Apathy VS. Joseph Kony

In the battle of Apathy VS. Joseph Kony, we have a clear victor: Kony 2012. When the nonprofit organization Invisible Children launched their KONY 2012 video in March of this year, it didn’t take long for a heated (and sometimes downright hostile) dialogue to take place. With several million video views (last count nearly 68 million), the world suddenly became interested in Uganda’s troubles and it seems that everyone has an opinion. In one camp: the supporters of Invisible Children and its proposal to bring the Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony to his knees by “making him famous” in western society and garnering support for the Ugandan troops responsible for tracking down the infamous leader. In the other camp: the opponents of Invisible Children’s mission, tactics, organizational structure, and/or the way they delivered their message.

The opposing sides are standing their ground; the mud-flinging continues.
Although some comments I’ve seen are rude, obscene, uninformed, or simply ridiculous (I’m not sure how many “I have a big shlong” comments 13 year old boys will post on YouTube before it gets old…), many are intelligent and backed by some combination of evidence and personal experience. And when it comes down to it, at the very least we’re having a dialogue. People are talking, arguing, seeking answers, thinking. At least people seem to care about something greater than themselves.
Call me a pessimist, but the America I’ve known lately is a national full of “MEs.” “What is the government going to do for me?” “Where is my tax break?” “Why can’t I have more money and a bigger car?” Its recession time in the ol’ U.S. of A and it’s every man/woman for him/herself! We have become a nation obsessed with job creation and the economy (don’t get me wrong–they’re not bad causes, but there are other things outside of the monthly unemployment numbers. Remember savings the whales? How about UNICEF? That all seems so 1990s, doesn’t it?). It’s a relief to hear about something else, something outside our borders.
That is why I applaud Invisible Children’s efforts to bring Uganda to the forefront of American consciousness. They have essentially already succeeded in their mission: to make Joseph Kony famous.
Whether or not you agree with their style or mission, one thing is certain: Invisible Children is changing the landscape of political discussion and action and they are giving us a glimpse of what might be possible for future campaigns. They have also given this particular blogger a ray of hope.
Perhaps people in my generation are not as apathetic as I once thought. Perhaps we have the ability and motivation to think and act globally. Perhaps we care. It’s a comforting thought.
But then again, maybe you don’t agree with me. Good! Let’s talk about it…

Author: KateBitters

Kate Bitters is a Minneapolis-based author and freelance writer. She is the author of Elmer Left, Ten Thousand Lines, and He Found Me. One of her proudest/nerdiest moments was when Neil Gaiman read one of her short stories on stage at the Fitzgerald Theater.