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Jack Markus
Mr. Moody ELA B1 3 March 2017 Perpetrators not victims Child soldiers are recognized as people who are under the legal age to participate in war. Usually the groups that child soldiers choose to go to are recognized as terrorist groups. In these groups these children commit war crimes and nothing being done about this. Child soldiers are being released and they are going back to fight back in these groups because they don’t know any other way. Depending on the case child soldiers do not deserve huge punishments, but they need to know that what they were doing was not right. They need to be shown that there are better things out there in the world even if it comes with a little punishment. Sometimes child soldiers go through brutal acts of abuse by these commanders in these groups and they are forced to fight, but that isn’t always the case. Sometimes these child soldiers choose to go to these groups and this shows that they want to fight for these groups and do bad things. When a child soldier chooses to go to that certain group, they are making their own decision to do the wrong thing. If they are forcefully taken then their story should be analyzed deeper, but they can still avoid killing people. For example, in the article “The child Soldier on Trial at Guantanamo,” says “Khadr had bragged about killing a U.S. soldier and that he claimed the day he planted land mines to kill U.S. and coalition forces was the happiest day of his life.” https://www.hrw.org/news/2010/10/27/child-soldier-trial-guantanamo his statement shows that he actually chose to harm people and not do the right thing. Another different example from the test is, “Dr. Welner testified that when Khadr was angry at his guards, he would recall how he had killed a U.S. soldier and that would make him happy.” https://www.hrw.org/news/2010/10/27/child-soldier-trial-guantanamo his reveals that even after the child soldiers are not on drugs they are still proud and happy of killing people. If they were actually innocent they would not be acting this way. They should be cooperating with these officials and they should want a new life if they truly knew that their actions before were very wrong. If a child decides to kill someone while not being associated with a group, they would face long and hard punishments, but how is that any different then killing someone while being associated with a terrorist group? If these child soldiers are innocent than they should act that way and not just say it. In the article it says, “Talked about how Khadr had been marinating in the radical jihadi views of elder statesmen of terrorist groups while at Guantanamo.” https://www.hrw.org/news/2010/10/27/child-soldier-trial-guantanamo his evidence explains and shows that these child soldiers still resort back to their savage ways even after being free of violence and drug abuse. As a society sympathy has to be shown towards them, we need to help these children because everybody deserves a happy and fulfilling life, but just letting these children get away with these crimes is not helping anyone. In conclusion, if a child soldier decides to fight and kill people for their group they will be considered perpetrators. Although some children are forced to be child soldiers and that is unfair in some extreme cases, but usually child soldiers do choose to kill and they are proud of it. These children usually come from places where that is all they know. They need to take responsibility for their actions. Denying the fact that they committed these crime does not help anyone and they need learn. Once they decide to take a life or lives they are no longer perceived as innocent. The way we process and the way we see child soldiers needs to change because these children are being deprived of the wonders of life and the system that isn’t getting the job done. The procedures need to change and they need to change for the better. |