KONY 2012 - Please watch

[insane569]

And they're not telling you "What you should know", they're informing you of a tyrant that is in need of stopping and advertising their organisation to you, so you can possibly help.

So I should know about a guy who's not even in uganda anymore and that has an army of 30,000 kids who he kidnapped over the past what? 5+ years? Yea I should know because its been happening for the past couple of years. Why should I care now? Just because of a well edited video?

 

[Robocopter87]

So I should know about a guy who's not even in uganda anymore and that has an army of 30,000 kids who he kidnapped over the past what? 5+ years? Yea I should know because its been happening for the past couple of years. Why should I care now? Just because of a well edited video?

Why should you care?

How old are you?

Screw it, age doesn't matter. I'm 15 and its clear as day.

Its the children. Cmon, I have an 8 year old bro and a 10 year old one. To me, the idea of them being abducted. Then forced to kill their own parents. Then used in a military endeavor would be rage inducing. I'm sure I would stop at nothing to get them back. Now I can't imagine 30,000 of kids being abducted.

Its a crime against humanity. It needs to be stopped. Like right now.

Every person in the world has one of the greatest things ever given. Free-will. Every single person should be able to live their life. Regardless of how they live it, they are allowed to live it. As long as it doesn't prevent others from as well. In that video, they show a kid who says he would rather be DEAD than be ALIVE because of how hard his life is.

To me, its not about Kony. Its not for Kony. Its for the kids.

This video was a very good idea. Put it in a place where people will see and it'll spread like wildfire.

EDIT: For the record, 30 minutes long was kinda repelling at first. I didn't watch till just now because I was bored. I had no idea what it was until I started watching it. The title made it sound like an event or something.

I'm also assuming its real.

 

[Sa967St]

To me, its not about Kony. Its not for Kony. Its for the kids.

The video makes it seem like Kony is only targeting children, which is not true. He also murders those who can be a threat to his power, including educated adults.

There was a Ugandan lady who immigrated to my town with her six children, and attended the same church that my family did. She moved because to Canada because family was threatened by the LRA, and she didn't feel safe in Uganda. Her home was ambushed by the LRA one day, and her husband was murdered. Fortunately she and her children weren't home at the time, otherwise they would have all been killed too. They were after her because she was a doctor, and was well educated. She migrated out of fear, and ended up settling in Canada. She actually rented out our family guest room and lived with us for a few months, until she passed away one night. She used to tell my brother and I all about her life in Uganda, and how horrible the conditions were for everyone.

The video focused on the "save the children" idea, which works, but really it's for saving their whole country and everyone in it. The video was definitely a good idea to get the message through, it certainly got people's attention.

 

[Robocopter87]

Yeah the only information I have at the moment is what the video gave and it mentioned the kids specifically. What you said adds to what I said. They are people.

"A person's a person. No matter how small." -Dr. Seuss

 

[RussianWhiteBoi]

I don't understand, this has been going on for five years, people have known about it, and awareness is only being raised now?

 

[qqwref]

Its a crime against humanity. It needs to be stopped. Like right now.

From what I can tell, it already has stopped - years ago. I watched one of this organization's earlier documentaries (from 2006, I think?) and some of the footage dates back to at least the older documentary. The scene of the boy saying he'd rather die, for instance. I think there's definitely an argument to be made that Kony has pretty much already been stopped - years ago.

Also: here is a video from someone who has had several extended visits to Uganda and regularly talks with people who still live there. Honestly, it looks Kony doesn't really have much of an effect on Uganda anymore. He almost certainly isn't even in the country, and has a much smaller and less powerful force than he used to. I think at this point Africa has things much bigger than Kony to worry about.

I don't understand, this has been going on for five years, people have known about it, and awareness is only being raised now?

Closer to 25 years...

 

[RyanO]

I had seen several people link both the official video and articles criticizing the film before I decided to watch it. After initially watching the video I was skeptical because it seemed it was dumbing down the conflict. Then I read some of the criticism of the video. One of the things the video was criticized for was failing to touch on the atrocities committed by the Ugandan government. Realizing that this was a complex issue I started reading some responses to the criticism that largely answered most of the issues in an acceptable way.

Yes, the video over simplifies the conflict. This video clearly wasn't intended to give all the facts about the situation. It's obvious that the video's sole purpose is to raise awareness. Keeping the content simple and being a little emotionally manipulative insured that the message would spread like wildfire on social media. It also insured that criticism of the video would spread as well. I think both of these are good things. Part of why I watched the video was to make up my own mind about a situation that was generating a lot of different opinions.

I think this campaign will do more than just heightening awareness of Kony. I believe it will help to raise awareness of human rights issues in general. Not everyone will look more deeply into the issues after watching the video, but some will. I'm sure it has started discussions like this thread in a wide varieties of places.

I've been thinking a lot about the issues involved with dealing with humanitarian crises. When should we intervene? When is intervention harmful? Do organizations like the International Criminal Court hurt the peace process or serve as a needed source of judgement?

I had a chance to talk to my neighbor who immigrated to the US several years ago during the height of the genocide in Sudan. It was interesting talking to someone who has had first hand experience dealing with this sort of tragedy. Her father was even a child soldier at one point. I hope to have more opportunities to talk with her about it in the future.

To respond to Qq's assertion that Kony is no longer a problem, that's not true. He's no longer operating in Uganda, but his forces are still active in Sudan and the Central African Republic.

 

[Robocopter87]

From what I can tell, it already has stopped - years ago. I watched one of this organization's earlier documentaries (from 2006, I think?) and some of the footage dates back to at least the older documentary. The scene of the boy saying he'd rather die, for instance. I think there's definitely an argument to be made that Kony has pretty much already been stopped - years ago.

Also: here is a video from someone who has had several extended visits to Uganda and regularly talks with people who still live there. Honestly, it looks Kony doesn't really have much of an effect on Uganda anymore. He almost certainly isn't even in the country, and has a much smaller and less powerful force than he used to. I think at this point Africa has things much bigger than Kony to worry about.

Oh, well this changes stuff. Like I said, I'm running off of minimal information. But he asked why he should care about those kids. And regardless of the circumstances, regardless of the period of time. Regardless of the place, race, or religion, its a terrible thing to do to kids. Terrible doesn't even describe it.

The hypocritical part of this post is I understand the problem yet just sit here and discuss about it on the internet without actually doing anything.

 

[insane569]

Why should you care?

Closer to 25 years...

Yea I should care about it now. 25 years after this has started and I should care NOW? Awarness is spread after 2 decades? That makes total sense. People shouldn't have to wait this long to know about an issue that has been going on for that long.

 

[Jaycee]

Yea I should care about it now. 25 years after this has started and I should care NOW? Awarness is spread after 2 decades? That makes total sense. People shouldn't have to wait this long to know about an issue that has been going on for that long.

If you don't care then stop cry-babying about it and gtfo.

 

[Muesli]

Yea I should care about it now. 25 years after this has started and I should care NOW? Awarness is spread after 2 decades? That makes total sense. People shouldn't have to wait this long to know about an issue that has been going on for that long.

And now you know, yet you're refusing to help and even chastising those who do. Cool being an ass bro.

 

[insane569]

If you don't care then stop cry-babying about it and gtfo.

I never said I don't care. Stop assuming.

And now you know, yet you're refusing to help and even chastising those who do. Cool being an ass bro.

I've known for awhile. Last year the invisible children thing came to my high school. Yea people cared and people donated. But you know what happened? Like every other trend it died down. Everyone forgot about it. But this video showed up and all the "caring" came back. Now everyone cares. But ever since it started no one really made a big deal about it. I'll offer my help. But not to uganda. More like every place that could use my help which is a vast majority of the world. Yea uganda does need help but theres alot of other places that also need help. And I'm not an ass. This is all my opninion. Tell me my opinion is wrong, bro.

 

[applemobile]

I will offer my help dishing out free sterilisations and visectomies.

 

[Muesli]

I've known for awhile. Last year the invisible children thing came to my high school. Yea people cared and people donated. But you know what happened? Like every other trend it died down. Everyone forgot about it. But this video showed up and all the "caring" came back. Now everyone cares. But ever since it started no one really made a big deal about it. I'll offer my help. But not to uganda. More like every place that could use my help which is a vast majority of the world. Yea uganda does need help but theres alot of other places that also need help. And I'm not an ass. This is all my opninion. Tell me my opinion is wrong, bro.

I had no idea this was happening in Uganda. If this makes me ignorant, so be it, but the KONY 2012 campaign exposed me to it and brought it to my attention. I'm sure that there are millions of others like me who were made aware and have done what they can.

You almost sound like a charity hipster; "I cared about this before anyone else!". Get over it, something you used to support is famous. You should be happy that people are trying to make a difference to a cause you apparently care about.

I've got no problem with you offering aid elsewhere instead of Uganda. Recently I donated to the Parkinsons Disease Association, Cancer Research UK and The Invisible Children. The first two because I always have cared, but the last because it was at the forefront of my mind. That's all. It's not because one deserves it more, and I'm not saying Uganda does, but it's popular at the moment. If you want something else to be popular, advertise. Good will does nothing if nobody knows about it.

 

[insane569]

Get over it, something you used to support is famous.

So I don't support it anymore?

You should be happy that people are trying to make a difference to a cause you apparently care about.

So I do care about it?
What exactly is going on? I apparently don't support the movement (or so you say) Yet I do care about it (you also said that).

but it's popular at the moment. If you want something else to be popular, advertise.

People shouldn't have to advertise to get help. And like most things this will also die down. It's a trend.

 

[Muesli]

Fine, pick apart my grammar instead of addressing what I said.