It's No Game

Most of us played with toy guns when we were young, but for few it’s no game. Everyday these children wield real guns, fight in the front lines of attack, and hope to survive another day. Children from the age of seven to eighteen are going to war. Most of kids are being taken away with no say; others have chosen to go because of poverty. These young warriors hold the responsibilities of adult soldiers in warfare. Children this age should instead be getting an education and to not be treated like a real soldier, being spies or human mine detectors is ghastly.
Kids as young as seven are joining armies in over thirty different countries, hardly knowing the risks they could potentially face. The possibilities of being captured, wounded, or killed are high, because they are being used as spies, messengers, lookouts, human mine detectors, in suicide missions, or just carrying supplies. “I didn’t want to join; they just took me away from my family after bursting into my house.” These were the words of some of the child soldiers. Others explained that they wanted to go because of the lack of food in their families or having no schools to attend. One of the kids said that even though he was under the age limit, they still took him away. Some children have chosen to go because of the problems in these areas.

Poverty is a large reason why children are joining the army. They are being driven from the likes of poverty, alienation, discrimination, and the availability of weapons. Educations in these countries are rare but major. Many others are taken away from their families and some are recruited from second countries. Some schools in these areas are even teaching military combat to students. Is there a solution to this problem?

Children shouldn’t be treated like or be a soldier, these kids could be getting and education. We shouldn’t attack this problem with violence, instead with by donations or even encouraging others or possibly your government to monitor the situation. A problem like this is no game; there isn’t any end for these children apart from death.

By Mikey Thomas