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In the early 1930's in the eastern part of the Kono district of Africa knows as the Sierra Leone, the diamond was discovered. Little did we know the discovery of the diamond would cause such a horrible time in history. In the early 1900's when the anti government group was formed, corrupt military leaders began to run the country. At this time the RUF moved into the diamond filled eastern part of Sierra Leone. In 1995 a group of ''gunslingers'' came to the diamond fields where the RUF had been and took care of them being in the fields. An Election came up the following year and a new president was elected, After the president was kicked out the RUF came together in a rage of the people who voted in the election and began to cut off hands of innocent people. The RUF tagged up with another thug Charles Taylor. The two groups became obsessed with the fact of power they would kill and terrorize anything or anyone in their way. RUF took over the diamond trade as well as other rebels, and began to sell and trade the diamonds to fund their use of Arms , arms that were used to promote mass murder, amputation, and providing for child soldiers. Farms were taken over , farmers were taken prisoner and forced to work in the mines. Many Workers in the mines were children who were drugged and forced to work. In the 1990's rebels and government began to fight and elections were planned to be held. For people not to vote the RUF started an amputation campaign, to cut of limbs of people who planned to vote. Why should anyone be buying these diamonds of so much ''worth'' , how do you look at your diamond with so much meaning and know that someone way more important life was killed for the rock on you finger. Is it right for other countries to be promoting diamonds from these areas. Kids and innocent people are dying for your luxury to own a diamond. Is it really worth the money? The rebels of the sierra Lone were blood and power hungry, taking over the diamond trade, killing,amutating, and illegal trading. To these people the Blood Diamond was the only way to gain the power they never had. Others lost theirs lives, and we all gained a materialistic rock that was taken from a hopeless child.
World war two was a dark and horrific time for most. If you weren't on the front line you were a worried family member back at home. Most families lost someone in World War 2, and some who were able to get home safe owe alot of thanks to the secret heros behind it all. The combat medics. Combat Medics were trained medical personnel who were to aid to the injured, wounded, or traumatized soilders on the front line. Combat medics were signified with a red cross on a white band or on a hat. The medics carried supplies and morphiene to help the wounded soilders. Because the Medics were constantly in the line of fire Eurpoeans started the Geneva Convention to save lives of the wounded and their aiding personnel. Medics and wounded soilders were not allowed to be shot at because they were non combatic. To make matters worse medics had no protection in the line of fire. Most only had a knife or a small hand gun. How were these men so brave enough to run through line of fire and have the strength to hold someones life in their hands? We always think of the trauma war veterans face after war and all the trauma that takes place. Do we ever really think about the war medics? These brave people were the ones picking up and holding down the bodies of their best friends as they take their last breaths. They are behind the scenes of the actual pain and hardship. ''I can never describe the feeling you get when you see your closest friend dead from his wounds, and knowing that you were unable to save his life. But it has one advantage, you learn not to become to close to anyone, because the pain is to deep when it was a friend who had died. You have to remove every emotion in your body, or end up a raving madman. No one can ever understand that unless they themselves lived it.'' Albert Gentile, Aid-Man for Company B, 333rd Infantry, 84th Infantry Division, WWII. This quote struck me when I read it, it made me feel upset to know real men had to go through this. I could never imagine going through something that traumatizing. Later in his speech he says in all the history books it never says anything about what the war medics had to deal with. Its always the war heros! To me and I think most of you people should feel the true heros are not only the ones who fought but the ones who then had to have the power to pick up the ''strong man'' off the ground and have the mind strength of not knowing if this one will die in your arms or not. Combat medics were inncoent people not wanting to fight in the actual war, but to simply help. I hate to say it even though there was a rule that states you were not aloud to aim fire at a medic or wounded soilder many men were heartless enough to do it anyway. These deffensless, traumatized, strong, innocent, caring men were actually sometimes ''murdered.'' These brave men were the true heros of the war, not only were they saving lives, but they were risking their own for another man.
