Comments on: How should we treat Child Soldiers? http://eclecticchristian.com/2008/07/17/how-should-we-treat-child-soldiers/ Learning to appreciate the many different facets of Christianity Tue, 27 Jul 2010 03:13:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Jenn E from the Block http://eclecticchristian.com/2008/07/17/how-should-we-treat-child-soldiers/#comment-1030 Jenn E from the Block Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:28:01 +0000 http://eclecticchristian.wordpress.com/?p=102#comment-1030 The question you ask is very broad considering all the varying circumstances of Child Soldiers. As for the question you ask more specifically applied to the case of Omar Khadr: I am in the middle of reading the book written about Omar (Guantanamo’s Child by Shepard). I have also followed the story closely through other sources. What should the US & Canadian government do regarding Omar? Hold him accountable for his actions. He was a boy when he was captured, yes. But he is not mentally handicap nor was he forced. He knew what he was doing and he was eager (according to his family) to join the jihad and follow in the footsteps of his fathers extreme ideas of Islam. He wasn't forced to be in the compound with known terrorists on July 27, 2002... This situation is not like the situation in some African countries where young boys are kidnapped and forced/brainwashed into becoming child soldiers. He had anxiously been asking his father to be allowed to participate in the jihad. Choosing to join a war at 15 doesn't mean that he is exempt of the tragedies and consequences that come with war. It is heart wrenching to think of Omar, a young man but still just a boy, wanting to be in the situation he was in. He’s now been in custody for a very long time. If he were to be released from Gitmo would he would go back as an adult and live a life of terrorism with a goal of killing Americans and all who support America in the war against terrorism? I don’t know. But clearly we do know he was already on this “path” (according to direct interviews with his family) and that is how he was captured to begin with. Many articles and the book (Guantanamo’s Child) talk about how "good" and "sweet" Omar was as a child. He was always smiling and pleasant to be around… Please tell the family of the person whose appendages he is flaunting with a smile on his face that he was “good” (Google images will bring up the picture of Omar walking down the street carrying a severed white foot and hand with a smile on his face…). The case of Omar Khadr is very sad…but so is the case of Tabitha, Taryn and Tanner Speer whose Husband and father will never come home. The question you ask is very broad considering all the varying circumstances of Child Soldiers. As for the question you ask more specifically applied to the case of Omar Khadr:
I am in the middle of reading the book written about Omar (Guantanamo’s Child by Shepard). I have also followed the story closely through other sources. What should the US & Canadian government do regarding Omar? Hold him accountable for his actions. He was a boy when he was captured, yes. But he is not mentally handicap nor was he forced. He knew what he was doing and he was eager (according to his family) to join the jihad and follow in the footsteps of his fathers extreme ideas of Islam. He wasn’t forced to be in the compound with known terrorists on July 27, 2002… This situation is not like the situation in some African countries where young boys are kidnapped and forced/brainwashed into becoming child soldiers. He had anxiously been asking his father to be allowed to participate in the jihad.

Choosing to join a war at 15 doesn’t mean that he is exempt of the tragedies and consequences that come with war. It is heart wrenching to think of Omar, a young man but still just a boy, wanting to be in the situation he was in. He’s now been in custody for a very long time. If he were to be released from Gitmo would he would go back as an adult and live a life of terrorism with a goal of killing Americans and all who support America in the war against terrorism? I don’t know. But clearly we do know he was already on this “path” (according to direct interviews with his family) and that is how he was captured to begin with.

Many articles and the book (Guantanamo’s Child) talk about how “good” and “sweet” Omar was as a child. He was always smiling and pleasant to be around… Please tell the family of the person whose appendages he is flaunting with a smile on his face that he was “good” (Google images will bring up the picture of Omar walking down the street carrying a severed white foot and hand with a smile on his face…). The case of Omar Khadr is very sad…but so is the case of Tabitha, Taryn and Tanner Speer whose Husband and father will never come home.

]]> By: Eclectic Christian http://eclecticchristian.com/2008/07/17/how-should-we-treat-child-soldiers/#comment-98 Eclectic Christian Sun, 20 Jul 2008 03:46:03 +0000 http://eclecticchristian.wordpress.com/?p=102#comment-98 Update: I will not publish comments on this story that: 1. Do not attempt to answer the questions asked. 2. Do not stick to the facts contained in the very comprehensive Wikipedia article. (Unless a creditable source is given.) 3. Are cut and pasted multiple times on the web. For the record, contrary to what I have been accused of in non-published comments, I have in fact: 1. Followed this story for several years. 2. Volunteered for military service (the third generation of Bells to do so), and proudly served my country. 3. Strongly support the Canadian, U.S., British, and other forces who are currently serving in Afghanistan. Update: I will not publish comments on this story that:

1. Do not attempt to answer the questions asked.

2. Do not stick to the facts contained in the very comprehensive Wikipedia article. (Unless a creditable source is given.)

3. Are cut and pasted multiple times on the web.

For the record, contrary to what I have been accused of in non-published comments, I have in fact:

1. Followed this story for several years.

2. Volunteered for military service (the third generation of Bells to do so), and proudly served my country.

3. Strongly support the Canadian, U.S., British, and other forces who are currently serving in Afghanistan.

]]>