My whole family went to see the recent Star Wars movie, "The Force Awakens" ...and in the movie there were many characters that had much in common. What they'd been individually, or who they once were ...was not looked at as significant, in light of what they were today (or should I say, in darkness of what they were today).  But, in everyone we try to look to the good that may be hiding there ...somewhere.  And we feel there is some potential light in everyone.

The common ground has always been found, and too often abused by oppressive groups or governments. This is the worst case scenarios ...and has been a popular theme, as well as a successful one in recent movies ---such as Hunger Games, and now a new series of Star Wars.

Sometimes it is seen as something different ...as opportunities of self-expression, or a sanctuary of sorts.  Yet, there is much difference between running away from home to join the circus ...or running away, only to find sanctuary in gangs or drug houses and neighborhoods. Some leave to join terrorist groups, often masquerading as freedom fighters, revolutionaries, or religious organizations. Some don't leave home, as they don't have one to call their own. They don't have a family to claim, and are orphans bounced around from one facility to another. They want to feel they too belong ...and often someone will see that need and aim to fulfill it. Yet, the motivation behind the offered help is not always sincere.

For instance, Sierra Leone, a country in western Africa, the Revolutionary United Front was depicted in the movie, 'Blood Diamond'.  At first, the Revolutionary United Front was popular with Sierra Leoneans, many of whom resented a Freetown elite seen as corrupt and looked forward to the promises of free education and health care and equitable sharing of diamond revenues. However, the Revolutionary United Front developed a reputation internationally for its terrible cruelty towards the civilian population during its decade-long struggle, especially its practice of hacking off limbs to intimidate and spread terror among the population, and its widespread use of child soldiers. Most of the children were kidnapped. And if they appeared homesick or weak, and reluctant to fight ...they would set two reluctant children up against one another, with the intent of 'kill or be killed'. The child that lived was the one who killed another child, and became hardened. 

This was not isolated to Sierra Leone alone ...and the gist of this type of unthinkable barbaric training gives us sort of a picture of the innumerable legions of Stormtroopers in Star Wars VII, many of them having been orphans through life's regular means and others deliberately forced to become so. 

This appeared the case of FN-2187, of the First Order. Having witnessed the shooting of a fellow Stormtrooper, and reaching out to help the bloody hand ...he was smeared with the blood of death. He apparently saw the nonsense behind all the killing, but saw the difference between those pursuing to kill and those attempting to avoid being killed. FN-2187 rescues Poe ...and when Poe asks why he was helping him, he said he felt it was the right thing to do. Poe is abundantly grateful, and befriends him ...calling him Finn, instead of referring to him by a number.

Shanghai ...a term that has been used for many years, refers to forcing someone to join a ship which lacks a full crew, by using means of drugging them or some other underhanded means of rendering them unconscious as the method of kidnapping.

Of course, in other cases, embittered and brainwashed individuals voluntarily join and create certain factions of society ...slightly more involved than like those who join the circus. They leave home to join, or be indoctrinated ...in which case, there is much more than slight involvement.