Monday, March 12, 2012

KONY Video & Articles

Directions: Please view the 30 minute Invisible Children KONY video.  (link on wiki) What is your initial response to the video?  Read 2-3 articles from the NY Times that debate the campaign.  (links on wiki) What are your thoughts?  Where do you stand?  Aim for 6-8 sentences.  Reference direct quotes where appropriate.  Feel free to comment on your classmates posts as well.  American Lit- Due Tuesday.  Honors-Due Friday.

90 comments:

  1. My initial response to the video was “Wow.” I was amazed that over 30,000 children were kidnapped by Kony and were told to kill their parents including Jacob, who Jason Russell had been talking to. When Russell notified the government of the issue, President Obama sent over 100 American troops to help arrest Kony. Russell mentioned that was the first time the U.S. had sent troops to another country for a reason other than defense – because it was right. My support for Kony 2012 was still strong after I read the “start listening,” “A Flawed Call to Action,” and “Online, a Distant Conflict Soars” articles. But the articles did include extra ideas I had not thought about during the video. “Online” said, “Invisible Children…[dedicates millions of dollars]to officer salaries, filmmaking costs and travel, as opposed to on-the-ground programs to help rebuild the lives of people traumatized by decades of conflict.” I knew they were raising money to get this project going, but I forgot about where it goes. I can understand using the money to promote the project and there’s no evidence that most of the money goes to the filmmakers. I think programs to help rebuild those traumatized would be a great next step after April 20. After all this, I still wonder why other countries didn’t offer to help in Uganda. We sent troops there which shows we care, but no one else seemed to send any troops over. It’s like everyone depends on the U.S. to solve the world’s problems. They have the power to help, too. Well, anyway, the children of Uganda should be noticed and helped. This project will surely be beneficial to the country.

    -Meglin

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  2. After viewing this video and reading the articles I believe in stopping Kony as soon as possible. I feel that those children should not have to live their lives in fear of getting taken during the night. It is my strong will that they should live as free as I do along with many others that live in this country. "Kony should be stopped immediately, what hes doing to these children is by far cruel and unusual punishment." I fully agree and think that Kony should be stopped promptly. We must put our best efforts into helping the children live freely and not in fear everyday.

    JJ Carbone Period 5

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  3. After watching the KONY video I was initially, shocked. At first I was disgusted by the fact that a human being would ever even think of turning children into soldiers and sex slaves, forcing them to do horrific things like kill their parents and siblings or torture other children. I am also shocked that it has taken so many years to even get public attention. As the video said, “If this happened in America for one day, it would be the top story on the news the next day!” How come our government has been pretending it didn’t happen? Why do we have to rely on the internet to get public attention? I know as a country the United States has it’s own problems but a horrific crime like this that involves thousands of children should draw attention without citizens having to protest and basically jump up and down while screaming to get the government’s attention. After the video sunk into my head I was happy how all this public attention is in fact helping make slow and steady positive changes. The more awareness there is around the world the easier it is to stop the problem. Regarding the discussion from the New York Times, I personally think that anyone saying this video is “over exaggerating” is wrong. In the video it shows the men who made the movie in Uganda interviewing the children. Unless someone else goes to Uganda and comes back with proof that this isn’t true I honestly don’t want to hear what they have to say. For example one person said, “The scary part of this campaign is that it raises expectations too high. ‘If you care enough to send $30 dollars and wear this here bracelet, we will go and get rid of this evil for you. Trust us," it says. The world isn't that simple or easy to fix.’” This person doesn’t understand that we all know what this world consists of, we know that buying a bracelet won’t get rid of the evil in the world but we know it will raise awareness which will lead to worldwide attention which could potentially lead to someone finding and disabling Kony and his forces. This video has not given me any false hope I still know that is takes more than a You Tube video to stop a war, but this video has reminded me that I have a voice and if I spread my word, I could raise awareness to try and help the less fortunate people in this world.
    -Emma Corbett period 5

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  4. When I first heard about Kony, I thought it was one of the worst things possible for a grown man to do. Its honestly one of those things that should make people realize how lucky most of us are, and that we don't have to worry about things like this. Every one should be apart of the Kony 2012 and help stop Joseph Kony from changing these kids lives in a bad way. After reading the articles and watching the video, there was nothing negative i could say about the stopping of Kony. No one should be against this charge that Jason Russel is trying to achieve. When kids are afraid to even sleep home, and live in fear every day, you know something is wrong. A child's life should be happy, but not worrying about making it to the next day, living with their family. Stopping Kony should be at the top of the list for things we should do and put these kids first.

    -Amanda Genovese (period 7)

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  5. I believe this is a horrible situation. History has repeated itself once again. This is like Hitler's brainwashing. This is why we need to educate the world to prevent things such as this from happening. At the same time i do not belive we should help them. This is the United States problem, we feel the need to help every country that cries for help. It is unfair for the families of our armed forces to deal with their Son or Daughter or father or whoever go out in a war that is not even for our own country. plus we would be fighting children, something nobody wants to do.



    -Dave Travisano

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  6. I feel that what is going on is extremely upsetting. I do not agree with the acts of the LRA or the commands of Joeseph Kony. I do believe that this Army needs to be stopped and that this being made public is a good way to raise awarness and support against Kony. However, I am not in favor of the US getting involved. I feel as though this is an issue for the countrys affected to solve this issue. Also untill we are directly asked to provide aid or help I do not feel we should force ouselves upon their countrys. I believe that if we get involved when we are unwanted we will gain the same reputation and hatred from the people of the middle east. I do however support raising money for the organizations that are providing support to the countrys in need.


    Matt O'Neill Period 7

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  7. When I first heard about Kony I had no idea it would be about something so horrible. Watching that video and reading the articles made me realize how cruel some people can be. It was disturbing to hear that he kidnapped children and turned girls into sex slaves and boys in soldiers- just to kill their own families. Joseph Kony should be stopped and we should help end this. Think about your own children being kidnapped and forced to face his severe consequences. This is just a way for the United States to get money. This is a serious matter. It makes me feel uncomfortable to hear or read what goes on in Uganda. I believe we should get involved and help them out.
    - Brya

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  8. After watching the video, at first it was a big shock to me. I had seen Invisible Soldiers but did not truly realize the effects of what is going on there. Clearly something corrupt is happening whether it is Kony or not. The facts that the video offered were kind of shocking to me too. To think that 30,000 children have been taken is crazy amount. It does a good job of getting their message across in a way that makes you really think about what you have and how there needs to come a change for these people.The two articles, i do understand where they are coming from.The videos came out and right away everyone wanted a change even without knowing the facts about what is going on with it all.A good analogy as stated in one of the articles was "the audience bit into it hook, line and sinker".People saw the video and right away brought the stuff to help support the fight against him.But do us Americans really know what is going on? we say that we want it to end but how? I feel as though this is a big question that is floating around out there because if we put in our troops we would be fighting children, something the United States will not do. There is a reason he is the most wanted person in the work right now and fighting wont help that.We need to get in there and talk to the people in charge of Uganda, see if we can work with them to catch this man so they children do not have to hide in fear of him for the rest of their lives.

    Jenny Flynn
    Period 7

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  9. When I first heard about Kony, I had heard of people saying it wasn't true and was just a way for the US government to get money. I don't believe that at all and think this is a serious issue that needs to be resolved. I believe that it is not the United State's problem to solve, but we can still help out a little bit. Africa needs to get a better search team to find and end what Kony has begun. If someone was to start an army against Kony I don't think the children that belong to the LRA would be fighting against it, because they most likely don't want to be there. Something that really stuck out to me is that the children are forced to kill their parents so they won't have a home to go back to. Also, the girls captured are used as sex slaves or "wives" which I find absolutely disgusting. Overall, Kony needs to be stopped and people need to become more aware of the things he is doing.

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  10. after watching the KONY video I believe that this is horrible what this guy is doing to these kids but the U.S. should just mind there own buisness and should not get in to it because we will just get in to more debt when we help them.

    -Austin Fries(period 7)

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  11. I believe that we shouldn't be worrying about Kony until he starts talking about attacking the U.S., yes it's horrible what he did and is still doing but it doesn't affect us. We don't have to protect everyone, you don't see people from Russica and China worrying about this so why should we.


    -Walter Kreske

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  12. This video clip reminded me about the troubles around the world. The main lesson I learned from this video was "if everyone work together as one nation, the impossible will become possible." The part that touched me the most was the transformation of Jacob. Ten years ago when they first encountered Jacob while making the Invisible Children video, he was a young teenage boy who was simply trying to survive the Rebels one day at a time. Today, he is a young man advocating this cause for his country. I believe Jacob has found his purpose in life. Ten years ago he said, "I would rather die." Now he is full of life, and is no longer an invisible child. He can now be seen, heard, and understood. I like how the producer included his son in the video to capture the attention of young and old generations. Although the movie was well developed, I do not think it is a good idea for the Unites States to get involved with the removal of Kony. I believe Kony should be severely punished for his actions, but if the U.S. get involved we would most likely have to fight against his child soldiers in order to get to him. I agree that this situation has to come to an end, but forced removal would be very problematic for both Africa and the United States. Critics Sarah Margon and Lisa Shannon both agreed that an imperfect advocacy effort that increases awareness is better than ignorance and inaction. They believe that the 60 million concerned citizens will have a positive impact on our world leaders and generate them to make the right decision to stop Kony and the LRA.

    -Bryanna Willaby
    period 7

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  13. After watching the Kony 2012 video, i was completely shocked that it had been going on for many years now and i have not heard anything about it until now. Just like a man in the video stated, "if this happened one night in America, It would be on the cover of News-week" Which i feel is defiantly true. Many people say that its not affecting us so why should we get involved? And i say, For doing what we feel is right, in America or not. These innocent children are being abducted and trained to kill or be sex slaves. Not hundreds of children, but 30,000 children have been killed. They are just like every student in BHS, but they were born in a horrible part of the world, while we were born on the part with a family and safe place to sleep every-night. It just makes me think if someone in the world would try and help me if i was in Jacob's situation. I stand on defiantly fallowing out to find and punish Joseph Kony for the killings he has committed in Uganda.

    -Zack Bortolan
    Period 5

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  14. To every kid in uganda Kony is a dangerous most feared man to them. No kid should have the fear of being abducted but some man so he can recruit them into his army. My choice on stopping him depends on the circumstances. If he is easy to track down and he is stoppable then we should work on it. But... if this becomes a year long problem then it should be forgotten. Maybe and alternative would be to provide protection around the areas the kids live and after a while the abductions will come to a stop and no one will be harmed, and if later on kony turns up , he can be dealt with by the african army.

    Billy Glynn , Period 5

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  15. First of all i had no idea who Kony was until i saw this video. But now that i know who he is, im glad someone is taking care of him. He needs be stopped as soon as possible. He is turning boys into soldiers to kill their own parents and turning girls into sex slaves, this is just an awful thing that he is doing. In the video Jacob said he will be happier if he was death than alive since no one is taking care of him, thats an awful thing to say coming from a kid. But this is all about to end, the U.S. has sent troops to help but it is going to be very challenging. They are going to be fighting agaisnt children and the thing that we don't want is to hurt them. The only thing for us to do now is help raise money and let everyone know about knoy.

    -Jennyfer Jarrin
    Period 5

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  16. After watching the Kony video I was left in shock. There are a lot of horrible things in this world, but this is by far one of the worst. How could somebody turn children into sex slaves and force them to the kill the people that have raised and cared for them? These children are being forced to do awful things that seem unimaginable and as if they cannot be real, but what is happening is very much real and is something that needs to be brought to everybody’s attention. I honestly could not imagine going through what these children are going through and before Jacob said “I would rather die.” What is this world coming to where somebody would rather die. Nothing should be so bad that someone would rather die, but after watching the video I can understand why he said that. However, he is now trying to be heard and to help people become aware and we should all open up our ears and listen from someone that has dealt with it first hand. All we know is what we read and what we see, but when we listen to someone that was there we learn the first hand facts and once we know those then we can finally find a solution for this horrible situation. This won’t change over night it just isn’t possible, but things need to be done to stop it as soon as possible. It has been going on way too long and way too many people have died and suffered because of this. We go to sleep every night and we don’t have to worry about a thing, but these people have to worry about every night and they should not have to. We take advantage of what we have when they would give anything to not have to worry for one night. This topic finally has gotten awareness and now hopefully because of that awareness a solution will come along.


    Kelsie DePino
    Period: 5

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  17. After watching the Kony 2012 video I was left in aw. I didn't know what to think in response to this horrible tragedy. I never know that this was occuring until watching this. Someone needs to stop him and put an end to all this madness and horror that is occuring in Uganda. This situtation is horrible but we all need to understand that if we were to get involved then it would put us in more debt then we are already in. I believe that we should give some aid to Uganda, but as of right now we are barely keeping our heads above water. I believe that the United States as well as other countries around the world should make an effort to raise money and help, but we should not invovle our military and our economy. Kony needs to be stopped, but I believe our government needs to stay out of it so we do not make even more enemies in the middle east or in Africa.

    Dylan Carleton
    Period 5

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  18. This was not the first time I have heard about the issues surrounding child soldiers in Africa. I watched invisible children three years ago and was disgusted my the inhumane actions it showed. After watching this video, it only resurfaced those feelings. As far as U.S. involvement, I believe it has taken us far too long to become involved. Our country as a whole is too focused on itself, and not on global welfare. Even when we give foreign aid, we often gain something in return. For once I believe that the country should look at the situation with human compassion rather than self interest and do what is best for the people being affected.

    Chrissy B.
    Period 4

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  19. Like many of my other classmates, when I first saw this video I had a range of emotions and thoughts running through my head. At first I felt sickened at all the horrors Joseph Kony has been performing for years on end. Then the disgust eased slightly the more I thought about it. This only occurred because the message started to think in. The makers of the video were accomplishing what they had set out to do; make Kony famous. If an English class in a small town in Connecticut is hearing all about this, it must be doing something productive. However, this movement is not going over well with everyone, as a complaint among some critics is “that the film fails to mention the human rights abuses by the Ugandan military, and that Mr. Russell’s narration could imply that there are as many as 30,000 child soldiers in Mr. Kony’s army today. After years on the run, the group is believed to be down to hundreds of fighters, though they still prey mercilessly on civilians.” The video was intended to grab peoples attention, with skewed numbers designed to make the viewer think.

    Rachel H P5

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  20. My reaction after watching the Kony2012 video is that no matter the person everyone matters, no one should have thier life chosen for them based on where they live in the world. When a child would rather die than stay on earth because of thier past living conditions and the things that they have seen in thier life time, thats when you know that there are people in this would that are so inconsiderate of children that they would put them though this hell.The LRA has taken over the lives of innocent all of Africa and makes them kill over thier free will. The fact that this has been going on for 26 years and were making awareness of this now, just made Kony more and more powerful and let him take the lives of people that deserve to live just as much as anyone in America. By providing people in Africa the hope to live will also give them the hope that Joseph Kony would someday be stopped. When the powerful U.S. takes in to consideration all the lives that have been lost and hope power Kony could actually be one day and stop only caring about the money that they would be losing then Kony will be stopped. I also feel like the U.S. is sending troops to Africa more to make the people happy instead of actually making a stand for the cause. The people were damanding that they send troops there and it got to the point that Obama would have looked like the bad guy if he didn't send any troops to help end Kony. We as a contry know that Kony has to be ended and U.S. government knows that if so many people bielive that Kony has to be stopped then the government will do anything possible to stop it to please the U.S. people. Responding to the problem is now an obligation of the U.S. government whether they like it or not.

    Taylor
    Period 5

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  21. sandrine Amin P4
    "Rather than scolding teenagers who were moved by this video, we should encourage them to honor their human feelings, while also learning to embrace a complicated world — one of peers and friends with whom one stands in solidarity, not one of mere victims to be rescued."I disagree with this quote because there is no better way to bring people together then to get them to feel what the other feels; and what other way to show someone’s human feelings than led a hand to a friend or peer in need. After watching the video and seen what Jacob, his brother, and friends have been through I don’t think any parents can understand what it would be like to be one of the children Kony adopts. In many ways it makes sense that the audients targeted were teens or young adults. It’s time for the government do something but with the approval of the Uganda people to avoid another Vietnam incident. In doing so we would be using our social clout to help them realize they have a voice, and accepting our help would show that the decision was theirs to make and not us assume we know what's best for them.

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  22. When I first saw the video about Kony, there was no doubt in my mind about how horrible I thought it was. But after watching it, a few friends of mine told me to research about it a little more, so I did. Now the whole thing just doesn't make that much sense to me. Some people say that Kony died 5 years ago, that LRA hasn't attacked in years and Uganda is actually a wonderful, peaceful place to visit. Some even say that Kony is definately still alive, but he's heard about us trying to arrest him so he has fled Uganda. Raising money for these invisible children is the right thing to do but only 31% of it goes to the actual cause, that's a lot of left over money. I'm not saying that raising money for the kids in Uganda is wrong, but if we're gonna raise money, i think it should be for all the other kids in the world being abused and forced into sex slaves as well. Jason said this problem has been ignored for many years, but him making this video on just kids in Uganda is ignoring other kids with this problem all over the world. I'm not saying the people of America shouldn't help out, I'm just saying they should do a little more research before giving away all their money.

    -Michelle Caron (Period 5)

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  23. When i watched the video I didn't know what to think. I thought that it is teriable to sacerfise kids to soliders and when i watched this one part when a kid tryed to escape they slit his throat wright in front of his brother i thought that was trauatizing to watch. I didn't know this was happing until i saw the video and i'm suprise it is. I don't think we should get involved because we have enough enemines everytime the U.S. gets involved we end up getting bombed or attacked. In the future i hope this does stop maybe someone will do something and those kids won't have to go through that anymore

    Nick DeBroi (Period 5)

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  24. I saw many people tweeting about Kony and talking about him for a while but I wasn't sure who he was or what he was doing. After watching this video I was totally shocked. No child should ever have to go through anything like this. I believe that we should give as much help to Uganda as we can! Obama is doing the right thing by sending those troops out there because this NEEDS to be stopped. Kony needs to be captured. Kids that aren't part of his "troop" already are even scared that they won't wake up the next day with their family and will be with him and the other thousands of kids that are now slaves for Kony. I really hope this video gets peoples attention and each and ever person at-least tries to do something to help.

    Ashlie Forsberg (Period 5)

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  25. On the night of Thursday, March 8th, is when I had first seen "KONY 2012" all over the web. My Facebook news feed was loaded with people posting the video and going gung-ho about the whole Invisible Children campaign. Seeing the video was nearly a half hour long, I figured I'd just watch it later. The next morning I woke up to see Facebook and the rest of the internet nonstop talking about this KONY 2012, and I gave in. I pressed play, and watched the video. The video instilled excitement and hope in myself, excitement that we the people can help change something so large and powerful although foreign to us. Of course on that, I was sold - this is going to be something great. I want to join in, and I want to help. I want to be a part of this. So I clicked "Attend" on a "COVER THE NIGHT - APRIL 20" event on facebook. So official, right? So social activist of me. Little did I know that a couple short hours after, I'd be removing my attendance from the page and criticising those that blindlingy approve of the campaign. I feel that a large majority of young people (ages 13-24) are into this Kony 2012 campaign simply because it is a fad. Like the Temple Run iPhone app, or wearing skinny jeans. A fad. They do not know what they are supporting, they just think they do simply because a video told them. Did you know only 31% of all money donated to Invisible Children goes to the cause itself? That's less than half. Why leave this out of the video? Because no one wants to list statistics that could hurt them in the long run, when one could easily just investigate for themselves. One thing that mainly irritates me is the fact that people write "KONY 2012 - BECAUSE WHERE YOU LIVE SHOULDN'T DETERMINE WHETHER YOU LIVE" or things of the like on their Facebook, Twitter, etc, or change their facebook picture to the "KONY 2012" poster...and that's all they're doing. Raising awareness. Posting a sentence on facebook that took you 5 seconds to write is not going to do anything. "Yes, raise awareness, raise awareness, tell everybody!" But is anyone actually doing anything? Are any one of my facebook friends actually donating, helping this cause move forward? Are any one of them looking to donate to similar charities? It'd be like if my house was burning down, and I told everyone "Help! My house! My house is burning down! Everyone tell everyone my house is burning!" and then everyone shows up, and is watching your house burn down...not doing anything. What really would have helped was a fire extinguisher, a 911 call, or some water...see what I mean? All talk, and no real help. --- Summer Harvey (Period 5)

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  27. after watching the Kony video i was very concerned for the kids of Uganda it is very sad what is happening to them but america has no buisness getting involved in african affairs again. we already tryed getting involved in 2004 and it was no help theres too many of them. Africa is just going to have to work this problem out themsleves. Josh Celone (period 7)

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  28. Kony 2012....? I'm pretty sure this was happening years ago. Not in 2012. Why is everyone caring about it now? Is it because we have more technology to actually see whats going on in this world?In 2004 Kony was known. Not by me, not by my friends, not by my family, but people knew of him, even the government. If the people of Americas are just worring about this now...well that just shows how much we care if something horrible is going on far away from us. What if Kony was in Branford? Would it be different? Would everyone actualy make an act to shut him down when it was needed, or would we wait 8 more years, as we lose the innocent ones we love. Some say it's too late, and some wanna catch this horrible person, and I say, we stop him. Kony is known for nothing but disgust, a killer, a horrible, horrible insane person. There are so many people in this world that would do anything to stop him, he's 1 agaisnt billions, and he CAN be stoppped. Everyone needs to make a change, and put their all into stopping this insane human being, who is doing nothing but huting inncocent lives, who desereve to live. Find Kony, it honestly can't be that difficult if everyone cares so much.

    Hannah, Period 8

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  29. After watching the Kony video, I was overcome by feelings of sadness and anger. Although I am pleased with the support from the public to put a stop to Kony, the extent to which we are relying on technology is disgusting. If the public tweeting and updating their Facebook statuses really cared, they would realize that Invisible Children has been an ongoing organization for years. This is simply a fad. I wish I could believe people really cared, but I know that they don't. On the other hand, Kony IS famous so Jason's goal has been achieved. The real question is, will "making him famous" put an end to his horrific lifestyle? People really need to look at the big picture and realize that Kony isn't the only bad person in this world.

    Kelly Smith
    Period 1

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  30. I think this is clearly something all Americans can agree upon. Child soldering needs to be stopped and capturing Kony would be a great way to begin to diminish it. However, the only problem I have with this effort is similar to what my classmates have said. That is, just liking a facebook page or watching a video isn't going to stop him. It is going to take action. And the action that we have taken (sending 100 US military advisers to Uganda) isn't going to be very useful. Kony isn't in Uganda and hasn't for six years. In fact, no one even knows if he's still alive. For all we know he could be dead already. This is similar to the assassination of Osama Bin Laden. Just killing him isn't going to stop the Taliban. And killing Kony isn't going to put an end to the LRA or child soldering. I think stopping the LRA is going to take a little more effort and if we need to ask if we are willing to make that effort before we start trying. Because once we start there should be no backing out.

    Daniel Borrus
    Period 4

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  31. I did a project on child soldiers last semester. I knew the facts and had already seen the images, but somehow it didn't have the same effect as this video did, on me or on anyone else. And I think that the main difference is that this organization is offering the whole package. The public is being informed, asked to act, told specifically what to do, and offered several options of how to help. When people are aware of how simple it is to join in the effort, I think they're more apt to do it. For example, good old Occupy Wall Street. The reason Occupy has gone on for so long and without much impact is because they do not have defined goals. This organization is astonishingly organized and I hope its going to be effective. Someone wrote in a blog post why should we care? China and Russia aren't concerned. It is interesting that no one else is doing anything. I think that's just because of lack of awareness. Which is exactly why WE haven't done anything for the past 20 years! But overall, I think it's a great campaign and I really think it could make a difference. It's really cool to see someone trying to make a difference. Sometimes it seems like the world doesn't care about anything anymore, so I feel like this is almost bringing us together.

    Kaity
    Period 4

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  32. I was really impressed at how the video had such an incredible and powerful message that aimed towards accomplishing one goal. The video was eye opening and I felt a sense of enthusiasm, dedication, and unity by watching all the efforts that Invisible Children and Jason Russell have done for many years. The only problem though is that the video only covers one side of the problem. It omits certain information and makes the entire cause seem “oversimplified.” There are a lot of other concerns that the video fails to mention. For example, in The New York Times article, “Online, a Distant Conflict Soars to Topic No. 1,” it notes that the video doesn’t mention “human rights abuses by the Ugandan military” or the fact that Invisible Children spends millions of dollars a year to “officer salaries, filmmaking costs and travel, as opposed to on-the-ground programs to help rebuild the lives of people traumatized by decades of conflict.” This Kony campaign has raised our expectations too high. Watching one video isn’t enough, everyone has to do their own research and be informed about all aspects of this organization. We need to not be so hasty, but rather sit down and read and listen to all the different perspectives that are out there. While I appreciate this campaign to end Joseph Kony, if everyone doesn’t start to understand all sides to this problem, as well as the hidden truths, this can all taper out and be remembered for just being an impulsive fad.

    Kelly Du
    Period 1

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  33. After watching the Kony video and reading the articles i realized how serious this matter was. Joeseph Kony kidnapps young children and turns the girls into sex slaves and the boys into soldiers. He forces them to kill their families, which is just awful. I consider this cruel and unusual punishment and Joeseph Kony should be stop as soon as possible. Like Katiy said in her response, that there is a lack of awareness. I agree with that becuase this is the first time im actually hearing the thins going on in Uganda and the details to them. I feel that the children should not have to be worried that they will be kidnapped in the middle of the night. The video really had an affect on me. I think Obama is doing the right thing with sending the troops to help stop kony! The children should not have to live in this danger. The invisible Children is a good campaign and i hope it made the world aware of what was really going on in Uganda because it made me aware of it. Joeseph Kony is the only dangerous one and if we stop him then i think all of this inhumane stuff will stop.

    Erica Celentano

    Period 4

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  34. After watching the KONY video and articles i was upset, sad and angry all at the same time. At first, i was disappointed in myself for not being aware of this before, i mean it has been going on for 20 years! And almost all of us are finding out about this NOW. It is a VERY serious matter, in a way, Kony is no different than Hitler, he is making CHILDREN do awful things and torturing them. Children are so naive and fragile, they shouldnt be hurt or alarmed. They are easily fooled and they have their entire life left ahead of them, it is terrible how Kony steals their chance of having a happy, carefree and memorable childhood. This children live in constant fear and depression. They have NO ONE to look forward to, most often they are forced to kill their own parents.They are forced to hurt other children as well. He not only steals them of their childhood, but he also takes away their innocence.As you can see, in the KONY 2012 video, Gavin is so innocent, he says they fight star wars etc, but the children in Uganda probably dont even know what star wars is, they know the reality of things and have a different perception. Most of us probably have an image of children like Gavin, innocent and sweet. I bet the parents of the childrens who get abducted want their children to be like that too. I am glad that Obama is taking a stand and sending troops because there is still time to stop this. In America we live a carefree and luxurious life, and we are sometimes blind in seeing what other people go through. Maybe that is why some other countries consider us as being selfish. However, this is a great opportunity for us to come together for a greater cause. I think we should place ourselves in the shoes of those parents& children and try to get a feel of what they go through. It is heart breaking, and we all should come together to make a difference.

    Aisha
    Period 1

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  35. After watching the Kony 2012 video produced by the nonprofit Invisible Children, I was initially appalled. To kidnap children at such a young, impressionable age is an absolute tragedy. At such a developmentally crucial phase it is easy to trick a child's young mind into believing fighting for Joseph Kony is the right thing to. The articles and others similar to it however, point out significant flaws in the campaign. The video did not mention that the opposing force, the Uganda military, is also guilty of human rights violation. Another issue that truly struck me was the sensationalism that created the hype within the video. It utilized music and voiceovers to essientially sell Kony 2012 to the audience. I see nothing wrong with a non-profit commercialization a topic in dire need of attention however, the video provided little substance. After watching the video I had to look up where in Africa Uganda is located. Personally I don't feel right sending money to place I can't even locate. Finally, I believe the United States military does not need to get involved in this crisis. It is improving since recent years and may continue to do so. We have just left Iraq as it is and do not need another foreign war. All in all I believe the video provides great exposure to the problem of Joseph Kony yet could do more to educate its viewers.

    Steve
    Period 4

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  36. After watching the video, I feel compelled to be one, of the many others to stopping Kony. How ever, not to be the completely negative guy in this whole thing, There are a couple of things that I was concerned about. When I first heard about this, I felt that I need to do some of my own research, look into other sources instead of just one. A couple things that I have learned is that Kony has been doing what he has been doing for quite some time and I find it funny that we are so late to be trying to fight an issue that has been going on for decades. I also learned that Kony, isn't even believed to be in Uganda any more rather, he has moved to the southern part of sudan. It has also come to my attention that the company that created this video only donates about 60% of what it collects to the fight while the other 40% goes to salaries and advertisement. I think that is really strange and I wouldn't invest until all of these points are cleared. Although I do sound very pessimistic, I will agree, I will not deny that this whole problem is devastating. And it does need to be stopped ASAP. I think that if we put pressure on government officials rather than investing in a company, I think we will end Kony's regime.

    Edgar
    Period 1

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  37. The first time I learned about invisible children for the first time I was a freshman here at BHS. Knowing that children in Uganda where being abducted and forced into becoming solders and sex slaves made me want to take part in stopping this from reoccurring, but I didn’t know how. Now this is three years later and people are finally learning about what Joseph Kony is doing, and because all of these people are informed the president can take action. “The surge of awareness is even more remarkable considering that President Obama, under pressure from Congress, announced in October that he had authorized the deployment of about 100 American military advisers to help African nations working toward ‘the removal of Joseph Kony from the battlefield,’”. The president can no longer ignore this issue because Americans care about what is going on. Of course there are some people who don’t care about what’s going on or believe it’s a scam but how can you see this video of the children and not believe that it’s been happening for the last 20 years?

    Karlie
    Period 1

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  38. The Kony2012 video was overwhelmingly powerful and eye-opening. I had heard about the Invisible Children movement before, a few years ago, and of course, it upset me then. But after watching this video, I was ashamed in myself for not trying to actually do something sooner. The video has inspired so many people like me to not only care, but do something-which is not an easy task in our society. I wish more people would not only tweet about it, but take a real stand by researching the organization and getting involved. It’s always an incredible thing when a nation can come together and agree upon something. And if there is something we can all agree upon, it’s that what’s going on in Uganda is not fair. I can’t blame other, and myself, for being so naïve about the situation. But now that we’ve been exposed, there’s no way we can all ignore it. It’s important to remember that every little thing you do matters. We are a strong nation, and if we can all stand together, we can achieve great things.


    Nina
    Period 1

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  39. After watching this video I was shocked and angry that it can take 2 seconds to post a status on Facebook but it has taken over five years for people to become aware of the LRA. To think that children of families, children like Gavin, are being taken away from their homes and forced to fight for their lives is so hard to wrap my head around. After watching this video and reading the articles it finally hit me how extreme this really is, to think that 30,000 children are abducted and forced to fight is terrifying to me. And the fact that the government refused to have a say because it is not a “big” enough issue is truly horrible. “If this were to happen one day in America it would be on the cover of Newsweek.” So why has it taken this long for Uganda’s cries for help to reach us? “Where a person lives should not determine whether a person lives.” It is sad to me that the only way this could truly be recognized and supported was through Facebook and with the assistance of many celebrities. It is sad that the world has become so obsessed with these social networks that they have become blind to the rest of the world. In hopes to help the war against Kony and to help fight for the invisible children I encourage people to go to New York on April 20 and help Kony become famous. Just because we are late in the war does not mean we cannot still fight it.

    ReplyDelete
  40. After watching this video I was shocked and angry that it can take 2 seconds to post a status on Facebook but it has taken over five years for people to become aware of the LRA. To think that children of families, children like Gavin, are being taken away from their homes and forced to fight for their lives is so hard to wrap my head around. After watching this video and reading the articles it finally hit me how extreme this really is, to think that 30,000 children are abducted and forced to fight is terrifying to me. And the fact that the government refused to have a say because it is not a “big” enough issue is truly horrible. “If this were to happen one day in America it would be on the cover of Newsweek.” So why has it taken this long for Uganda’s cries for help to reach us? “Where a person lives should not determine whether a person lives.” It is sad to me that the only way this could truly be recognized and supported was through Facebook and with the assistance of many celebrities. It is sad that the world has become so obsessed with these social networks that they have become blind to the rest of the world. In hopes to help the war against Kony and to help fight for the invisible children I encourage people to go to New York on April 20 and help Kony become famous. Just because we are late in the war does not mean we cannot still fight it.
    jennifer lassman p1

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  41. This video was definitely upsetting. Without a doubt, I am against turning children into soldiers and sex slaves and think that Kony should be stopped. However, I’m not sure how we should go about doing this. The United States already has many problems of our own and stopping Kony isn’t as easy as it sounds. We would have to fight his child soldiers in order to get to him. Hurting these innocent children is not acceptable. Many people have been criticizing that this issue has been going on for years and that people are just starting to care. The video has gotten more than 50 million views on Youtube and Viemo over the course of four days. It is frustrating that people are just starting to care about it, but better late than never. I think it’s great that people support the cause, but if people truly care they should do more than just talk about it.

    Kelly Loftis, Period 1

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  42. My initial response to this issue was that it would fade out very quickly, since I only heard negative thoughts about it at first. The way my friends were talking about it made it seem like the movement wasn't a very good idea. After watching the video, I can see where they were coming from. I don't think it's necessarily a bad idea, but stopping one person won't stop all of the violence I feel they're trying to target. At least it's a positive start; I just hope that it follows through and more people like Kony are stopped. One point that concerned me in the article was that "the amount of money Invisible Children — which brings in and spends millions of dollars a year — dedicates to officer salaries, filmmaking costs and travel, as opposed to on-the-ground programs to help rebuild the lives of people traumatized by decades of conflict." I think it's odd that they aren't trying to help get at least a few of those they're saving back on track. The campaign will help others know about the issue, but can't some of the spending go towards helping the people personally?

    Alessandra M., Per. 4

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  43. This was a very sad video. Turning young children into soldiers that have to kill people against their will is terrible. But, agreeing with Dan killing Kony is not going to stop the LRA from obducting children. Not to mention that no one knows where Kony is so sending troops to Uganda will not do any good. The U.S needs to find a better way to try to stop Kony and the LRA. We need to go beyond just watching the video and liking it on Facebook.
    Kathryn Collins
    Period 4

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  44. The KONY2012 video did exactly what it was made for, to stir up the American population into a frenzy of Facebook updates, Tweets, posters, peace riots, calls to congressmen, and donations to the cause. The video was extremely well made and it helped everyone see the truth in what was happening to the children in Uganda in a way that was very understandable. I think that we definitely need to do something and just getting the word out is just a start. The most important thing is to not forget, Americans are fickle and short minded; if we truly want something to happen it has to be this year. Unfortunately things that are meant for us to be extremely mindful of for the rest of our lives just become trends equivalent to reusable shopping bags or skinny jeans. The point of the video was to,” make Kony famous” to exploit him and raise enough support to help take him out. There is no doubt that he needs to be stopped, but we can’t just stop caring after he’s dead because there will always be someone else that’s just as cruel trying to gain power.
    Marisa Kaplita Period 4

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  45. The Kony 2012 video was shocking, and an eye opener, however it seems as if it was very short lived. Last week, you could not go on facebook or twitter without seeing a link to the video or a status/tweet about the video. However, just a week later, I have heard nothing about it until I was assigned to do this video assignment. The video did exactly what I expected it to do, it became a fad and then before you knew it everyone forgot about it. However, I do not agree with the articles. Now that Americans have forgotten about it, what will become of the Stop Kony 2012 campaign?


    -Ashley Murphy
    Period 4

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  46. I feel as though the reason for the video being so powerfully represneted and endorsed by the American public is due to the fact that we have a very distinct idea of what we think childhood should be. Additionally, as a society we look at children as being ultimatley defensless and reliant on guarduians. Thus, the Kony video sparked intense debate throughout various social media sites and so on. I agree with what Marisa said, that is exactly what it had been intended to do. It did infact help Americans to see what is going on around the world too, which is a good thing. I also agree with her statement that Americans are fickle and will soon forget about the cause. I really feel that something should be done about the Kony epidemic, yet, with our society this could be just another trend. When something else comes along the majority of the population will discard this and move on to "the next big thing". Americans are the perfect target for something like this, it's almost too easy to get their attention and make them follow along. But, problems can arise once the trend is no longer alive.
    -Jessica Teulings
    Period 4

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  47. After watching the Kony 2012 video, I now have a better understanding of who he is and what all this talk is about. I can't believe he is doing these horrible things to innocent children. Apparently, this has been happening for a long time which brings me to wonder: Why hasn't anyone taken action already? This should have been stopped or at least noticed the year it happened. I think that Joseph Kony needs to be found and stopped, because it is unspeakable about the horrible acts he is doing. Imagine if those kids were us, or ours. how would we feel? I think we need to notice how lucky we are and take action to prevent this from happening again.

    Henry Lau
    Period 5

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  48. i think that we should mind our own business and stop trying to take care of other countries. The problems we have in our country are severe and we should try and handle them before we give others more money that we dont have. If we take out kony someone else will step in his place and then we have another war on our hands. our first priority should be to help our country.

    Laurel
    Per 5

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  49. What kony does is a horrible thing and it's good that people are now aware of what he's been doing but if they do catch kony i think that someone will just take his place and continue taking kids and making them soldiers and sex slaves.

    -Lauren Atkinson
    Period 5

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  50. At first, I felt bad for the kids of Uganda and how they have to go through each night being afraid of kidnapped by LRA. I beleive in helping the children and I would be willing to support the cause. But after reading articles about the main organization that is running this cause, I have changed my view on the cause completely. I still want to help the children but i have no desire to give money to the "Invisible Children" organization. This is because only 31% of the millions of dollars that was donated acually went towards the cause in Uganda. The only thing I like that they are doing is making this issue well known. By this video going viral it has gotten many supporters toward the cause and made it more likely for people to take action to help stop Joseph Kony and help the children.

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  51. After watching the kony video i see how lucky I am to live in America. I was always mad that i had to share my room with my brothers but after seeing that the kids are lucky if they have to share their room with only like 5 kids. I know these are terrible things happening but countries can not depend on us support the have to solve this problem themselves but we cud help a little bit but not that much. But if kony is not stopped tghis will probably go on forever and i wont be able to live with all of these ni9ce things will those kids are being killed and turned into killers.
    -ryan
    period5

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  52. After reading the articles and watching the kony video, it was hard to decide what is true and what is not. It was very confusing for me to decide either the video was real or fake, because the video possess that all the things that took place is Africa were real whereas some videos in you tube shows that kony video is a fraud and it’s misleading. And the thing that makes me curious is why all of a sudden the kony video has become so popular and all the people are so interested in it. People have posted some similar videos earlier but why is this kony video 2012 has million views? If what video is showing is completely true, than the entire violent act by Kony should be stopped. We should stop Kony from taking more children and stop increasing the number of his army. I think it’s our responsibility to help those children and save their future. As it was shown in the video, we can contribute little to help the families and children living in Africa.
    Shila R.
    Per 1

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  53. My initial reaction to Kony 2012 was "why do we care, now? If it's been going on for nearly 20 years, why now?" but as I thought about it, I realized it's never too late to care. I also realized that if I was one of the enslaved children, I would want help, too. The violence and criminal injustice that Kony is committing towards and with the help of these children is unacceptable. Giving a child a gun and telling him or her to kill their parents is incredible. It's a terrifying thing to ask of a child, of an innocent mind. I believe that because many of them have no family anymore, that the world is their family. They need us to help them, protect them, and save them from this monster that has trapped them in his cage of lies.

    Brianna DeNegris
    Period 1

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  54. The KONY 2012 video and the articles related to the subject were quite informative for me; in all honesty, I did not know the name Joseph Kony until this video became viral, and I am sure that most everyone can admit the same. I had mixed opinions regarding this video, and I still cannot choose whether I approve of the video or not. It is without a doubt necessary to save these poor children who have experienced unbelievable horrors so early in their lives. Kony has committed unforgivable actions that should be stopped at all costs; he and his faction should also receive severe punishment to at least make an effort to justify the suffering of the invisible children and their families. I applaud Jason for his efforts in spreading the name of Kony around the world through modern means; social networking sites and video sharing websites rose awareness rapidly due to their popularity. What bothered me about the video was the fact that this issue has been made the biggest headline today that has held everyone's attention. I do absolutely believe that this issue is significant, but I am also aware that terrible acts against humanity exist in so many other places as well. It saddens me that only this issue has become infamous, while the others continue to occur without much notice. This world isn't ideal, of course, but I still hold the hope that more videos will surface of other issues that are lurking in other countries and continents. This is a first step perhaps in the long journey to bring awareness to multiple issues concerning injustices against humanity.

    Zhanneta
    Period 1

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  55. As stated in most of the well-thought out 55 responses above, the KONY2012 movement is a societal pressure that needs to be continued in order to raise awareness of the atrocities in Uganda and in effect make Joseph Kony famous. However, this is a different popularity then what the the Hollywood Stars of the 21st Century experience, this popularity has a negative connotation that denounces the actions of an individual and condems his life based upon his ideology. By spreading awareness to what may not be seen to the human eye in another country gives the movement a direction and communal support. There is sympathy on my behalf of the children struggling for survival in Uganda and those who have been abducted and shaped to kill on command without mercy. These children have essentially been de-humanized and have lost all sense of innocence and hope for returning to or regaining the normalcy of their youth. I strongly champion that "where you live, should not determine if you live" and that stronger action must be taken in preventing future abductions and most importantly in stopping Kony from where then future negotiation and engagement can be made possible.

    In spite of this, I will not invest myself or my time in the minute details concerning the video or articles, but instead approach the situation in Uganda from an alternative perspective, a perspective that creatiques the nature of man and the human condition. Power. Power is the desire that is fueling Joseph Kony’s regime in Uganda. The need for power is stripping children away from the families and shaping them under the fear of death to kill, an action that is clearly against the moral guidelines of a child. It is part of the human condition to want. The condition to "want" applies to all categories and all areas of materialistic or idealistic possession. In reference to Uganda, the children and people are plagued by the want for power. Power in itself is a corrupting force that has the capability of altering all of a human's values including the decision to kill. From an evolutionary perspective, killing was a necessity of survival and Kony has receded to this primitive state in his ideology. He now has to kill for his life and has made the conscientious decision of having children to do his work for him. It can be said that life is too short and in relation to the children of Uganda it is even shorter. Ugandas' childrens' livelihood is diminished with the onset presence of fear and death, a fear that is spearheaded by the necessity of the L.R.A and leader Joseph Kony who wish to retain and increase power.

    - Alexander Borkowski Period 1

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  56. After watching the KONY 2012 video for the first time, my initial reaction was crying. I cried from halfway through the video to the end. It was very touching to see how young people like me could have such a huge impact on foreign relations and stopping warlords like Kony. In the back of my mind, I thought, "It's really working. I see those signs and stuff everywhere. We can make a difference just by spreading these posters and stickers!"

    But then, I stopped crying. I thought, "Wait...something doesn't look right…” I wasn’t sure what it was, but there was something about the video that seemed almost “fun”. People pitching in dollars for a cause, wearing uniform t-shirts, chanting, etc.: It reminded me of a sporting event and I was wondering if EVERYONE that supported the cause truly understood what was going on. Were they promoting KONY 2012 because they cared? Because children were raped? Because children were being forced to kill? Because it appears that Kony is the villain that needs to be stopped? Because they didn’t want Jason Russell to break his promise with Jacob? Because the topic was all the rage? Why was each of those people there? Most importantly, why in the back of my own mind did I want to join and promote this cause? It’s a really important issue that needs to be addressed, I agree, but I wonder if we should be weighing the matter on a global scale like this with so much hype. It just seems to draw out the sincerity of the matter…

    Then I read the N. Y. Times articles. One title stuck out to me, “Bosco 2012: While We Hunt Kony, Another Indicted War Criminal Lives a Life of Leisure”. Bosco is the Congolese warlord that has committed very similar crimes to Kony, yet he isn’t fleeing anywhere and is living freely in a fairly nice villa. Why? First, he’s not being publicized enough and second, there are just too many things to consider before arresting him like what to do with his thousands of armed troops. I think this is how we should be treating Kony too. He needs to be stopped, but strategically. We need to know what to do next, not just dive in, take him out and be like, “Now what?” Other articles also criticized the simplicity of taking action as Jason Russell is promoting. I would have to agree with them. I'd like to emphasize though that I am not against the cause. I just don't like the nature of how it is being promoted. It's too easy and too fast. What will happen next?

    Sidney
    Period 1

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  57. After watching the video, I was just completely stunned. I could not believe that something like this has been going on for decades, and we are just hearing about it, now in 2012. One would think that with all of the technology and media we have today, that we would hear about this earlier. That's where I agree with Edgar, so it does seem strange. But, at the same time, it is possible that it took a while for Russell's claim to spread, let alone for people to even believe him. Although Edgar does express some feelings of reluctance in investing, I do believe that it would be a safe thing to invest in, since the government approved of it. I can appreciate why Edgar would be reluctant, for in the video, as well as in the articles, it says that nobody is positive where he is anymore, but he isn't in Uganda. But, because we don't know where he is, I would be pro-"KONY2012 Movement" if and only if the money collected is used in a smart way, and sparingly. Honestly, i find this event compatible to the genocide of the Jews during the holocaust: The US didn't know about it until a while after it started,and one powerful leader commits mass killings. That is why we have to keep an eye on it and not just turn our backs on it. We just need to be careful with how we spend our money on it, government aid included, for our economy isnt strong and we must be smart with our investments.

    Alex Gogliettino per. 4

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  58. When I watched the video a week or so ago it was very upsetting. It made me feel guilty that I was here sitting in my nice, safe house on my comfortable couch while millions of miles away there are little innocent children shooting their parents. Its just messed up. I almost asked my mom if we could donate to the website, but I didn't. After reading the article and hearing that there's some debate as to how real this whole thing is and where the money is going, it was sort of disappointing. Yes it costs money to make a film, but that's not where they say the money is going. Its sounds misleading to me. The people who donate are lead to believe the money is going to safe the children's lives, not save Russel money. I also think its odd how he talks about the awards his video may be getting. It seems that this whole campaign is moving further and further from what its supposed to be about. In the video Mr. Russell also talks about Uganda a lot, however the article states that he hasn't been in Uganda for years. Little things like that create skeptics, and he should have realized this before. Over all I think its a great plan hope that he is being the organisation is putting the money where it really should be.
    Emily Mccoll per.4

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  59. Joseph Kony must be stopped. His actions are attrocious and it is unreal to think a single man can get away with the kidnapping, mudering, and sexual trafficking of innocent children for so long. I feel the filmaker does a great job of further getting his point across b continually referencing Jaccob and his own son. To me, it brings a deeper sense of reality to the video. It made me realize that both of these children live in the same world, but there oppertunities for a prosperous life are at opposite ends of the spectrum. After reading a few of the online articles about this video, I learned not all of the money donated to the Invisible Children foundation does not go to the ground effort. However, they are still the only group fighting this cause. Most charities do make a profit of the proceeds they receive, and I feel this is reasonable because people dedicate their whole lives to stop Kony, and would barely be able to make a living for themselves if they did not take a small portion of the donations. All together, this is a great cause to fight and I continue to support the takedown of Joseph Kony.

    Tyler King
    Period 1

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  60. After I initially watched the video, I was simply flabbergasted. It was very hard for me to grasp this concept of invisible children-the use of children as “sex slaves” or “child soldiers.” It takes my breath away because this thing called life is such a glorious blessing, but to kids like Jason it is more of a nightmare.
    Another matter that makes me furious is how some people are reluctant to moving forward with this issue because our economy is at stake. However, who are we to put a dollar sign next to a child’s life. We spend hundreds of millions of dollars on troops station around the world in places where we have no reason to be. But when we do have a reason to put troops in a certain area where they can make an impact, we then decide to take our economy into account. This is preposterous and ludicrous because we can more forward and save our planet from people like Kony, and finally make a difference. We can give meaning to the lives of those children and at the same time give value to our own lives.
    After reading “A Video Campaign and the Power of Simplicity,” I found the title very ironic. There was a copious amount of work that went into this and in no way was it simple. I understand how the internet makes things viral and therefore easy to make widely known, but before that can happen a great deal of work must be put in to have a successful outcome. It may seem simple to those who watch this video become more popular as each hour passes, but this is no simple matter. It is more than just a video; it’s an action with a cause. This action is not just popular because of public demand; it’s popular because it has a meaning.
    After watching the video, and reading the articles, I take a pro-KONY stance. I am going further than just commenting on this blog and telling my friends and family about this issue. I, as President of Amnesty, am going to make it our mission for the next month to make the whole school aware of KONY 2012, and push others in our community to take a stance. I will devote our bulletin board to educating Branford High School on KONY 2012. I will motivate each and every student in Branford to take action and fight for something that is WORTH fighting for.

    -Pompeo M
    per. 4

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  61. My reaction to the kony video is that we should mind our own buisness. There are even rumors that Joseph Kony was dead over 5 years ago. If we send troops in to Uganda and there isnt even anyone to take out then how dumb does that look on us? If no other country is trying to help him why should we? People dont even know where Uganda about this video, I learned not is. I just think that video was all propaganda and we shouldnt waste our time or money on this campaign. After reading a few of then articles all of the money donated to the Invisible Children foundation goes into taking out kony. However, they are the only group fighting to get rid of kony. charties should take some of the money for the people that spend all there time trying to get the word out about kony and helping to get it out there. i am all for leaving africa alone and letting them figure it out for themselevs.

    dan hilliard ]
    period 5

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  62. After watching the Kony video, i am in complete shock. I could not believe that these horrible things have been happening for over a decade and we are just hearing about it now, in 2012. I believe that the acts against children in Uganda by Joseph Kony are without a doubt horrible things. However, i also believe that the United States should NOT be involved in this war at all. We as a country have our own problems that we need to attend to and try to figure out without having to worry about problems in Uganda as well. I am in the complete opposite view on Pompeo and believe that though what he is doing is with good intentions, Americans should stay where they belong, in America. The most we should do is hope that Uganda can figure it out for themselves. The biggest problem is that whenever other countries are in trouble they turn to us, but when we are in debt or in trouble, no other country thinks twice about helping us, they dont show any effort what so ever. So why should we?

    Marc Canzanella

    Period 7

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  63. not to mention that the maker of the KONY 2012 video was arrested for public nudity in california....

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  64. While watching the Kony video I had many different thought about it. The strongest feeling I had towards it was my anger. Angry about how one person could have no heart to be able to do that to so many little kids. A person that kidnaps kids and also uses the girls as sex slaves has no heart. I also felt sad knowing all those kids are being taken away from their parents and probably getting hurts as a reaction crying and having no one to lean on. I also have an opinion on the U.S and their involvement with this situation I fell that we should not get involved. As much as there is pain and badness happening it is none of our business to go in there and act like we can fix everything. By putting our American soldiers in there we would be risking lives, their deaths would go towards something that has 100% to do nothing with us. Also all the money we would be wasting on them, its different if the country would pay us back or reward us with something, but they wouldn’t do that, and right now in our bad economy straying a war with kony is the last thing we need. I also read an article in the New York Times called “Students opinions/ Do social media campaigns like kony 2012 stunt or stimulate real change?” They were saying that now media plays a big part of demanding change. But also hurts the cause. They said “some call it dishonest and even dangerous” I agree if a trend of not liking the cause occurs it will hurt there campaign making others not like it. One domino down the rest go with it to, eventually there efforts to help will make the situation worse .
    Pierina Lopez per 7

    ReplyDelete
  65. My reaction to the kony video is that we need to help them. what if that was happening in our country, we would want to seek help from anyone willing to give it to us to stop the abduction of our kids and the forcing of them to be in a child army. if we dont step in now, the situation is going to get alot worse, i know this for a fact and so does our government and people involved. if we step in now, there is a better chance that we can get the situation under control sooner and possible even put it to a stop and capture Kony. if we wait however, the situation is going to get even more out of hand than it already is and potentially more dangerous then ever. think of it this way, what if the situation was reversed... would we want help from other countries if it benefited us? the answer is yes, yes we would.
    Ali Nuzzo
    Period 7

    ReplyDelete
  66. After watching the KONY video i felt all sorts of things. My initial thoughts were, Why is this just getting out to the public now? Its been going on for decades. I think that people all of a sudden care about invisible children because it the "trendy" thing to do, so they put it up on the Facebook walls and tweet about it because thats what every one else is doing. Its a great example that shows how quickly information can spread to millions of people in todays world. Whats going on in Uganda is sickening. How this man can be so evil is incomprehensible to me. It makes me want to go over to africa and help fight him myself. Also, this video must have opened a lot of peoples eyes. Most kids are so used to living in their own worry free American lives that they don't realize things like this can and are still happening in todays world. It is great that Obama is trying to help out but its going to take a lot more than a a group of soldiers to stop all the corruption and the terrible things going on in countries like Uganda. I think that it is a good thing that we are helping but stopping a single man in africa wont change much. He has created an entire organization. say we kill him, there will be another person to fill his shoes. We should really think whether or not we are going to be effective before we send our own soldiers to risk their lives for a cause.


    - John Ainson

    ReplyDelete
  67. After watching the video on KONY, my first thoughts were that we should have done something about this a while ago. obviously were trying to do everything we can now, but what about a couple of years ago? What were we doing then? If were going to stop this man now we need to do it fast because things are just going to get worse. Because the government dosent always reach out to people witout high athourity, its nice to see Obama taking interest in this. I think because childeren are involved in this, that it should be something everyone is trying to prevent. Children should not have to go through even half the things that those of them involved in KONY have been. KONY 2012 is worth fighting for, its something everyone should be able to help concidering if it happened in this country we would all be taking a stand. I know i am going to do all i can to help.
    kelly per 5

    ReplyDelete
  68. After watching the video on KONY, my first thought was why didnt we do something a couple of years ago when it had started? Also my response/reaction was "wow" because i couldnt believe that over 30,000 children were kidnapped by kony and were told to kill their own parents. I feel that those children should not have to live their lives in fear. I was also disgusted by the fact that a human being would ever even think of turning children into soldiers and sex slaves, forcing them to do horrific things.Stopping Kony should be at the top of the list for things we should do and put these kids first.

    -dakota-p.5

    ReplyDelete
  69. After watching the video on KONY, I could not believe we did nothing for more than 20 years, he was #1 on the most wanted list, and still majority of the world did not know about him. I believe he should and will be stopped before 2012 ends.
    Kc
    Per 1.

    ReplyDelete
  70. After watching the KONY video my whole perspective on the issue changed. I wasn't aware of what was happening in Uganda and now that I know I want to make a difference and help out the cause. My only question is why this is being noticed now and not earlier when it was just starting. Watching this made me thankful for where I live. I think if they finally catch him it wont stop what is happening. He obvisouly has people that are with him doing this and they will continue these actions. This is unfair that these children have to live in these harsh conditions and should be put out of this misery as soon as possible. On April 20th, I hope that every town is full of posters to supprt this cause.

    Kayleen
    Period4

    ReplyDelete
  71. I think that what the Lord's Resistance Army is doing and has done for 26 years is completely wrong and it's ridiculous that nobody has done anything to stop them and their leader, Joseph Kony. In an article about this video from Invisible Children it states, "Some have called the video a pitch-perfect appeal to so-called slacktivism, a pejorative term for armchair activism by a younger generation, often online." I think that this video was a success at getting this issue well-known since most people haven't even heard about this before watching it. Most of the people who watch it will probably just post a link online somewhere but not actually do anything about it. They can donate money but most of it isn't going directly to the people in Africa that need help; it's mostly for the campaign and the costs. I think that if someone is going to capture Kony and put an end to the LRA, it's not going to be the internet doing it, it will be in the hands of a government and its military. Within a few days after this documentary went viral, I stopped seeing people post about it on the internet. Like most of the popular entertainment online, it went through a short phase of insane popularity but is now not as relevant to internet users.
    Brooke Dedushi
    Period 5

    ReplyDelete
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