Before I get to what I was going to say, let me just express my annoyance with my Kindle Fire and Blogger. I started this post before I had to leave for class at 10, and I didn't have time to finish it before I had to leave. When I got to class I opened Blogger on my Kindle Fire to try and finish it, but I accidentally ended up erasing everything I wrote, and now I have no way of getting it back. So I have to retype this entire post, and of course I can't remember exactly what I wrote before. So I'm kind of annoyed. Maybe it will be better the second time around. But anyway.
Why is it that when someone tries to do something good there are always those who try to tear them down? Yes, I am talking about Kony 2012. I watched the video yesterday and I immediately wanted to do everything I could to help. Yet anyone who is actually following anything that has to do with Kony 2012 knows that there are those who oppose the campaign. I read two articles today that are anti-Kony 2012 and anti-Invisible Children Inc. Here they are if you'd like to read them too:
http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/03/07/guest_post_joseph_kony_is_not_in_uganda_and_other_complicated_things
http://wilwheaton.tumblr.com/post/18920717928/thedailywhat-on-kony-2012-i-honestly-wanted-to
Now, I think what these articles are trying to do is inform those people who won't inform themselves, and that is a good thing. Making informed decisions is important. How can you support something if you don't actually know what it is that you're supporting? I'm all for informing people about what it is that they're actually supporting. And as misguided as Kony 2012 and Invisible Children Inc. may be, at least they're actually trying to do something good. What are the writers of these articles trying to do? Tear down a good cause? If the guy who wrote the second article is actually donating to those charities he linked in his post, then I can stand behind what he posted, and I'll donate to those charities too. It's one thing to simply tear down a good cause, and another thing to tear down a good cause but provide other solutions and actually utilize them. Somehow I can't believe that Invisible Children Inc. is simply using this campaign to line their pockets and only donating a small portion of their profits to actually helping the Invisible Children. That video seemed so genuine. What kind of despicable person takes advantage of a situation like this to make money? A person like that deserves to burn in hell, and they certainly will burn if they really are people like that. So I can't believe that all they're really doing is lining their pockets, but I can believe that they may be misguided. It's not just about their misguided-ness though. It's about the fact that they're trying to make a difference. The world is a big, bad place, but there are people out there who are trying to do something about that. It seems like an impossible task, but rather than lying down and doing nothing because it's such a big task, you have to start somewhere, no matter how small. Even if you only make a difference in one person's life, you've still made a difference. If everyone tried to make a difference, no matter how small, those differences would add up. I believe in making a difference. Do you? Do the people who wrote those articles? Does the world?
If you're powerful, I think you have an obligation to help those less powerful than yourself. I admit though, that there's something in protecting your own interests. If it doesn't impact your own personal security or whatever, stay out of it, and I can see how that's a good stance, though I don't personally feel that way. If you see someone being mugged on the street, are you gonna ignore it, or are you gonna help? I certainly would try and help, and even if I ended up getting killed, at least I would have died doing something that was right. You may not agree with me, and as long as your own decision is informed, then I am perfectly fine with letting you think that way. That's my whole point here. Make your own informed decisions. Acknowledge all other options, but don't let anyone else make your decision for you. Decide for yourself, and once you feel you have enough information, stick with your decision. If you're well enough informed, you won't be swayed by opposing opinions. And perhaps there's no right or wrong decision. A lot of times there isn't. There can be good and bad in both sides of the argument, and it is more important than ever to be informed in those cases. This applies to more than just Kony 2012.
So even if we stop Kony, maybe another guy will just take his place. I mean, would it really be as bad as these articles make it sound to stop Kony? If it would be, then I guess I stand by these anti-Kony people. If it's gonna be worse for the world if Kony is captured, then perhaps we should just leave well enough alone, or at least let Africa deal with their problems themselves. But if it wouldn't be, then what the heck are these people trying to do? I can't imagine that it would be better for the world if Kony were to remain at large. It certainly wouldn't be better for those children whose lives he has ruined, or all those people that he has killed. And even if someone else does take Kony's place, at least we've shown those children affected by Kony that their lives matter. At least we've shown those who have died through his hands that they deserve justice. At least we've shown the world that we know what is right, and we're not afraid to do it.
Personally, I support Kony 2012, because I support the cause it represents. I support right causes, but I also support being informed. So make an informed decision people. And while you can let what I've said influence your decision, don't let it make your decision for you. I'm not going to tell you to support Kony 2012, or not to support it. But I am going to tell you to make your own informed decision. Don't let anyone make your decision for you, on any matter. Get educated, and make a difference in the world, in any way you possibly can.
So there's my two cents on that.
*Wrap*
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