Terror Against Children

Terror is Among us

Terror against children is among those in Kenya. Sending young children to school should never be a worry for a parent. The hasthtag  #OCCUPYPLAYGROUND became very popular. Young school children look forward to playing on the play ground. But what happens when it is being taken down? The way to get things to be right is protest. Little children growing up in Kenya protested. Policemen came to the scene and instead of listening to the cries for the playground back they hit them with tear gas. A quote from Martin Luther King supports their cause, “One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.” 

Students, along with teachers and activist came to school with their playgrounds fenced up. So they all grabbed signs and protested. This relates to the summer reading book ‘Mala.’ She was a young girl who loved school, and one day she found out she was forbidden to attend school any more because she was a girl. She didn't like that idea and protested. She was shot by the Taliban on a bus. She was treated and survived. The police officer who was in charge of the tear gas on children was suspended. This incident also relates to the Civil Rights Movement. Martin Luther King held many protests to get his point across. Not always successful in keeping the protest peaceful due to angry whites of civilians and police officers. But, he stood up for the wrongful doing of the government. Martin Luther King was assassinated because of his cause. If the government is extremely wrong and in Martin Luther Kings case society, why should we sit back and watch life fall apart? Do something while you still can. When things get too corrupt there will be no where to turn. 

            In many situations policemen are looked at as “pigs” and “corrupt” but nobody ever stays to listen to hear what the policemen have to say. These children in Kenya are brought up to believe that protesting and violence is the way to solve your problems. In the corrupt government it may be the only way to voice your opinion. But, when some type of violence outbreaks the police have to act on it.  Students, teachers and activist held up sticks and were banging on the wall that caged in their once beloved playground. After that is when the police tried to break up the commotion. They signed up to protect the people but they also must protect themselves. Who knew how far the protest would have gone, and how crazy it would have went. The problem we are focusing on should not be what the police officers are doing; it should be what the government isn't doing.

In this picture are the students, teachers and activist fighting for what is rightfully theirs. Without warning they took away their playground, while police try shutting them down.