Defending the KONY video

Kony is now a household name.

With the viral video put out by Jason Russell and the Invisible Children campaign, the horrors of what is happening to children throughout Africa is at the forefront of news coverage, as well as the minds of citizens across the globe.

Facebook, YouTube and Twitter are all bombarded with content about the campaign, and information — from statistics to videos and beyond — is everywhere.

The one thing that is harder to find is action.

Not simply copying and pasting words into a 140-character declaration of dedication, but the actual dedication itself.

Facebook statuses are only one step away from passivity.

To solve a global problem such as violations of human rights, we need to getaggressive as a nation and as a member of a global community. Hearing there is a problem only does a little bit of good if the problem is not subsequently acted upon.

How does a college student end the reign of an African dictator and terrorist?

We don’t have money. We can’t donate that. We are not powerful executives who have resources at our fingertips, ready to be dispatched at our beck and call.

The call to action is definitely a part of the Kony 2012 video. There are action kits available upon request. April 20 will be a big day for those dedicated enough to make a statement by putting up posters and engaging in dialogues that bring Kony even more to the forefront of people’s minds.

But simply knowing Kony’s name is not nearly enough.

Action must be taken to ensure that the American government knows about and works for the will of the people.

Writing to one’s representatives is an option that is all too often underestimated. Having the ability to hear from their constituencies about the importance of a particular issue should serve as a call to action to all of those in political offices.

That is, after all, exactly what they are there for.

Additionally, signing petitions, hanging up posters and actually sending for the Invisible Children action kit could play a significant role in this process.

There are plenty of ways to get moving, and all of them are important. The one thing that cannot happen is to internalize the information and then ignore it.

People say all the time, “My voice can’t make a difference.”
 
Well, this column is called “The Real and the Ideal,” so today I’m going to play the part of the idealist.

It might be true that your voice doesn’t have the power to travel directly to the highest levels of government or the ability to change the world or the ability to stop Kony.

But when millions of Americans and billions of citizens of the global community join together, we are a force to be reckoned with.

And who is going to be the first one to make his or her voice heard? Make
it you.

­— azoot@indiana.edu