What You Need to Know About Joseph Kony

March 7, 2012 11:00 am     Posted in News, Reality  Ashley g+ page


By Ashley

When a child goes missing for an extended period of time in the U.S., everyone knows. His or her face is shown on every news channel, descriptions of the abductors are given in as much detail as possible and we do everything we can to bring that child home.

Such is not the case in Uganda. 

In the past twenty years, at least 30,000 children have been abducted and enslaved as child combatants and sex slaves. Losing a child to abduction in Uganda is not uncommon, with almost every family suffering from the same tragic event. Joseph Kony, the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army, is responsible for thousands of murders and over 30,000 abductions. One man has somehow managed to devastate the lives of thousands of children and families, kidnapping the children and brainwashing them from a young age. “Inhumane” and “brutal” don’t even begin to define the actions of Joseph Kony.

In the last 24 hours, Invisible Children‘s latest video, KONY 2012 has gone viral, spreading rapidly by means of social media and word of mouth. Through this video, Invisible Children, “a movement seeking to end the conflict in Uganda and stop the abduction of children for use as child soldiers,” is bringing awareness to Joseph Kony’s corruption, inhumanity and brutality.

Joseph Kony calls himself a prophet of the Lord’s Resistance Army. His followers believe that Kony’s commands come directly from God. In ways that I don’t understand, Kony’s prophecy justifies for his followers murder and abduction. High with power, Kony refuses to negotiate peace because, after all, when you speak the word of God, have an absurd number of followers and an inexhaustible supply of child soldiers and sex slaves, who needs peace?

Invisible Children, and now every person that has watched KONY 2012, says the children and families of Uganda do. They, after twenty years of torture and suffering, deserve to not live in fear. Children deserve to be children. The children of Uganda deserve to be searched for and worried about, the same way we worry about missing children in the U.S.

If you have not watched KONY 2012, please do:

Joseph Kony has robbed over 30,000 children of their childhoods, and Invisible Children is stopping him, one video view at a time. 

Ashley is a freshman at George Washington University and she’s majoring in “Overanalyzing Situations” and International Affairs. Follow her on twitter @ashleybrooks25

21 Comments on "What You Need to Know About Joseph Kony"

  1. Alex says:
    Wed, 7th Mar 20121:54 pm 

    Obviously, Kony is a terrible person, and needs to go down. Any awareness raised about this issue is great. However, the Invisible Children organization may not be the best way to raise awareness and help. Only 32% of the profits that Invisible Children make off their merchandise and donations go to direct services for the children they claim to help. Invisible Children advocates direct military intervention, directly supporting armies that have are associated with rape and unnecessary violence. Is direct military intervention the answer? Invisible Children is not always upfront with its methods, spending and message. I urge you to read http://visiblechildren.tumblr.com/ and do your own research before you make up your mind about how best to help the people of Uganda.

  2. Polly says:
    Wed, 7th Mar 20122:20 pm 

    Thank you for spreading the word about this. The more people that know, the better. Thanks College Candy!

  3. Leah Wong says:
    Wed, 7th Mar 20122:25 pm 

    I'm glad you posted this Alex. Kony is truly a horrible person, but it's important that we understand the organization as well. I'm glad they're raising awareness about the campaign, but I think we all need to think before we join a movement driven by social media and ask some hard questions about it. http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/03/07/stop-ko…

  4. Sarah says:
    Wed, 7th Mar 20123:55 pm 

    This is terrible, and yes it would be great if everyone coming together brought Kony down. But when things like this happen people often forget that there is most likely other similar things going on around the world. Kony has created a cult, and unfortuanately this is not the first or the last we will see; the thing that makes people want to help this one is Kony targets children. I think it is important to get justice for those children, but well doing so also remembering and trying to get justice for others in similar situations around the world.

  5. Katie says:
    Wed, 7th Mar 20126:28 pm 

    Thank you for spreading the word college candy. Please don't let this post die- keep us readers updated!

  6. cmitch says:
    Thu, 8th Mar 201212:31 am 

    i rally liked the response that IC gave to the backlash they have received. check it out: http://s3.amazonaws.com/www.invisiblechildren.com…

  7. Magus says:
    Thu, 8th Mar 20123:34 am 

    In the past 20 years no one gave a shit. Now all of a sudden oil is found in Uganda and Troops are sent, a movie is made and now this campaign with a film from 2006. Kony is the new Saddam/ fall guy for another oil war.
    "Machine Gun Preacher" Google it.

  8. Ghost of Kony says:
    Thu, 8th Mar 20123:36 am 

    From 8 million in profits, hardly 30% goes to the kids which I doubt actually happens. Where are they? Where is Kony? This is all propaganda to go get the recently discovered oil in Uganda.

  9. Critical Thinker says:
    Thu, 8th Mar 20123:39 am 

    The better to drum up support for another oil war. No one cared for the last 20 years. Oh, but now there is oil to be had…

  10. Oil leeches says:
    Thu, 8th Mar 20123:45 am 

    Amazing that we never actually get this much support for the problems in America. Maybe if they suddenly found oil in the ghettos? Naw, they already just push the homeless away and beat them, even though many actually have jobs and can't afford the super high rents. Who cares? Just send your money to some shady organization because a video goes viral on FB using peoples empathy to drum up support for more oil wars. Don't forget to watch Machine Gun Preacher, too.

  11. Hana says:
    Thu, 8th Mar 20129:40 am 

    please check this out: http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/03/07/gu…

    Invisible Children doesn't give too much accurate information about what's going on. The link might help if you want to know more.

  12. Nikki says:
    Thu, 8th Mar 201210:28 am 

    Before posting, you may want to get all of your facts straight from the source and not from some ranting blogger. Here is a link to an article where Invisible Children's organization responds to the false accusations and negative attacks that have been directed toward them. http://s3.amazonaws.com/www.invisiblechildren.com… This page includes the breakdown of their finances. Invisible Children is upfront about their spending and methods. Let's not advocate against something before finding out what we are fighting is truly about. Ignorance should not always be bliss.

  13. noo_bummer says:
    Thu, 8th Mar 20127:57 pm 

    Kony kills a thousand kids a year that probably would not have reached the age of 20 anyway. how many children are killed in this country before they are even born each year. where is your indignation.

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