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Health & Fitness

Knowledge is Power

Why I support sharing the Kony 2012 video.

"Keep in mind that the true measure of an individual is how he treats a person who can do him absolutely no good. "—Ann Landers

Kony 2012. A video that has gone viral since March 5, the day it was uploaded. If you have yet to watch it, take 29 minutes out of your day to view what is spreading like wildfire across the world.

For those who have not seen the whole video, the synopsis is a man by the name of Joseph Kony is the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Africa. His army abducts young children and forces them to be soldiers. These soldiers perform heinous acts towards other human beings.  In short, Kony is a very, very bad man. The point of the video is to raise awareness about this man in an effort to “neutralize” the situation in 2012. The group who created the video, Invisible Children, dreams of a world where these children do not have to fear being abducted at night and the towns that have been destroyed are able to be rebuilt. 

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As with all subjects in this world, as soon as the video became popular, critics of Invisible Children voiced their concern about the group. 

Here’s where I stand. From the research I’ve been able to do, I agree that Invisible Children is a little shady with the information that they have presented to the public. However, this is not going to stop me from sharing the video.  I shared the video to bring the knowledge of the struggle to light.  Here’s why…

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In May 2005, I was blessed with the opportunity to attend a study abroad class that took me to Cape Town, South Africa. I understand that Cape Town is not Uganda, it is far from the Conga, but yet there are similarities. For instance, we were invited to go to a typical elementary school. While we were there, we met with a volunteer organization (Not state or federally funded) that provided food to the children, if not; the majority of the school kids would go hungry. The lady explained that on the way home from school, these children (who are maybe 10 years old) are getting hounded by the drug dealers to try Crystal Meth. 10 years old. When these children left school, not only did they have to fight off the drug dealers, but they were also searching for food. Most children were told ‘If you want food to eat, you best beg for it on your way home from school. There won’t be any here when you get home.” 10 years old. Every day of their young lives.

While I was there, I would read the paper to see what the daily news would include. I am still kicking myself to this day for not keeping those papers. The amount of violence was astounding.  I often say that the violence that I read is worse than what I have seen from Hollywood (on average). I will not retell the story in great detail, but a child around 6 years old, watched as his father brutally murdered his mother with kitchen appliances and then was forced to clean up the blood. When discussing this story with the locals, as shocked as I was, they explained that this was a rather common occurrence. They continued to say that most of the kids that grow up in the Townships will witness a murder at least once a year, if not more. Children.

These children do not have choices. They are bound in these terrible situations.  At least in the States, children are required to attend public education.  Schools can be a place where children feel safe, teachers can identify oddities in student behaviors, help can be given. At a high school we went to visit, the kids are not granted the opportunity to have an education. If they want to have science class today, they have to force their way into the class room and hope there is a seat available. They have no defined schedule. If they cannot get into the class, then they sit outside and what until class is demised and try to get in again. Children have to fight to get into class. For me, it was a stunning wake up call. I am absolutely guilty of whining and complaining about having to go to school. I have never felt as guilty as I did at that moment, because I wasted an opportunity some would have literally fought to have. The worst part of all that I experienced was the hope in the children’s eyes. They truly believed with all they had they were lucky. The optimism was truly inspiring to me.

This trip changed my view on many different aspects of life. The issues that I witnessed kept me telling myself, 'I thought this was 2005...' I became a lot more grateful for the blessings in my life. These encountered led me to cherish the childhood I had even more. I was allowed to be a child.

I absolutely understand that horrible situations happen in the States and it should not. Not in 2012. But most of these are the exception to the rule, in South Africa, this was an accepted way of life. These children did not have the means or the support to get out of their situation. It was heartbreaking. This was considered “civilization.”

So back to the Kony video. I absolutely support the awareness that the video is bringing to the African nations. It is quite impressive how fast a video can spread with the use of all social media outlets. I realize that some of the information may be a bit outdated and donating to the charity I would shy away from, but when you see the atrocities that go on, it shakes you to the core. It wakes you up.  I am absolutely for fighting against someone who preys on young children.  There is always someone out there to replace the top dog; we have learned that in history. However, that should never deter us from trying to protect the children. Knowledge is power and once you are aware, you can no longer claim ignorance. I was always taught to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. So I encourage you to watch this video, pass it along. Support the movement to bring Joseph Kony to justice in 2012.   

Be thankful tonight when you go to sleep for all the blessings in your life that we so often take for granted.

Take it easy.

**As a reference, Charity Navigator is a great source to find a charity you can trust.

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