a long way gone

I finished a sobering book called "A long way gone" by Ishmael Beah.  It is a memoir of Ishmael's days as a boy soldier caught up in the brutal civil war in the African country of Sierra Leone.  It is a chilling account of the atrocities that are occurring in that African nation.  As I read the book in the safety of my expensive home in a quiet suburban neighborhood it was hard for me to even grasp the magnitude or reality of the situation over there.  It is mind boggling to me how quickly we as humans can sink to the lowest form of existence.  One where human life means nothing where there is absolutely no conscience and slitting someone's throat is no different than tying one's shoe.  

These kids, as young  as seven years old, are recruited to become killers.  They've seen their families murdered and raped.  They are starving and lost as they wander the countryside. No one will take them in because during this civil war no one trusts anyone,  no one can. Finally they either fall into the hands of rebel or government troops who then give them food, guns and drugs.  They are then kept high most of the time as they are taught to kill with impunity.

This story offers hope in a completely depressing and seemingly hopeless situation.  It is written in a  simple straightforward style and is not hard to follow.  For me I have to ask myself if I have a conscience.  If I read a book like this and do nothing I don't see myself as any different then the one's exploiting those kids.  Each of us are called to a higher purpose; to do something outside of ourselves for others.  If this story doesn't prick a nerve in one's core then some serious self examination is warranted.