NEW YORK – In a move to further eliminate child soldiers, the UN has strongly denounced the use of children in laser tag warfare.
General Assembly Resolution 2124 – which passed 183 to 7 – condemns countries that permit anyone below the age of 18 to use infrared-emitting targeting weapons and warfare. The countries that voted against the measure included the US, Russia, China, Israel, North Korea, Canada and the Federated States of Micronesia.
“What’s most tragic about this situation is how often Laser Quest and other affiliates pits children against children” said Lelia Zerrougui, UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict. “Children are used in laser warfare to settle scores on the playground or as a rite-of-passage for birthdays. We estimate that over two million children participate in these vicious games every year.”
“Some children as young as four are divided into teams and given small arms to massacre one another with red dots. Most horrifically, some games coerce children into playing every child for themselves.”
Zack Lewis – otherwise known as LoneViper – is an eleven-year-old battle-hardened veteran of several laser tag conflicts and has accumulated over 10,000 “kills” in his four years of service.
“I remember when I first cut my teeth at laser tag at my friend’s seventh birthday party,” said Lewis while looking over his old scorecards. “I was so scared that I hid in a corner and fired aimlessly. But over the months and years, I got addicted. I knew who to ambush like groups of teenage girls and drunken bachelor parties. I once scored 104 kills in one game!”
But nothing would prepare Lewis for psychological damage of that fateful October evening on his tenth birthday when an opposing team hid in ideal sniping positions and covered their tagging vests – a clear violation of the rules of engagement.
“I lost a lot of good friends repeatedly that night. I don’t want to talk about it.”
The UN will release a 10,000 page report on the use of child soldiers in laser tag next week that no one is expected to read.
