have my rocket-propelled grenade, and I’m ready to fight,' he sang” (Sieff). This is a song that child soldiers were taught to sing by their commanders. They are children still in their youth, and have no other option but to fight. They may be going to fight but while they are at it horrid ideas are filling their brains. They are now learning these terrible songs, songs that are a bad influence and teach these children that raping women is a good thing to do. Furthermore, if these adolescents did not have bad influences on their life they would probably be happy children, and not commit all these crimes. Not only are they being taught awful songs but also, they are only being taught how to kill. A district coordinator for the concerned parents of child's soldiers writes,“ [The children are] trained how to torture, and trained how to kill, that's all [they] know” (Blue, Woodward). This means that children are basically being only taught how to kill, not anything significant that most people are supposed to be learning. They have such bad influential commanders that they aren’t proper children. However this isn’t there fault, for this is all they knew.To conclude, child soldiers should be given amnesty because they are under such a bad influence Most importantly,child soldiers should be is because they were forced to fight. Children that are soldiers are being forced to fight and do all these horrible things for they are given drugs to make their thoughts do this. A reporter working on this issue in that region said that,” as many as 95 percent of [child soldiers] used in armed conflicts are introduced to drugs, most commonly marijuana,[and other drugs] are also used" (Bindu)These poor adolescents are given so many drugs that it makes it so that have more aggression to fight. About 95% of these children are being given drugs and they are not even old enough yet. There is no way these children can fight this aggression that they are being taught to do.Ultimately it is not their fault they have the aggression they have now. These children are also be forced to fight for if they do not they will have severe and life threatening consequences. In the article Hope for Uganda's Child Soldiers talks about how a kid named Bosco Ojok who was trying to escape from being a child soldier. Bosco says that during his escape, it tended to be risky for if he ended up being caught he could be killed.(Blue & Woodward 1).This means, that even if these child soldiers want to run away they are almost incapable. They would have to get past every other child soldier looking for them. they have a slim chance of getting away and even then they will not have a good life for they will not have good food. To conclude child soldiers should be shown the amnesty because if they want to leave its hard, and they are given drugs to basically make them fight.
Other people may argue however that child soldiers should not be shown amnesty.
People believe that the fact that child soldiers go into rehab and choose to go back to their life of maniac killing is missing ."Two years later, the [child soldier] are returning to the battlefield" (Sieff). People are missing the big reason that these children actually do have the chance to go to rehab. In the end however these children choose to go back to the battlefield, it is there choice in the end if they want to fight or go back to a normal life.However this is a true statement, people are forgetting the fact that these poor children after fighting all they know is this life.According to a child soldier specialist named Lucie Bindu says that child soldiers with drug abuse while fighting. Often have a hard time coping with their surroundings after rehab (Bindu). People are forgetting that these children have been taking drugs for so long to make them fight, and pretty much this life of fighting is all they know. They may have the chance to go to rehab and get better, but it hard for them to go back to a life they barely knew. They have been fighting there whole life and they expect them to go back to not fighting, that can be very hard. To conclude, it may be said that child soldiers have had the chance to go to rehab and decide to go back, but this can actually be hard for
them.
Even though child soldiers should be shown amnesty is a strong argument, there is one instance where this is false. This instance happens to be if a child soldier becomes an adult, and still pursues to abducting children. This has happened a couple times and one of those people being Dominic Ongwen. According to writer Merrit Kennedy, Ogwen was a child soldier and soon became a leader. While he was a leader he commited 70 war crimes and did horrible things to children (Kennedy). In this case child soldiers like Ogwen should not receive, because they have chosen this path at this point. They are no longer fighting against their will, these old child soldiers are now forcing other children to be soldiers. This is now the child soldiers choice to keep this up. So in the end they should not be shown amnesty.
As shown child soldiers should receive amnesty for a number of reasons. These adolescents have no control over there life and have been brought into this path of fighting.Studies show how soldiers are being forced to fight by the drugs and other things being put into them. Not to mention that they are under a bad influence of commanders since they have been forced to join the war. Though it may be argued that child soldiers have the opportunity to stop and do not, it is easier to realize that this can be hard for them. As people debate over what should happen to these child soldiers, people who are fortunate enough to not have to fight should be thankful. People that have had a good enough life with food, and not having to fight should feel bad. People are sitting here enjoying their lives while poor children even younger then a lot of people are fighting so hard and for something they do not want to.
Child soldiers should receive amnesty because, at a young age these adolescents had no control …show more content…
over their life, and there only realistic choice was to fight. One child soldier named Babacho Mama was 10 years old, when he choose to be a child soldier, for he believed it was the only way to survive. According to reporter Kevin Sieff, children like Babacho went to fight because in the barracks they would at least have something to eat and would not starve. (Sieff) These children like Babacho are constantly in poverty, wondering when their next meal will be. Sometimes they may go days with minimal food. However, if these children were to join the effort of fighting, then they could at least have some food every day. So, most children actually associated in the war, but because that is their only option. For the only way they would not starve is to join this. On the other hand, some children simply didn’t want to be a child soldier at all, but were kidnapped and had no choice. Merrit Kennedy a reporter on a case about child soldiers, wrote about how thousand of children were being abducted and forced to fight. Not to mention they were also becoming sex slaves and porters (Kennedy). Clearly, multiple children are simply not wanting to become child soldiers. They may be living a decent life, and then one day it all changes. Commanders are constantly abducting children to live this life of fighting, and other consequences. These children did not have control when this happened, for if they did try to do something to get away they would be punished. To conclude one reason why child soldiers should be shown amnesty is that fact that they had limited control over whether they were one or not, and it is not there fault.
Another reason why child soldiers should be shown amnesty is because they were under a bad influence. These child soldiers were given a bad influence by commanders to do treacherous things that they were taught was right.A former child soldier named Babachu Mama had to sing,“' The enemy is raping our women, 10 men to a woman,'he sang.'I have my rocket-propelled grenade, and I’m ready to fight,' he sang” (Sieff). This is a song that child soldiers were taught to sing by their commanders. They are children still in their youth, and have no other option but to fight. They may be going to fight but while they are at it horrid ideas are filling their brains. They are now learning these terrible songs, songs that are a bad influence and teach these children that raping women is a good thing to do. Furthermore, if these adolescents did not have bad influences on their life they would probably be happy children, and not commit all these crimes. Not only are they being taught awful songs but also, they are only being taught how to kill. A district coordinator for the concerned parents of child's soldiers writes,“ [The children are] trained how to torture, and trained how to kill, that's all [they] know” (Blue, Woodward). This means that children are basically being only taught how to kill, not anything significant that most people are supposed to be learning. They have such bad influential commanders that they aren’t proper children. However this isn’t there fault, for this is all they knew.To conclude, child soldiers should be given amnesty because they are under such a bad influence Most importantly,child soldiers should be is because they were forced to fight. Children that are soldiers are being forced to fight and do all these horrible things for they are given drugs to make their thoughts do this. A reporter working on this issue in that region said that,” as many as 95 percent of [child soldiers] used in armed conflicts are introduced to drugs, most commonly marijuana,[and other drugs] are also used" (Bindu)These poor adolescents are given so many drugs that it makes it so that have more aggression to fight. About 95% of these children are being given drugs and they are not even old enough yet. There is no way these children can fight this aggression that they are being taught to do.Ultimately it is not their fault they have the aggression they have now. These children are also be forced to fight for if they do not they will have severe and life threatening consequences. In the article Hope for Uganda's Child Soldiers talks about how a kid named Bosco Ojok who was trying to escape from being a child soldier. Bosco says that during his escape, it tended to be risky for if he ended up being caught he could be killed.(Blue & Woodward 1).This means, that even if these child soldiers want to run away they are almost incapable. They would have to get past every other child soldier looking for them. they have a slim chance of getting away and even then they will not have a good life for they will not have good food. To conclude child soldiers should be shown the amnesty because if they want to leave its hard, and they are given drugs to basically make them fight.
Other people may argue however that child soldiers should not be shown amnesty.
People believe that the fact that child soldiers go into rehab and choose to go back to their life of maniac killing is missing ."Two years later, the [child soldier] are returning to the battlefield" (Sieff). People are missing the big reason that these children actually do have the chance to go to rehab. In the end however these children choose to go back to the battlefield, it is there choice in the end if they want to fight or go back to a normal life.However this is a true statement, people are forgetting the fact that these poor children after fighting all they know is this life.According to a child soldier specialist named Lucie Bindu says that child soldiers with drug abuse while fighting. Often have a hard time coping with their surroundings after rehab (Bindu). People are forgetting that these children have been taking drugs for so long to make them fight, and pretty much this life of fighting is all they know. They may have the chance to go to rehab and get better, but it hard for them to go back to a life they barely knew. They have been fighting there whole life and they expect them to go back to not fighting, that can be very hard. To conclude, it may be said that child soldiers have had the chance to go to rehab and decide to go back, but this can actually be hard for
them.
Even though child soldiers should be shown amnesty is a strong argument, there is one instance where this is false. This instance happens to be if a child soldier becomes an adult, and still pursues to abducting children. This has happened a couple times and one of those people being Dominic Ongwen. According to writer Merrit Kennedy, Ogwen was a child soldier and soon became a leader. While he was a leader he commited 70 war crimes and did horrible things to children (Kennedy). In this case child soldiers like Ogwen should not receive, because they have chosen this path at this point. They are no longer fighting against their will, these old child soldiers are now forcing other children to be soldiers. This is now the child soldiers choice to keep this up. So in the end they should not be shown amnesty.
As shown child soldiers should receive amnesty for a number of reasons. These adolescents have no control over there life and have been brought into this path of fighting.Studies show how soldiers are being forced to fight by the drugs and other things being put into them. Not to mention that they are under a bad influence of commanders since they have been forced to join the war. Though it may be argued that child soldiers have the opportunity to stop and do not, it is easier to realize that this can be hard for them. As people debate over what should happen to these child soldiers, people who are fortunate enough to not have to fight should be thankful. People that have had a good enough life with food, and not having to fight should feel bad. People are sitting here enjoying their lives while poor children even younger then a lot of people are fighting so hard and for something they do not want to.