Father Skywalker said:
In other words-the Old republic had child soldiers.........Hmm, that sounds so moral and nice and alright and good!!!!!!!!
Technically speaking yes and if we are meant to care for Artoo and Threepio were should also care for the sapient machines in the Confederate Army too.
They are programmed to kill they have no choice.
Yet we are supposed to cheer the Jedi (with their brainwashed child warrior monk novices) as they slice them into bits while they make weird comic sounds.
It's really hard to like the PT Republic.