Final Blog Post

On page 212, Beah writes, “It sickened me to see that Sierra Leoneans asked money from those who had come from the war. They were benefiting from people who were running for their lives.” This is in response to soldiers and immigration officers demanding rigorous document authentication and large sums of money of any men, women, and children trying to escape. They often ask for more than is required, and if one refuses, they risk being sent back, or worse. This situation is obviously wrong- unethical, and immoral. However, I believe that there are always two sides to every story. Early in the book, before Beah is forced to become a soldier, he and his friends are running for their lives from town to town. Food is often hard to come by, and they had to resort to stealing. The people they stole food from were in just as desperate situations as themselves, sleeping out in the open air, running for their lives. The boys exploited their neighbors trust. They proved that survivors don't always stick together- every man has the ability to turn against his neighbor. However, most people would understand due to Beah's desperate circumstances. While the immigration officer's exploitation is much more up- front and seemingly much less desperate, there is still a war going on in the country and people must do what they can to survive. The soldier may have a family that he is trying to feed, and the  situation may look different from him eyes. The people that he is stealing from are lucky enough to be leaving a war- torn country. Being out of the country without money is still a better situation for most people than being inside the country with money to spare. Although I don't agree that the soldiers and officers should have been stealing money, I can see where they're coming from and I don't understand Beah's utter disgust- especially since he has seen what it takes to survive in the worst of times.

The monkey conundrum confuses me, as I'm sure it does many others. I have come up with two possible reasons for Beah telling the  monkey story, one more likely than the other. The likely reason is that Beah, however much he assures himself that it was not his fault and he was not in control of his actions, still feels some sort of guilt or need to justify himself for the people he had killed. He was describing his time in the war as a self- sacrifice. Every time he took another man's life, a part of him died. However, he had to continue because every time he took a man's life, he saved an innocent family or village from the man he killed. This relates to the monkey story because if you shoot the monkey you are making some sort of sacrifice- your mother dies. However, you are saving the next person's family, and the next person's, and 20 people after that. Beah describes himself (and his comrades) as that one person that makes a sacrifice so that other people don't have to. My next possible explanation for the telling of this story is only probable if Beah knew that when he moved back to America, he would spend the rest of his life helping child soldiers around the world. I believe he felt some guilt about leaving his family (his cousins and aunt) during their time of need. The man of the house had died, and Beah had enough military training and cut-throat ambition to protect them. However, he left to save himself. If he knew that by leaving, he would be able to help thousands of child soldiers later in his life, then this could also be an explanation for why he told the monkey story. I really liked the ending of this book because it inspires serious thought- it makes it clear that this story is not just a re- telling of his life, it is a reflection on the war. 

This blog post concludes the book, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. This was a book that I will never forget. Beah has truly done an amazing job- and not just in writing the book. He is a truly remarkable person, and a great addition to society. I am glad to have been given the chance to know about him and I will be ecstatic if we are able to get him here for our conference! This book leaves me with so many last thoughts, but I will leave you with just one. What are you going to do after reading this book? Ishmael's story is one that is constantly being repeated. There are thousands of children in Mr. Beah's former situation RIGHT NOW. This is not just a book to inspire thought- this is reality.

Blog #5

The children in Beah's situation were subjected to many terrible things- forced to murder, drugged, taught only violence. They were put in many traumatizing situations, including being robbed of their family. It is an obvious statement to day that family is important. I believe that everyone must find a family, even if it isn't their biological kin. Sometimes the replacement family is a negative influence on us, but we need them all the same. A family is about safety and protection. In the beginning of this book, we are introduced to the idea of family as a biological bloodline, with legal right to custody. This is demonstrated by the custody agreement with Ishmael's divorced parents. Their relationship shows us that family is biological- not whomever you are living with at the time. If you are related to someone, they are always your family. However, when the book comes to a close we realize that the idea of family has changed drastically. Those who give you a purpose and a place of safety are your fathers. Your mothers are the people that give you sustenance and daily comforts. Your brothers are your comrades who fight with you and for you. There is no idea of a traditional family- your family is made out of convenience, and being in the right place at the right time. This idea of family meaning protection can be put into relatable terms when talking about street gangs. Young teenagers don't join gangs because they think it's cool to cause violence- they join for protection. They make a dysfunctional family out of the other members, and they try to establish their place in the world.

Freedom is extremely hard to find. When Beah included the national anthem's lines about freedom in his story, I saw it as being ironic, as the national anthem promises freedom to its people, and yet the people are starting a war to gain freedom. It also shows that Ishmael and the other children believe that they are acting of their own free will- they don't see themselves as being kidnapped, they see themselves as being recruited! Obviously Sierra Leone considers it's self a free country, but what does it mean to live in a free country? There is a lot of gray area when it comes to this issue. In fact, I believe the whole idea of freedom is left open for interpretation. Many people would say that the children should have the freedom to not be kidnapped and forced in the LRA. But then again, if it is a free country, then why doesn't the LRA have the freedom to kidnap children? This is why no country with any sort of law system can have complete and total freedom- laws are the opposite of freedom. I believe the U.S.A has found a good balance between freedom and order, and it is a balance that other countries should strive for.

Blog #4

I believe in the saying "that which does not kill us makes us stronger". However, I think for this to apply to somebody's situation they have to have the motivation and driving force to move on and become stronger. In Saidu's case, he was not referring to his inability to move on when he talked about the inevitability of his death. He was saying that he no longer had the desire to move forward, and he chose to give up. Human beings are amazing, and if we set our mind to it, we can weather any storm, but we must be fully committed to survival. There is no shame in choosing to give up, as Saidu did- but it is a sad thing when someone has lost so much faith in humanity that they would choose death over continuing their life with us. In response to the prompt- "Are there some things that just kill us slowly instead of building our strength?" I would say that it doesn't depend on the situation or "thing". The answer to this question depends on the attitude of the person. If the individual faces hardships with the strong desire to move on and without even a remote possibility of giving up, then there is no limit to what they can overcome. However, if someone is in Saidu's situation, where they have no desire to live and nothing to live for, every little thing will break them down until they have nothing left to hold on to. 

Blog #3

When Ishmael Beah is traveling through war- struck Sierra Leone with his 5 friends, every stranger they come upon is afraid of them, because they think they may be rebels. Beah writes, “This was one of the consequences of the civil war. People stopped trusting each other, and every stranger became an enemy.” I think that every child or teenager can relate to this feeling, because we are taught from a young age to fear strangers. Terms like "don't talk to strangers" and "stranger danger" are drilled into our head from the very beginning. It has gotten to the point where any middle aged man standing alone is automatically a pedophile or a rapist. When I was at the movies with my brother one time, a man in his thirties dropped his cell phone just before walking to his theater. When I went to pick it up and return it to him, my brother stopped me and instead returned it himself. This makes me sad, that we automatically have to be cautious around strangers. However, bad things happen. When people with the intent to harm abuse our trust, it makes everyone a stranger to be feared, not a neighbor to be trusted. This situation is the same throughout Ishmael's journey, but the stakes are much higher, and the chance of the stranger being intent on harming you is much more likely. 

Blog # 2

“Whenever I get a chance to observe the moon now, I still see those same images I saw when I was six, and it pleases me to know that that part of my childhood is still embedded in me” (p. 17) Ishmael Beah has, in many ways, been robbed of his childhood. From the age of 13, until he was 17, he was living in a war- filled country, and forced to do whatever he can to survive. The only way he was able to console himself was by focusing on the things that had nothing to do with his desperate situation. The moon would always stay the same, and that is why it is of great comfort to him. It also brings him memories of his grandmother who looked at the moon as an ideal, something to strive for. Ishmael also draws great comfort from his brother, Junior. the role of a big brother is extremely important, because you know they will always protect you. I also take great comfort in knowing my bolder brothers will always be there to stand up for me and protect me. All in all, the things that console Ishmael happen to be universal truths- finding images in the moon, advice from a loving grandmother, and being consoled by an older brother. These little things are what connect our lives to that of children like Ishmael. Although our reasons for needing comfort and consolation differ vastly in degree, we all find comfort in the little things.

Blog #1- Soldier Child (1998)

In class, we were shown the documentary "Soldier Child", released in 1998. Although this was an overwhelming amount of disturbing information to take in, it was extremely worthwhile to watch, and it has possibly touched the most out of any other documentary I've seen. This documentary is filmed at GUSCO- a rehabilitation center for former child soldiers that were lucky enough to be rescued or escaped. It features interviews with the GUSCO workers, parents of abductees, and former child soldiers themselves. GUSCO not only rescues the children, they give them medical attention, a place to stay, emotional and psychological help, and safe integration back into society- as well as tracking many children's parents down. Although GUSCO's efforts made me hopeful for this terrible situation that is taking place in these children's homeland, it also saddened me. Although I am grateful for the chance to be informed, I almost wish that I could remain ignorant to this terrible issue. When I first began watching this documentary, I was shocked by the children who were just being brought to the center. They didn't have at all the disposition that I would have expected from a child that was finally saved from such a terrible former situation. They seemed distrustful and weary. As I continued watching I realized that until they received trauma counseling for the things they had seen and done, many weren't even able to accept that they had been through any trauma. Once they knew they were safe and they had adjusted their surroundings they began to reflect on what had happened to them through drawing pictures. This made me realize how strong the children were- to just take everything in stride and move on to the next problem. They were emotionally resilient as a result of their training. This touched me, because this suppression of feelings is never something one should see in a child, no matter what the circumstance. There was one child with a particularly taking story, that of a child named Simon. Simon was only 11 years old when he was rescued, probably younger when he was abducted. He was immediately forced to witness two brutal murders, and threatened with the burning of his former village. He was then given a person to kill just using a hoe. While his story is immensely tragic and heartbreaking, what struck me the most was the child himself. While telling his story, he refused to show emotion. There were no tears, apart from a slightly choked voice. He kept his tone level, and never raised or lowered his volume. He rarely made eye contact with his translator and mostly stared off into the distance. This is not what a child should look like while telling a heartbreaking story. He never complains that its not fair, he doesn't whine or pout. Simon may only be eleven years old, but he is not a child. His childhood was taken from him by the rebels, and he is left a boy who has witnessed more than should ever be subjected to a man.