Kony 2012

[let_go_let_God]

I've seen this too but I want to share this article from The Telegraph. While I agree he needs to be stopped this article brings up a few good points as well.





[quote]
[b] [url="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/uganda/9131469/Joseph-Kony-2012-growing-outrage-in-Uganda-over-film.html"][size=3]Joseph Kony 2012: growing outrage in Uganda over film[/size][/url][/b]

[b] [url="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/uganda/9131469/Joseph-Kony-2012-growing-outrage-in-Uganda-over-film.html"][size=3]There is growing outrage in Uganda over a viral internet film viewed by more than 32 million people in four days that suggests Africa’s longest-running conflict is still raging in the country’s north.[/size][/url][/b]

[/quote]

[Hubertus]

I saw on an interview with him on TV yesterday morning, the leader of Invisible Children himself said that a third of their finances go to actually physically helping the people over there. Of the other two thirds: one is for the media, getting his name known, and the other is for travel.

...

[i<3LSOP]

My thoughts:

Joseph Kony needs to be stopped. When I saw his picture I paused the video and sort of looked into his eyes and please don't laugh at this... but there was something extremely evil about the glint in them. It is people like him who become Hitlers and who cause tragic events like 9/11. We don't want another Hitler... I have been researching for a paper all about him... and just like this man he started out as "small" but then caused two of the worst wars and conflicts the world has undergone. Think of Pearl Harbor the dropping of "Big Boy" and "Little Boy"... no... just no.

Therefore, he needs to be stopped... but the thing that totally annoyed me with it was when the Democrats where saying, "Well children need to be saved and cared for.." and they stand for abortion. I don't really think that by sending an email we are going to stop this evil man... We need something more, and prayer will be one of the best solutions. When has prayer not helped?

I don't know any of your stands... I pray that you didn't/don't vote for Obama because of his stands on abortion... but let us remember this from the Bible, "[font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][color="#001320"]Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Okay so let us take that. Obama is evil, he believes in abortion, contraception, and could care less about our dear troops in Iraq. This Joseph Kony is evil... but how do we conquer evil with evil? It really doesn't work. It seems like they support Obama... even thought they say they don't and I will not show anything for them if they do. I can't do that to the babies in their mother's womb. I'm sure you are thinking, "Get over the abortion thing Rachel (or slop or i<3lsop)..." but seriously... that is more major than this in my mind.[/color][/font]






[color=#001320][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/font][/color]

[color=#001320][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Please don't totally attack me if you don't like this post... I've had enough of ya'll totally attacking us young 'uns.... you can argue nicely and be adults. [/font][/color]
[color=#001320][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/font][/color]

[Totus Tuus]

[quote name='Ice_nine' timestamp='1331172118' post='2397519']
So is that how things work? We forward videos and sign e-petitions and pat ourselves on the back for "spreading awareness"

Not like I have a better idea. I just don't think it's working
[/quote]

I actually do think that the whole purpose of this campaign is *to* spread awareness, unlike other similar campaigns. As the filmmaker points out, a big obstacle to Kony's not having been captured yet is the simple fact that no one on the international playground knows who he is. Without people speaking out against him (which stems from *awareness*), there is no pressure on governments to stop him.

However, I am not convinced it's OUR government's job to intervene, since it doesn't seem to be constitutional for the US government to get involved in situations that do not affect us directly. Though I'm open to a convincing argument on this subject.

ALSO, my friend did research on their audits, and the organization that made this film only gives 31% of their donations directly to efforts that try to stop Kony. The other 70% is basically spent on its members' travel expenses. So I recommend, personally, giving your money to someone like the Catholic Relief Services if you want to do something that really matters.

Edited March 10, 2012 by Totus Tuus

[i<3LSOP]

[quote name='Totus Tuus' timestamp='1331340365' post='2398431']
So I recommend, personally, giving your money to someone like the Catholic Relief Services if you want to do something that really matters.
[/quote]

This is going to sound like I am Scrooge... but I'm twelve and don't get much money, I sometimes work in the office or babysit so if I donate I try and give it to a Catholic organization, like Catholic Relief Services, Birth Right, etc.

[Seven77]

It'll be interesting to see the outcome of Kony 2012. There is something to be said for raising awareness like this. Can't we do something similar to stop abortion?

[Katiebobatie94]

[quote name='Basilisa Marie' timestamp='1331308834' post='2398227']
I have a feeling this might get moved soon...

1. Rich white (male) kids get listened to because they are rich and white (and male). That's how our world works. When rich white kids don't realize this, there is a problem. People who are struggling under oppressive rule have to fight their own battles. Yes, with help from others, but it has to be on their own terms. Look up "White Man's Burden." That's part of the danger with this idea that rich white kids are supposed to save the world. As I've said multiple times, there is NOTHING WRONG with rich white kids using their voices to bring attention to this issue. But there is a problem if they (as a rich white kid myself) don't realize that they get listened to because they are rich and white.

2. It matters because there are many other charitable organizations that are helping the exact same people that give a far higher percentage of their proceeds toward actually building schools, funding education, medical supplies, etc. There are groups that are better at this than Invisible Children. Your question concerning my own potential future children is completely irrelevant.

3. I've sad multiple times that Invisible Children does an excellent job of getting the message out there. It's not BAD that he used his son. It's bad that he let his message stop there, at the extremely simplified level. It should have been the starting point, not the ending point.

4. Great. So have you called your representatives?

Yes, I've seen pictures. I've also seen pictures of what the Ugandan Government has done to its people. The issues are more complicated than Invisible Children is making them.

My point is that who they are is extremely relevant. They do a wonderful job at raising awareness, I have never denied this. They smell of elderberries at everything else. And there are other groups that are great at everything else. Support THEM financially, not IC. All of this matters because they're human beings, like you said. And human beings deserve the best help out there. Why short change them by donating money to IC? Why not give directly, or to a group that is ACTUALLY directly working to build a better world for them?
[/quote]

yes actually, i have contacted my local elected official.....have u?

[Basilisa Marie]

[quote name='Katiebobatie94' timestamp='1331353479' post='2398536']
yes actually, i have contacted my local elected official.....have u?
[/quote]

Good!

Nope. I'm still trying to really find out if that's what I want to do - if I think it's important enough for my representatives and senators to do anything about, and if they'd be able to do anything. I'm still trying to figure out the whole picture.

[GeorgiiMichael]

Another interesting point to take into account. Any US involvement beyond what is already happening would be exactly what so many people hate about American foreign policy over the past half-century. Even the fact that there are Americans there in an advisory position reminds me of the start of our involvement in Vietnam.

I still haven't made up my mind on the issue. It's just something to think on. I'm still mad at the makers of the video for toying with my emotions in quite that way. It's a [i]very[/i] effective piece of propaganda, which in and of itself isn't a bad thing, but usually I can watch something that I know is propaganda and it won't affect me.

The fact that this did, kinda pissed me off, haha. That's probably just my pride talking though.

[Ice_nine]

[quote name='Totus Tuus' timestamp='1331340365' post='2398431']
I actually do think that the whole purpose of this campaign is *to* spread awareness, unlike other similar campaigns. As the filmmaker points out, a big obstacle to Kony's not having been captured yet is the simple fact that no one on the international playground knows who he is.
[/quote]

Really? Is this true? I knew about him (though the name was fuzzy, I knew all the terrible poo he's done, the story behind him etc), and believe you me, I'm not even that knowledgeable on world affairs. If people in the international community didn't know about him I think we're in a whole lot of trouble.

Save Darfur! Free Tibet! Kony 2012!

It's all white noise sometimes. I think to greatly over simplify things, there are tons of Kony's out there in the world today, and we're not generally interested on making sacrifices to help those suffering, but just want some ham-handed movement so we can feel a little bit better about ourselves without really doing anything. You know, allay the white guilt without giving up all the glorious things our whiteness has brought us.

I'm sorry I'm so cynical, but I'm not just damning the system. I'm part of it. I'm part of the problem. I want to spread awareness and feel good too, and I'm mad that other people are feeling so hyped up about it. I want to be hyped up and feel important, like a little gandhi or MLK and "make a difference" and "change the world." I want it so bad it's almost scary. But the motive is all wrong wrong wrong. It's not altruistic, as it claims to be.

You know? I don't want people to think I'm all high and mighty but if this is the best we can do as a society is raise awareness and get our emotional fix . . . there's a problem. Our "solutions" are mediocre at best and damaging at worst.

Sorry, rant not directed at you just venting
[quote name='GeorgiiMichael' timestamp='1331371553' post='2398576']
Another interesting point to take into account. Any US involvement beyond what is already happening would be exactly what so many people hate about American foreign policy over the past half-century. Even the fact that there are Americans there in an advisory position reminds me of the start of our involvement in Vietnam.

I still haven't made up my mind on the issue. It's just something to think on. I'm still mad at the makers of the video for toying with my emotions in quite that way. It's a [i]very[/i] effective piece of propaganda, which in and of itself isn't a bad thing, but usually I can watch something that I know is propaganda and it won't affect me.

The fact that this did, kinda pissed me off, haha. That's probably just my pride talking though.
[/quote]

U R so right about our foreign policy. I swear peoples are really dumb. And when America comes in, blows some poo up, and props up a leader who will always need to pay lip service and natural resources to the US to pay back the debt, people will whine about interventionism and how the US is manipulating foreign "sovereign" nations for their own.

What do you expect? The State is not a person moved by compassion, it's an entity always trying to protect its own interests.

as for the movie couldn't get past the first 3 minutes.

[RezaMikhaeil]

I agree with everything that Basilisa Marie wrote. However I'd like to add two points and make a correction.

The first point is that Invisible Children has advocated for a violent military intervention. They actually sponsored a bill in 2009, which gives the president of Uganda more power to take away the individual liberty of Ugandans. What he has used it for is suppress his political opposition. They say that the Ugandan military doesn't have enough resources, guns and power to take out Kony. This is contradicted by the military itself saying that it does. Americans know first hand how difficult it can be to find one man in remote geographical locations. IE: Bin Laden. We also are beginning to see that removing personal liberties is not how you fight terrorism.

The second point is that Joseph Kony and the Lords Resistance Army has between 1,000 and 3,000 soldiers currently in their ranks. A large number are children. However in the last decade, the Sudan People's Liberation Army has between 3,500 and 5,000 child soldiers. If this was truly about child soldiers, then why doesnt invisible children oppose them? They have actually gone through great lengths to defend them.

The correction is that of the photo. Basilisa Marie, you're incorrect to say that the photo of the founders posing with a rocket propelled grenade and two rifles was with the Ugandan Military. It actually was not. It was with the Sudan People's Liberation Army. This would be equivilent to someone being against Tokie Williams, the founder of the "Crips" gang because of all the teens that it has caused to resort to violence, while supporting and posing in a picture with members of the "Bloods" gang.

[img]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_moDkM2GCEuQ/TNs-1WVTsKI/AAAAAAAAJpI/4b0yuO_KUXQ/s1600/piru_street_boys.jpg[/img]

[Totus Tuus]

[quote name='Ice_nine' timestamp='1331376863' post='2398582']
Really? Is this true? I knew about him (though the name was fuzzy, I knew all the terrible poo he's done, the story behind him etc), and believe you me, I'm not even that knowledgeable on world affairs. If people in the international community didn't know about him I think we're in a whole lot of trouble.

Save Darfur! Free Tibet! Kony 2012!

It's all white noise sometimes. I think to greatly over simplify things, there are tons of Kony's out there in the world today, and we're not generally interested on making sacrifices to help those suffering, but just want some ham-handed movement so we can feel a little bit better about ourselves without really doing anything. You know, allay the white guilt without giving up all the glorious things our whiteness has brought us.

[/quote]


Yes, it is true. Unfortunately you're in a minority that is informed about Kony. I don't take what you're saying personally because I know it's your opinion- which you're entitled to - and I'm entitled to disagree. Very simple. I also think it's very wrong to assume that just because there are "lots of Konys" that we shouldn't heed any of the campaigns. One person cannot stop all the Konys. But one person is trying to stop one Kony, and I think he should be applauded for that effort. We as humans can only accomplish so much. At least someone has gotten of the Internet to do something productive with his life instead of just brushing away all of the campaigns because he's overwhelmed by them.

Edited March 10, 2012 by Totus Tuus