Decent Exposure

There is a movement sweeping across social networking websites that is currently entitled “Stop Kony” or if you’ve seen it on Twitter #StopKony, #Kony2012, etc. This movement was started by the publsihing and sharing of this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc . I, just like a lot of you, watched the video, and was moved to do something about this horrible excuse of a human being that Joseph Kony is so I spread the video immediately after watching. That action was impulsive and irresponsible of me. I didn’t check any facts, look into any kind of history on the matter, or look for the other side of the story. If I’m going to give my money and time to a cause I’m going to be damn sure that I believe in it. With that being said, I “hit the books” and started looking and questioning.

Below I tried to sum up all my findings and keep it as brief and to the point as possible. Now here’s the thing about what I’ve found and written on; 90% of you reading this have already made up your mind whether you are for or against this movement only from watching the 27 minute video. You accepted the video for 100% fact and who could blame you for wanting to trust a source like that? I mean we trust the media don’t we? Fox news reports with a conservative bias, CNN with a liberal bias, etc. Mainstream media has turned into a business rather than a source of information but that’s besides the point. That should just teach you to consider the source and consider the motive.

We live in a society where we let the media and entertainment think and form our opinions on important matters for us. We believe what we believe not becuase we reserached the matter ourselves and compared and contrasted facts and differing stances on the matter, but we believe what the news tells us because they’re, well, THE NEWS right? This is intellectually lazy and irresponisble as a memeber of your society. We have become so apathetic when it comes to thinking critically. We see an article a couple pages long, and if our grades or income don’t depend on it, then we won’t give it the time of day. We only share articles that agree with our own personal points of views which is biased and wrong. (Honestly if you’re still reading I’m surprised becuase I’m sure most who came across this immediately dismissed it, or saw how lengthy this was and probably aren’t big fans of thinking critically). Anyway, I’m not here to persuade you of either side of this Kony movement. I’m only here to ask that you stand for something but actually KNOW WHY YOU STAND FOR IT rather than BLINDLY FOLLOWING this movement. So if you’re still here, here we go.

This whole movement reminds me of when I was in the eighth grade, we learned about the Third Wave Project. This so called “project” was created by a high school history teacher who wanted to get across the seriousness of the Nazis and the Holocaust. The Third Wave was a group of high school students who joined to feel special, like they were a part of something. In the end, he made them realize they had all just fallen for a scam, without knowing any true or specific details about their cause, much like the followers of the Nazis.

2 things about this.

• This “cause” mainly targets teenagers. Teenagers are the most likely to fall in to a groups because they want to feel accepted and like a part of something.
•  In the beginning of the video, it CLEARLY states that “The next 30 minutes are an experiment.”

 An experiment for what exactly? We all want to know.

Now at this point, I fully expect people to say “How could you be against this? Even if there’s a small percentage of a chance that a few dollars will get into the right hands we should still jump on this opportunity to make a difference.” And to that I say no. That’s the lazy way out of this that people will take if they don’t genuinely care about these kids from Uganada. That’s the way out that people will take to make themselves feel better about a situation. It’s really easy for us, as memebers of a first world society, to donate a few bucks just to feel good. Everyone is having a great time feeling like they make a difference by typing a few words out (I was guilty of this right after I watched the video)and that’s the problem.

Let me make it clear that I’m not against this Kony movement. I am against blindly following and contributing to it after watching one video without educating youself on the matter. Now I’m not going to do the thinking for you like everyone else will. It’s your mind and your opinion. I don’t care what your stand on this issue is as long as you know why you take that stand. With that being said, here are some findings I’ve gathered for you in which you can read, compare, contrast, share, analyze, disect, or whatever you have to do to educate yourself on this important matter. You owe it to yourself and the children in Uganda to be knowledgeable of this information. Form your own opinions and beliefs. Don’t simply recycle someone elses.

Research. Question. Think.

Sources and Information

PRO KONY 2012

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc
• http://s3.amazonaws.com/www.invisiblechildren.com/critiques.html
• http://kony2012.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/
• http://www.news.com.au/world/its-all-over-the-webs-but-what-is-a-kony/story-e6frfkyi-1226292956990
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-goodson/stop-kony-2012-a-movement_b_1326005.html
• http://fox4kc.com/2012/03/07/stop-kony-video-campaign-gains-international-momentum-on-social-media-sites/
• http://www.webpronews.com/stop-kony-movement-looks-to-raise-awareness-for-invisible-children-charity-2012-03
• http://www.syracuse.com/have-you-heard/index.ssf/2012/03/viral_video_joseph_kony_uganda_invisible_children.html

IN THE MIDDLE

• http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshhEk16p80re9j8X31h
• http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/03/07/stop-kony-yes-but-dont-stop-asking-questions/
• http://www.city-data.com/forum/politics-other-controversies/1515251-joseph-kony-2012-scam.html (Thread)
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Kony

CON KONY 2012

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvqFi_HRPmk&feature=share
• http://www.reddit.com/r/TrueReddit/comments/qkxvm/kony_2012/c3yfvii
• http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/worldview/how-a-ugandan-warlord-went-viral-in-24-hours/article2361936/
• http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=12429
• http://blog.joerenken.com/2012/03/07/invisible-children-and-kony-2012-exposed/
• http://visiblechildren.tumblr.com/
• http://pomee.tumblr.com/post/18899601760/kony-2012-causing-more-harm-than-good
• http://www.kikkiplanet.com/visible-exploitation/
• http://www.torontostandard.com/the-sprawl/kony-2012-scam-viral-video-visible-children

Form your own educated opinions and beliefs. Don’t simply recycle someone elses.

Research. Question. Think.

Share if you want to

You. Yes, you. I am writing this for you.

I know you are reading this. And I want you to know I am writing this for you. No one else will understand. No one else knows. They think that this is for them. But it’s not. I am writing this for you.

I want you to know, life…it’s hard. Every day can be a challenge. It can be a challenge to get up in the morning. To get yourself out of bed. To put on that smile. But I want you to know, that smile is what keeps me going some days. You need to remember, even through the tough times, you are amazing. You really are.

You should be happy. You are gorgeous.

I know that the weather might not be perfect. You might have to turn your back to the wind or feel the cold nipping at your nose. But you know what, at least you are there to feel it. At least you can enjoy the sun’s warm rays on your face. Or that cold February wind biting at your cheeks. You know what that means?

You are alive.

Everything will be okay

I go to work to support my bad habbits

Pills down the hatch trippin out Im chasing rabbits

Chasing the dream If I catch it Ima bag it

The only question now is do I want Paper or Plastic?

My grasp slipped, damn, I almost had it

Give me a beat no holdin back I will attack it

Voices in my head man, fuck all this racket

Cold World. Somebody get me a jacket

All the pretty girls at the bar taking shots

Paid for by the perverts sippin whiskey on the rocks

They say they want a man but they’re always chasing cock

I’d tell them that I’m sorry I’d be lying cuz I’m not

What you expect when your standards are so shot?

Just another shallow woman reputation’s all you got

I wish’d you realize, that the truth is in your eyes

Confessing when you’re high that you stare up at the sky

Try to hide your scars while you gaze upon the stars

Avoiding questions from afar just like Frogger dodging cars

Life is kinda hard when you runnin from the law

I’m just sayin what I saw I ain’t claiming to be raw

My lyrics cant be real if I want the mass appeal

Clouds disguise the teal as the thieves come out and steal

And fame is kinda funny its about Sex Drugs & Money

Auto-tune your voice and make it sound all kinds of funny

I got this babe, yeah just like Cher and Sonny

Your friends about as real as monopoly money

And its a shame that we treat life like a game

But we’ll never be the same when we get up off this plane

Im chasing hearts while you fuckers chasing guap

It gets you fake friends and sluts, when you fuckers gunna stop?

Morals start to rot when you think that you’re on top

Thinking you’re so hot, you gunna get a grip or not?

Pouring liquor down my throat

Erased the memories of the harsh words that she spoke

Associated with the herb I used to smoke

Felt different to be sober when I wrote 

I try to be discreet as Im walking down the street

Seeing pretty faces of some girls I’d like to meet

Information that just happens to get leaked

Same bullshit news but its just a different week

I went to college just to get myself some knowledge

Hung with the wrong people and picked up myself some problems

I had some goals, but I seem to have forgot em’

Woke up sophomore year and I went back and I got em

Now life is great when I wake up in the morning

A year ago I was ignoring all the warnings

I dont get high to be up in the air soaring

I hope youve listened to my life that you’ve been touring

Its such a rush like an all star when he’s scoring

It’s kind of wild like Mufasa when he’s roaring

Quite the opposite of a lecture when it’s boring

Listen to my words cause I know that they are assuring

I used to walk around looking all frightened

Now I walk around and I sound kind of enlightened

Had some cloudy thoughts with a tiny chance of lightening

Now I feel my Moral Fibers tightening…