Kony 2012 scares me.
Not because the violence being spoken of is so brutal, or because it makes clear to us how broken the human race really is. Sadly, I've been aware of these things for a long time; part of me has become desenstized.
Kony 2012 scares me because until the plight of the child soldier was plastered haphazardly all over the social networking sites that our eyes stumble across every single day, we didn't bat an eyelid towards it.
Until the hands of a rich, white American named Jason Russell clicked the "upload video" option on YouTube, until he enabled us to click the "reblog", "retweet" and "share" options on our favourite social networking sites, we refused to step outside of our comfort zones.
We're still in our comfort zones. We still want to spend $30 in return for an "action pack" full of items we can hold in our hands, posters, stickers, bracelets... what would Africa do if we started demanding material items in return for clean water?
We want an excitingly named event, "cover the night", to make us feel empowered and like we can do something to change the world.
Did you know that 80% of the world has 20% of the world's wealth while 20% holds 80%? I am a final year student, thousands of pounds in debt, yet I am one of the richest people in this world. And I don't think putting up a bunch of posters to make a wanted criminal famous in a country in which he does not reside is going to make much of a difference.
Raising awareness is important, but if people never cared in the first place, how long will it be until this all fizzles out? How many well made YouTube videos is Jason Russell going to upload to make sure it doesn't?
Even if they do capture Kony, North Africa has been in debt for years. The political and economic situation there is so broken that this would be a victory for no other than a bunch of rich Americans. It will take more than money and the capturing of Kony to save the people of Uganda, it will take justice within their political system and neither Jason Russell or the American government can create that.
If you want to help Uganda, support charities that will send money and aid to the people there, charities that we don't have to question the authenticity of. And start questioning and researching, stop falling for a well made film that reduces you to nothing more than emotion, because your tears won't save the people of North Africa.
Thursday 8 March 2012
Wednesday 7 March 2012
Why I'm Jumping Off the Kony 2012 Bandwagon
Aaah, the good ol' Kony 2012 bandwagon that I've managed to hop on and off again within the space of just over twenty-four hours.
Before I continue I'd like to emphasise that, in making this decleration I'm not saying I'm better than anyone, I'm simply stating why I've made this choice. I'm also not about to try and write hateful words about Invisible Children, that isn't what this is about either.
Students love to protest. Since we realised that being in a big group of people who had the same ideas and thoughts on liberation we've been banding together for the greater good, trying to get what we want, standing up to the lions of injustice and fighting for freedom.
But has the internet changed this?
I remember my mum telling me about her days at university, when the Queen came to Stirling and students were out in hoards, protesting against her with their actual voices, not the ones that appeared through their keyboards, and holding up signs that they had made by their own efforts, not paid $30 for or downloaded from a website.
As stated above, twenty-four hours has been more than enough time for me to make up my mind about Invisible Children and then change it again. Maybe it's a sign about the human condition and a general lack of trust, but I think a lot of it lies in two things: firstly, my generation's fear of leaving the mob behind and going it alone. Secondly, the frenzy that the media are able to whip up by creating a thirty minute video.
If you don't know about the London riots over tuition fees, check this out:
Before I continue I'd like to emphasise that, in making this decleration I'm not saying I'm better than anyone, I'm simply stating why I've made this choice. I'm also not about to try and write hateful words about Invisible Children, that isn't what this is about either.
Students love to protest. Since we realised that being in a big group of people who had the same ideas and thoughts on liberation we've been banding together for the greater good, trying to get what we want, standing up to the lions of injustice and fighting for freedom.
But has the internet changed this?
I remember my mum telling me about her days at university, when the Queen came to Stirling and students were out in hoards, protesting against her with their actual voices, not the ones that appeared through their keyboards, and holding up signs that they had made by their own efforts, not paid $30 for or downloaded from a website.
As stated above, twenty-four hours has been more than enough time for me to make up my mind about Invisible Children and then change it again. Maybe it's a sign about the human condition and a general lack of trust, but I think a lot of it lies in two things: firstly, my generation's fear of leaving the mob behind and going it alone. Secondly, the frenzy that the media are able to whip up by creating a thirty minute video.
If you don't know about the London riots over tuition fees, check this out:
Y'know what baffles me the most about this? These riots weren't started by students, they were started by a group of people who just wanted, well, a bit of a riot. Before this began there were some really peaceful protests by some really respectful students who just wanted to keep tuition fees the way they were.
The difference with Kony 2012 is that it has now made people aware of what's going on in Uganda but because of all the criticism Invisible Children have been getting, no one's really sure what to do next; it's understandable. The media (whether that be a newspaper you can purchase or the everyday citizen journalist), just like the government, throw as much information at us to try and get us on their side and it just confuses us even more.
The most scary part about the Kony 2012 video is that it was made incredibly well. It had atmospheric music that made you want to cry at the right times and riled you up to a state of excitment the next. It showed images of mutilated children's faces and soldiers with guns. It was narrated by the calm, kind voice of a white American with scenes of his adorable son. It was a brilliant film.
I don't know if supporting Kony 2012 is the right thing to do. I don't want to harm the people of Uganda any further but I also don't want to pretend like I'm okay with the child soldier situation, because I think it's horrendous.
But, for now, I will be jumping off the Kony 2012 bandwagon, keeping my lips sealed and my thoughts to myself . Some of you might say "I told you so", and some might think I'm being apathetic, but I'm just happy I made up my own mind.
Saturday 3 March 2012
"After-birth abortion"
Before I start this I want to ensure you that I'm not a crazy pro-lifer.
I can't stand the people who hang around outside abortion clinics with pictures of aborted fetuses and try and make women feel guilty, and I wouldn't force my opinions on abortion on anyone. My belief is that if the baby being born is going to harm the mother in any way then abortion is okay, but otherwise I don't support it. However, I would never tell someone else they should agree with me on that because having a baby is a big deal.
A lot of you will have heard about the journal article entitled “After-birth abortion: Why should the baby live?” If not, check out the news report here.
My first question is this: if you are willing to go as far as giving birth to your baby then why on earth would you want to kill it? And how could you kill it? How could you carry that little thing around for nine months, let it grow inside you, gaining strength from your own body, and then kill it like squashing a spider with a newspaper?
Maybe the biological mother doesn't want it, but what about all those couples who can't have children, who could be some of the best parents? What about gay couples? Lesbian couples? People who are so willing to love these children with the most unconditional love?
The article argued that "the moral status of an infant is equivalent to that of a fetus in the sense that both lack those properties that justify the attribution of a right to life to an individual.” But a baby, a newborn baby, does have these properties! The main one being that it no longer needs to be attached to its mother to breathe. From that point it is an individual and its life has just begun.
The article also states "academics also argue that parents should be able to have their baby killed if it turns out to be disabled when it is born." I'm really struggling for words in response to this. Why don't people put their children up for adoption? Is it easier to know that, ten years on, you won't have to wonder where they are? This world is not about you.
x
I can't stand the people who hang around outside abortion clinics with pictures of aborted fetuses and try and make women feel guilty, and I wouldn't force my opinions on abortion on anyone. My belief is that if the baby being born is going to harm the mother in any way then abortion is okay, but otherwise I don't support it. However, I would never tell someone else they should agree with me on that because having a baby is a big deal.
A lot of you will have heard about the journal article entitled “After-birth abortion: Why should the baby live?” If not, check out the news report here.
My first question is this: if you are willing to go as far as giving birth to your baby then why on earth would you want to kill it? And how could you kill it? How could you carry that little thing around for nine months, let it grow inside you, gaining strength from your own body, and then kill it like squashing a spider with a newspaper?
Maybe the biological mother doesn't want it, but what about all those couples who can't have children, who could be some of the best parents? What about gay couples? Lesbian couples? People who are so willing to love these children with the most unconditional love?
The article argued that "the moral status of an infant is equivalent to that of a fetus in the sense that both lack those properties that justify the attribution of a right to life to an individual.” But a baby, a newborn baby, does have these properties! The main one being that it no longer needs to be attached to its mother to breathe. From that point it is an individual and its life has just begun.
The article also states "academics also argue that parents should be able to have their baby killed if it turns out to be disabled when it is born." I'm really struggling for words in response to this. Why don't people put their children up for adoption? Is it easier to know that, ten years on, you won't have to wonder where they are? This world is not about you.
x
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