Short Summary: Child Soldiers And The Moral Dilemma
102-31-653 Child Soldier 's and the Moral Dilemma
The popular saying, "all is fair in love and war" has been used through time by writers, poets, and artists of different concentrations; although for this paper "war" is all we need. For an expression that has been repeated through time by some of earth 's finest, how much accuracy lies behind it? In times of war, every and anything is done in order to accomplish a political goal. Leaders often overlook the moral dilemma of certain actions in war, especially if it yields successful results. However, war is a human activity and all human actions must be governed by law; thus, bringing about the moral justification of war. Children often fall into this conversation, especially in combat. Children are often used as combatants in wars, and although this may be
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The child soldiers are aware that they are killing but may not be morally responsible for their actions due to their age, culture, and the conditions that led them to be forcibly turned into juvenile soldiers. Given their youth, the questions is raised about whether they possess mens rea, the guilty mind, to know beyond a reasonable doubt whether they are innocent. In the haze of war, there is no time to know whether the child soldier is acting freely on their own will and in control of their actions. To be viewed as a non-combatant, these juveniles must be unable or unwilling to defend themselves, while these juveniles are able to kill. "Consequently, decision makers in conflict zones, unavoidably, rely on normative and socially constructed conceptions of innocence and vulnerability (Gade 238). These concepts, in which women and children are always viewed as the innocent. This brings on a moral dilemma into whether it is right to kill as collateral damage or right intention, a means to an
The Theme Of Loss Of Innocence By Ishmael Beah
994 Words | 4 PagesYet in Sierra Leone more than 10,000 fighter were children (Dumbuya,1). War in this third world country alted every inhabitant’s life and view on war because it was fought in their backyard. “ My uncle was sitting on the verandah, tears in his eyes... he embraced us for a long time and told us not to go to the city anymore (Beah 207)”. Everyday tasks like getting food from the city were changed because of the war.
Child Soldier Summative Essay
1055 Words | 5 PagesAccording to the Summative Essay Child Soldiers, children are given drugs, alcohol to get brainwashed into thinking what they are forced to do is an okay normal thing. “They were forced into fighting through drugs and alcohol. The drugs, often cocaine mixed with gunpowder, brainwashed the children to the point where they would rather not escape from the horror unraveling around them. I personally believe anyone who has to succumb to such horror and atrocities should not be prosecuted for the crimes they committed.” (Summative Essay Child Soldiers)
A Long Way Gone Literary Analysis
1084 Words | 5 PagesThe wide spectrum for the desire to own resources in many countries has produced a raging armed conflict. For instance, developing countries like, Africa are the most vulnerable to face constant wars due to the lack of resources. Consequently, a new source is being used to battle the rivalries for the reoccurring conflict. Ismael Beah’s book, A Long Way Gone, reveals in detail that child soldiers are the newest source used in the armed conflict. His book, also demonstrates his experience as a child soldier, fighting for the Sierra Leone Armed Services at the age of twelve.
14 Child Soldiers
1485 Words | 6 PagesOne of the biggest reasons this guilt lies heavy in the hearts of these soldiers is the thought of doing something right. Krista K Thomason, the writer of the article ¨Guilt and Child Soldiers,¨ explains that the child soldiers that were taken into trial, admitted to feeling guilty for the crimes they have committed. In other words,¨They often report feeling guilt for the wrongs they commit.¨ (Thomason para 1). LRA leaders first step was to turn these young boys against themselves by using bitter manipulation, when they needed somebody most. When standing in trial, they then realized that the sick brainwashing techniques that were performed not only cut them in the moment, but left a scar that would last forever.
Child Soldiers Should Be Prosecuted Essay
1276 Words | 6 PagesIn the article Child Soldiers Should Be Prosecuted, it states “ In Sierra Leone child soldiers committed acts of rape, mutilation and mass killings of civilians.”(na some people will think that they should be held against their crimes but they were forced to kill by the commanders they would have not done any of these stuff if they weren’t forced to do it they were kids and believed in everything so when they got taken the commander could have told them he's their dad so they look up to him as a leader and do everything they say so they will also do it for food because they don’t get to eat if they don’t kill and go out to war. Also, it must be said that they are just little kids and they don’t know what is right from wrong in the article armed and underage, it states, “He is shouldering an automatic fully loaded rifle.”
Child Soldiers Research Paper
216 Words | 1 PagesChild Soldiers An organization that addresses the issue of child soldiers is named “War Child”. Based in the United Kingdom, War Child provides life-changing support to the most vulnerable children whose families, communities and schools have been torn apart by war. This includes child soldiers, in addition to other children whose lives have been forever changed by war. A general overview of War Child’s organization highlights key endeavors such as protecting, educating and advocating for those children. War Child provides quite a few services to address the issue of child soldiers.
Ishmael Beah: Former Child Soldiers
320 Words | 2 PagesWar has developed into such an unavoidable part of life that we repeatedly overlook or neglect its outcome on adolescent’s minds. Even though millions of children all around the world endure pain from the psychological repercussion of armed conflict, thousands of others reluctantly partake in the same and are damaged for a lifetime. Ishmael Beah, a former child soldier describes the condition of these children as this: “When children are subjected to war whether by witnessing atrocities, forced into a life of violence or becoming victims of the countless suffering brought about by war, they are not only traumatized, psychologically and physically damaged, but they lose faith in their own humanity, their ability to be children again, to trust,
Child Soldiers Amnesty Analysis
816 Words | 4 PagesChild Soldiers-Amnesty? Swinging on the swings, licking lollipops, and playing war might be what many call ‘their childhood.’ Adults remember the fun times they had playing with Barbies or ‘shooting’ each other with Nerf guns. Yet, this is not the case for an estimated 300,000 children forced to unwilling shoot real people--during a real war.
Child Soldiers Persuasive Essay
906 Words | 4 PagesThe soldiers can be anyone. They can look like a normal person and then start shooting someone. Many people underestimate children. “In the AFRC case, Trial Chamber II unanimously found Alex Tamba Brima, Brima Bazzy Kamara, and Santigie Borbor Kanu guilty of eleven counts of the crimes against humanity of extermination, murder, rape and enslavement, and of the war crimes of acts of terrorism, collective punishments, murder, outrages upon personal dignity, mutilation, pillage, and enlisting children under the age of fifteen years into an
The Pros And Cons Of Prosecution Of Child Soldiers
640 Words | 3 PagesThe commander make children do horrible things that will forever scar them. Warlords tell and convince that killing is the only way. A interview of Ishmael Beah says that the child soldiers constantly watched Rambo and were always on drugs (The Hour). The warlords made the kids feel like they were indestructible. “ Prosecution of a child should always be regarded as a measure of last resort and the purpose of any sentence should be to rehabilitate and reintegrate the child into society”(Johannesburg).
Child Soldiers Lost Innocence
942 Words | 4 PagesAn insightful author states that “Stolen kids turned into terrifying killers,” child soldiers without punishment have the potential to grow up to become a generation of killers (O’Neill). This shows how obvious the need to hold child soldiers accountable for their actions really is, and why the adults in this situation need to be held accountable so actions like this do not happen again. In addition, a second article elaborates on this idea. In the article, she states that “child soldiers are both victims and perpetrators” (Leahy). With this in mind, it is important to state how child soldiers that seem innocent can have worrying truths.
Child Soldiers Should Be Prosecuted
756 Words | 4 PagesTo start, the children are given large amounts of drugs and alcohol. This harms their bodies and the way they think, leaving them doing unbearable things that they would never think of ever doing. According to Child Soldiers Should Be Prosecuted, “While fighting in war, the recruiters of child soldiers use drugs and alcohol to make children more compliant and to enable them to commit acts they would not normally commit (Author)”. As read in the quote the children have no conscious over what they are doing. The drugs being used are brainwashing everything the child may think, so the only thing they can do is follow the orders of who they think is in charge.
The Responsibility Of Child Soldiers In The Hunger Games
516 Words | 3 PagesDiscourse involved in the study of child soldiers is often centered around debates regarding issues of culpability and locating driving forces behind the recruitment of child soldiers. Behind the conflict, bloodshed, and debate there are often figures who benefit from sustaining conflicts for their own gain on the backs of these children who are indoctrinated into war efforts; a type of hidden wealth in their shadowed and moraless economy and who often continue to do so without any repercussions. The Hunger Games, despite being fictional, manages to portray the effects and scope of the issue of war profiteers who gain from these children, whether that be entertainment, power, or money. As state before The Hunger Games, at least its first book, is not about child soldiers.
Child Soldiers: What It's Like To Live In Another Country
443 Words | 2 PagesFHave you ever wondered what it 's like to live in another country? What the law is, the environment & the population. Well in some countries even the kids are forced to join the army of their country. They go through everything, Here are some examples of what Child Soldiers go through. Close your eyes & try to remember how you were as a kid.. do u think you could 've been a child soldier?
Long Way Gone Reflection
564 Words | 3 PagesThough it may often times be necessary for a country to employ young boys in the army to fight for a noble cause or to protect the values that they stand for, the future of an entire generation will be at risk. If the nation’s youth are psychologically damaged beyond repair, then the end result is that the enemy has destroyed the nation without even having to win the physical victory. Also, does the nobility of the cause make the difference in determining if using children to fight such battles is right or wrong? When we think back to the United States’ revolutionary war, most people would probably say that us having used young boys to fight wasn’t that big of an issue because we were fighting for freedom. However, if the battles had taken the form of those we see happening in current nations, we may not feel so comfortable with it.
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