My Squad Is My Family, My Gun

I Believe That There Is A God, And Coming From An African Tradition, I Believe Also That There Are Gods.

For Many Observers, A Child Who Has Known Nothing But War, A Child For Whom The Kalashnikov Is The Only Way To Make A Living And For Whom The Bush Is The Most Welcoming Community, Is A Child Lost Forever For Peace And Development. I Contest This View. For The Sake Of These Children, It Is Essential To Prove That Another Life Is Possible.

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.

I Guess What I'd Like To Say Is That People In Sierra Leone Are Human Beings, Just Like Americans. They Want To Send Their Kids To School; They Want To Live In Peace; They Want To Have Their Basic Rights Of Life Just Like Everyone Else. I Think We All Owe An Obligation To Support People Who Want To Do That.

How Many More Times Do We Have To Come To Terms With Death Before We Find Safety?" He Asked. He Waited A Few Minutes, But The Three Of Us Didn't Say Anything. He Continued: "every Time People Come At Us With The Intention Of Killing Us, I Close My Eyes And Wait For Death. Even Though I Am Still Alive, I Feel Like Each Time I Accept Death, Part Of Me Dies. Very Soon I Will Completely Die And All That Will Be Left Is My Empty Body Walking With You. It Will Be Quieter Than I Am.