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.