War even affects the most innocent. Children are the saddest victims of any conflict. They don’t know what's going on or what they had to do with it because they didn’t have anything to do with it. Children are innocent, they have no need to battle over differences in politics or ideals. Although they fall into none of the categories of the people fighting in the wars, but they could be associated with those who are fighting. Children can be sucked into the war and be forced to fight or protect themselves and their families. They are the most susceptible to being convinced that they are fighting for their countries ideals. Violence and carnage affect everyone associated involved in battle, but children are young and impressionable. It’s cruel to put them through something that will change their personalities and their morality. Children involved in war could grow up to be sociopaths and much more violent that children that grow up without such a shock in their lives. All we can hope is that no matter what the situation is there will be compassionate people that will be willing to protect children against the pain and violence of war. Looking at the photo you can see that the little children probably haven’t said their first word and yet they have have lost their identity behind those gas masks. They are nothing like the soldiers or nurses that are involved in fighting the war and yet they are treated just like one of them. In their own mind they have no reason for those gas masks but they have to wear it without explanation.
"Gas Masks for Babies Tested at an English Hospital, 1940 • /r/IconicImages." Reddit. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.
This post opens my eyes to a new perspective. We have talked about the way war affects many different people, but I have never really considered how it affects children. Reading this made me really think about the terrible things we are exposing our future generations to. How can it be possible for us to ever escape war, if in the eyes of these "young and impressionable" children begin to see it as a norm? I think that the visual you showed was very interesting. Because all of the people in the picture, children and adults, are wearing gas masks they become almost indistinguishable.
ReplyDeleteFirst off I think the picture you chose is haunting, brilliant and instantly captivating. Then you go on to use the picture to help drive your point that children should have no part in war. Just in general I think this is a fantastic idea. No one really thinks about children other than that they shouldn't be hurt in war. You not only elaborated on that but you also said how they are used in war and the effects this can have on them.
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