KINDERGARTEN GUNSLINGERS

KINDERGARTEN GUNSLINGERS

1. Captain Rambo, that’s me, I am 12 years old, don olive green overalls, flash a General purpose machine gun like some Chinese toy which is taller than me. I gorge what the jungle offers, I walk like a man, I am armed from head to toe…machetes, daggers, and catapults with zero remorse killing instinct

s…. I am a Child soldier, an expendable "cannon fodder," and the bane of terrorism in my little African paradise.

2. The terrorism here is a brutal concoction brewed by the colonial powers who raped the rich diamond, Gold and mineral haven, which has bedazzled the banal and evil in men for eons. From a legacy of blood diamonds to warlords running the uncivilized remains of an imperialistic aftermath, I have heard it all. Am I patriotic or do I owe allegiance to tribal streaks, well it doesn’t make a difference as over years of power mongering has made the difference negligible.

3. CAAG- ‘child associated with armed groups’ that’s what the ‘Blue Helmets’ from Kofi Anan’s bastion call me. I don’t care what the world thinks, I like it this way, I get my respect from all, where I lay my head is home, what

I want is mine and my way is always the right way. My counterparts running around in tatters and playing with Rhino Beetles are not even trusted for getting stuff from the market. Here I run the market and control taxes… I am the law, the justice department and the police in one mean package.

4. I have no fear, fear makes you doubt. I have no remorse, that devil sitting on your right shoulder, whispering in your ear, telling you it hates you. So there it is - don’t dare mess with someone as little as me with even lesser values on humanity, religion and all things the colonialists export as the white man’s burden. They too have killed kids my age with carpet bombings and push button messiahs of death called Drones, only to conveniently label it as collaterals. Like they say ones safety is in the grip of the weapon one holds. I fight, therefore I live.

5. My journey from boy to killing machine follows a horrifying tale of indoctrination, including being forced to execute well known faces in proof of allegiance. We are easy to manipulate and will do the unspeakable without question or protest, partly because our morals and value systems are not yet fully formed.