Zach Gonzalez Are Child Soldiers (Victims) or Perpetrators Child Soldiers are children under the age of 18 that have left their families and friends to become ruthless killing machines (soldiers). They have been recruited and brought in by a state or non-state armed groups, to do their dirty work. This is mostly due to drugs and alcohol, which make them into fighters, cooks, suicide bombers, human shields, messengers, and spies. Everyone can’t 100% agree if they are responsible for their horrendous actions or not (personally, I agree with the latter). So, there are two main different sides to this issue; Victims and Perpetrators. People who believe they are victims, like me are people who believe they aren’t responsible for their actions and shouldn’t be punished. While those who believe they are responsible and should be punished, are are thinking that the kids are perpetrators and are on the said side. In my opinion, I see these kids as victims because they are brainwashed by stuff like alcohol and drugs and that their brains aren’t fully developed and makes them unable to think of long-term consequences. First off, they are being forced by commanders to do sickening things, like killing a lot of innocent people and/or just committing terrorism. If this continues, an entire country could be destroyed or world dictatorship. I know i’m jumping to conclusions, but it can still happen. Secondly, they are victims because they are being brainwashed by drugs and alcohol. There are are good number of diverse facts that both sides bring up, like the victims side says stuff like these for example, “children have been brainwashed by false promises, drugs, and things imaginable, like killing innocent civilians and their own families,”, and that “Many brains fully develop in their 20s and children simply lack the ability to think of long term consequences.” (Child Soldiers - Victims or Perpetrators.pdf) What this evidence suggests is that the children becoming soldiers isn’t their fault For example, that they don’t understand these type of things as much as adults and are brainwashed by things like drugs. Drugs and alcohol only make the brain development worse. According to http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/alcohol/understanding-affects-on-body.html, “Drinking is more harmful to teens than adults because their brains are still developing throughout adolescence and well into young adulthood. Drinking during this critical growth period can lead to lifelong damage in brain function, particularly as it relates to memory, motor skills (ability to move) and coordination.” The perpetrator side also has stuff to bring to the table, which includes these in particular, “that they have been responsible for stuff like rape, mutilation, and mass murders of innocent people.” (Download Child Soldiers - Victims or Perpetrators.pdf) They might also bring up and talk about certain child Soldiers like Omar Khadr and saying that “Omar Khadr stated that killing a U.S soldier and killing U.S coalition forces with landmines was the happiest day of his life.” (The Child Soldier on Trial at Guantanamo, Andrea Prasow) Reflecting on this, we see that some of these children like killing people and doing violent and cruel law breakers. It is true that some of these children are truly evil spirited and find stuff that include raping and killing to be a joy to their hearts. However, they were forced to do those types of things even if they didn’t want to and only some of them actually like killing. Overall, this is why child soldiers are becoming an issue and how they are becoming one. This is also what their commanders are forcing them to do and are committed to do. In conclusion, Society can’t agree on what these children really are and have different ideas to bring to the table. There are two different sides and each person has different facts for why they are on that side and have their beliefs. The victim side, like me are people that believe they are innocent. While the perpetrator side believes they are guilty for their actions. This debate is important because child soldiers have done horrendous things such as murdering and raping innocent people, with no final decision on what will happen to them. They could be guilty for their actions or not guilty for their actions, but the decision has to be made as soon as possible. You should research this topic and see what else they have done, what people are saying (if they are innocent or not), and why they believe that. Your opinion is yours and you can play a part in what they decision for these pitiful children is. Say what you believe and why if you want to because people, like me may agree with you. The decision is yours; both where you stand and if you wanna share where you stand with others (However, I would highly recommend you do this). WORKS CITED “Child Soldiers: Victims or Perpetrators?”. N.p.: Weebly, n.d. PDF. "The Child Soldier on Trial at Guantanamo." (n.d.): n. pag. Web. "YOUNG PEOPLE VERSUS ADULTS. WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?" Foundation for a Drug-Free World. N.p., 2006-2017. Web. 03 Mar. 2017.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |