An argument on why people still use land mines when they are dangerous
A land mine is an explosive device, covered under the surface of the ground and designed to destroy. It is a round device that can be made of plastic, wood, glass or metal. The use of landmines was first introduced in the United States during civil war. There are four types of antipersonnel mines (Maresca & Maslen). They include: Blast mine detonates by pressure and the explosion causes several victims injured or dead.
Fragmentation mines have tripwire that triggers fragment sprays more than 100-radius and, anyone within this radius may be killed. Directional mines are steel balls with a forward of 60degree arc. These mines can kill from 50 meters to 100 meters. Bound mines leaps 45 centimeter in air before it shatters into more than 1000metal splinters. All these mines cause death or loss of body parts (Maresca & Maslen).
Land mines cannot be intended to specific targets and once they are set up they cannot be controlled. They remain active for more than 50years since they had been set. Land mines cause haphazard demolition and they do not differentiate between civilians, animals, soldiers, children or tractors. Explosions are seen at times where the landmines stock piles had been left. Children playing at times come across these devices and play with them without knowing how dangerous they can be. Some explode and kill children and only parts of the bodies can be visible.
The mines destroy and damage people and things. Every year in the United States there is a mine set up to kill people suspected to be intruders in the country. In wars these mines are useful to protect the military crucial installations and establishments. These mines channel enemy forces into various areas thus deny strategically ground and route to the enemy. The land mines are most known to be used during war, although they can also help protect installations and specified areas. For instance the mines placed in between the borders of two countries like in Cuba, around U.S as protection against Americans movements.
However nowadays sophisticated weapons and the detailed satellite information can no longer be found and Land mines have specific and crucial functions, they create problems easily. This can be seen during the Gulf war when the land mines were used they cause 33% of US causalities and During Vietnam it caused 34% of causalities. These devices are against human right but still they are used to protect the human from attacks by other humans. Land mines are cheap and affordable therefore they tend to used more in the conflicts all over the world. Approximately 100 land mines are scattered around 70 countries in the world. However cheap they are, they are expensive to unplug them from the set up site.
Land mines cause expenses to a country that has encountered war, since the affected people needs to be taken for rehabilitations and losses of lives. In addition people get psychological damages and disabilities and at that time the health facilities are always overcrowded and in need of specialization (Croll). Land mines use, causes devastations for communities in rural areas since their fertile lands cannot be used by both animals and human. The use of land mines leaves people homeless and it is very difficult for the refugees to go back to their home towns.
There have been several attempts to legalize the use of landmines; but, for some reasons, they have been unsuccessful to solve the problem. In December 1997 Jody William’s coordinator of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines were rewarded with Nobel Peace Prize for making the treaty a reality which prohibited the production, use, transfer, or stock filing of antipersonnel landmines(Matthew, McDonald & Rutherford). The state parties should provide information at large about the antipersonnel mine stockpiles. In addition it ensures that the victims are rehabilitated and cared for.
Apart from Turkey and US 194 other countries have signed treaty of banning of landmines. The human rights worldwide observe the law on treaty. Terrorist attack US at a higher rate although US knows how to contain terrorist attacks this makes US to retain uses of land mines for protection against terror.
Landmines complicate the healing process for countries that have suffered a war in their own land exceedingly difficult. Landmines put a tremendous psychological effects as well as economic burden killing the morale of the population; they may put effect on the conditions for a future conflict. The ozone layer faces threats from human use of landmines in day today life (Matthew, McDonald & Rutherford).
Apparently US should ban the use of land mines in the country and sign the ban treaty and pressure all the other countries to do it. The advances done within the new technology are appealing, the world is banning the use of landmines without waiting for new developments.. The ban of the use of antipersonnel landmines should be in our "warrior ethic" for eve and ensure the human race to be more achievable in the following centuries
Works Cited
(U.S.), Physicians for Human Rights. Landmines: A Deadly Legacy. Angola: Human Rights Watc, 1993.
Croll, Mike. The history of landmines. the University of Michigan: Leo Cooper, 1998.
Maresca, Louis and Stuart Maslen. The Banning of Anti-Personnel Landmines: The Legal Contribution of the International Committee of the Red Cross 1955-1999. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000.
Matthew, Richard A., Bryan McDonald and Kenneth R. Rutherford. Landmines and Human Security: International Politics and War's Hidden Legacy. New York: University of New York, 2004.
