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| I tweaked this a bit 'cuz the way I found it is said, "are you coming to bed?" Only my cat asks me that these days, so I changed it. |
When there is a world or community issue brought to my
attention and I am compelled, which in my case means lead to tears or anger, I
tend to jump on the band wagon. When
email first became the rage among my friends and acquaintances, I had to learn
to use Snopes to verify the rhetoric of some viral emails before
forwarding them on. Many times the important information was false.
Then I had the challenge of deciding if I needed to write
back that person, perhaps even all the receivers of the email and tell them what I learned, risking them thinking I was a real jerk. Usually I just didn't forward the email. When I saw this
stick figure comic, I could really relate.
When the video KONY 2012, promoted by the Invisible Children
Organization, was posted by a close trustworthy friend of mine on facebook, I
watched right away as she requested. The 30 minute video was very compelling,
i.e. I teared up several times and became angry as well. I immediately re-posted the video on facebook, tweeted it,
pinned it and “liked” everybody else’s
post of it that my friends made on facebook, twitter and pinterest.
I felt this was a something I
could help make happen, that "something" being get this very bad man arrested, by using my
social network voice.
I also spent $30 to get the kit, which includes a poster,
stickers, t-shirt and bracelet. That wasn't a hard choice for me because the bracelet reminded
me of the 70's when I wore my metal POW bracelet and the T-shirt is red, plus, more importantly, I might be able to help the Ugandan children. I was so securely on the band
wagon that even the bass drum player couldn’t beat me off with his drum stick. (Is the band wagon analogy really about bands? I'll have to research that.)
Then the wagon rolled over the pot hole of anti KONY 2012 and Invisible Children
organization tweets, blogs, and youtube videos. I had to stop and
take a look at myself. Did I forget to learn more about something before
“sharing”? Ah, yes, yes I did. So I set upon doing some additional reading and
viewing.
Fast forward.
I have learned a little more. I’ve decided to stay on this
wagon and toot my horn about this campaign to make Joseph Kony famous. Famous
enough that he is found, arrested and tried for his war crimes and human rights
failures.
If you haven’t watched the video yet, I think you should,
yes, I did just should on you. (Is that joke getting too old yet?) I have no
qualms recommending viewing this video.
This isn't to say that it is the best choice
ever invented for solving all world problems but it is a
heck of a compelling video that introduced me to a very bad man and some wonderful children.
Also from a
videographer/educator point a view, I think it is a fantastic example of telling
a story to get your point across. Imagine if a young German girl had been able to post
her story online in 1942 or even later, perhaps many deaths would
have been prevented.
This is an extreme example, but you see, I’m trying to make
a point, a persuasive argument. Most of us have heard the poem that starts, "First they came for the communists, but I wasn't a communist so I didn't speak out..”
because as Wikipedia reminds me, this is a popular model for describing
the dangers of apathy. Apathy is not a good thing. I consider that a fact, some may
consider that an opinion.
At the bottom of this blog I'm including several links that I have now watched or read. I don't claim to know everything about KONY2012; I plan
to continue to follow this call for action.
From what I’ve read I realize that much (30%) of the money the organization receives is for travel and movie making. I don’t have a problem with that. Most productions do have a large advertising budget. I would be bummed if I learn that Jason Russell, co-founder/filmmaker, has a large fancy house paid for with donations.
From what I’ve read I realize that much (30%) of the money the organization receives is for travel and movie making. I don’t have a problem with that. Most productions do have a large advertising budget. I would be bummed if I learn that Jason Russell, co-founder/filmmaker, has a large fancy house paid for with donations.
Perhaps Joseph Kony's crimes are old news to some,
they were news to me and others and now we know. The Holocaust was 70 years
ago, those war criminals should also still be punished, or if dead, still called
out for their crimes so that they are noted in the history "books" or ...
would that be history media? People are
still being made aware of the terrible things that were done during World War
II and how they could have happened. And some people still have to be convinced.
How the terrible things could happen to people is an important study. There are reasons that people like Hitler and Kony gain such
power. Hopefully we have also learned that if we don’t become part of the
solution we are part of the problem. During WWII some men helped by making
lists. Now days, some men and women make movies and post them on social networking sites.
We have many world problems, national problems, community
issues and family concerns. My goal is to be aware of them, help where I can
and remember to strive for more love and happiness for all people.
Thanks for reading and thinking about this.
-Connie
(If I'm going to be a blogger, I probably need a little
closing tag, something like "and that is how I C-it", or "And
that's my Con-viction" or "Peace, Love and Rock and Roll", or
"Rock, Paper, Scissors". I'll work on it.)
Here are some links I read and watched.
Here's a news report about it:
Ok, now do you know enough?? Not sure? Here’s what I read on Wikipedia:
What's the down side, well here is a video of a young girl that claims to be a
Ugandan-American and she thinks KONY 2012 is bull$*#t:
Wil Wheaton, actor, is not sold on the power and good of the KONY2012 video and
wants people to stop sending him the video, he blogs:
I found this article on a few news sites, it is By RODNEY
MUHUMUZA and JASON STRAZIUSO from the Associated Press March 8, 2012 8:44AM
Here is a CBC video news report about the Kony 2012
A politically aware new teacher friend suggested I should find out what Nicholas Kristof from the New York Times says about this, because he has history of writing about these issues and Africa. So I looked him up and found he did write specifically about KONY2012.
http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/09/konys-victims-and-the-kony-2012-video/
http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/09/konys-victims-and-the-kony-2012-video/
Invisible Children's blog responded to the critical writings and videos that
have been “put out there” about KONY2012:
http://www.invisiblechildren.com/critiques.html
http://www.invisiblechildren.com/critiques.html
Here’s what CNN reporter By Nick Thompson has to say:
http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/09/world/africa/kony-2012-q-and-a/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/09/world/africa/kony-2012-q-and-a/index.html
CNN reporter By Moni Basu, reported:
http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/09/world/africa/uganda-viral-video/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/09/world/africa/uganda-viral-video/index.html
