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Argumentative Essay On Child Soldiers

1464 Words6 Pages

“Human-rights experts estimate that more than 200,000 children worldwide are still being used as combatants, usually against their will” (Gettleman, 2010). Child soldiers and drummer boys may sound like something of the past, yet it is our present. The United Nations and human-rights groups comment that in war-torn countries, rebel groups and governments like Somali send children as young as nine-years-old to the front lines. These groups are “plucking children off soccer fields and turning them into fighters” or manipulating them (Gettleman, 2010). Youths who should be in school are handed a gun and taken advantage of. A military commander from Chad boasts, “if you tell them to kill, they kill.” Most people believe that once a child has been forced into war and that there is no way to correct their negative views. Some believe that these damaged, scarred, scared children don’t deserve help or sympathy. Furthermore, many believe that they are evil criminals who deserve to stay in a jail cell, but these children can be reformed and overcome their struggles, even after manipulation and loss. Once a child becomes a soldier, people believe that there is no way to turn their violent views around. This fact, however, is false. Ishmael Beah is an ideal example of a reformed child soldier. When asked how he was able to overcome his past Beah states, “In my opinion, I think it requires people to be there for you, to be patient, to persevere, to selflessly and compassionately help

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