The Three Stages of Kony 2012

March 16, 2012 in Dig Deeper, Dreams, Life, Uncategorized with 11 Comments

Photo by Phil Snyder (Creative Commons)

I have gone though three distinct stages regarding the Kony 2012 video and campaign. This is a look inside my brain as I went through each stage.

Stage One: I’m on board with this great cause! Wow, let me get a poster to hang up! This video is one of the most powerful videos I have ever seen. I’m going to change my Twitter update status to support this cause. I’m also going to Tweet at George Clooney, Oprah and Lady Gaga. 

Stage Two: What?! I can’t believe only 37% goes to helping kids! This is a con! It is all old footage from a movie they made like 5 years ago. 42% of the money goes to awareness. They just want to make more movies! What a conspiracy! The propaganda manipulated me, just like they wanted it to! It’s just about promoting a hollow cause where this Kony guy isn’t even in power anymore.

Stage Three: Hmmm. Snore. Hmmm. Snore. (That’s me thinking and sleeping for a while.) Perhaps I should have a more Christ-like approach and not throw stones at anyone. Maybe I should disassemble the toxic hate-bombs I would love to throw. Maybe I should focus on the problem at hand, not just one group’s solution toward the abuse of children.

Now that I am in stage three, I know this is where I need to be. Sadly, it took me a little while to come to this realization. As I think about social justice, I find myself asking, “what can I do to help?”.  I don’t have the answer to that question at this moment, but I’m working on the response.

 

 

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  • Sindy Lee

    Hey…thanks for this. Wanted to share 2 things with you:

    1. I found this very helpful and informative and humble and even-keeled:
    From the viewpoint of someone from Uganda, via TJ Hoiland’s blog:
    http://tjhoiland.com/wordpress/2012/03/kony2012/

    2. My post in response to KONY 2012…before I had the facts and stuff, but after I had time to simmer down. But, it might address at a more local and immediate level how we can respond. There is somewhat of a “Kony” in all of our neighborhoods I think.
    http://heartfullofhappy.blogspot.com/2012/03/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html

    AND I’m gong to register for Storyline @ Belmont today. Would love to meet you and your family if we can make that happen. I promise I’m not just some creepy weirdo from Twitter. Well, at least not the dangerous kind. :)

    • http://unknownjim.com/ Jim Woods

      Thanks so much for sharing Sindy. I’d love to meet you when you come to Nashville. I’m sure my wife and daughter would love to meet you too. I don’t know if I will have the $$ to go to Storyline myself. I might have to rely on you to share from that event. (Interview perhaps??! ) You might want to say hi to Elizabeth Hudson (who also posted in the comments) as she is a HUGE Donald Miller fan. 

  • http://www.storywrought.wordpress.com/ Elizabeth Hudson

    I agree with the criticism surrounding Invisible Children’s financial giving…37% is misleading and disheartening. However, I keep hearing how the Kony video manipulates viewers by appealing to people’s emotions and popular trends. Unfortunately, we live in a society where the majority of people are only motivated when they get something out of it. If that means that they get to look cool and trendy while increasing awareness of the atrocities in other countries, then so be it. 

    And I keep hearing the argument that we should stay out of the problems that don’t directly involve the US. That argument makes me sick. I find “mankind” more unifying than “American” could ever hope to touch. One of my favorite quotes is this one from Martin Luther King, Jr: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Amen to that.

    I’m stepping off my soapbox now :)

    • http://unknownjim.com/ Jim Woods

      Thanks for sharing! I really appreciate it Lizzie. I’ll bite my tongue to prevent from ranting, as I said in the post I want to stay in Stage 3 :)  

  • http://www.adamlasky.com/ Adam Lasky

    Good point Jim.  And I also agree with @Andrew.  The bottom line is 30,000 children have been enlisted as soldiers with widespread rape, death, and mutilation.  If this happened in the United States heads would roll.  And yeah, maybe the US government won’t do anything because they don’t have an economic interest in Africa.  That’s to be expected.  But that doesn’t mean the Church shouldn’t do anything.  Seriously, we have to stop acting like our government is the ONLY option and take it upon ourselves to help.

    • http://www.storywrought.wordpress.com/ Elizabeth Hudson

      Couldn’t agree more, Adam. That just gave me chills.

    • http://unknownjim.com/ Jim Woods

      Thanks for sharing. I couldn’t agree more the CHURCH needs to act like the CHURCH. What does the CHURCH do? A lot more than just come together on Sundays and sing songs, IMO. 

  • http://rebootingworship.com/ Jamie Kocur

    I think you perfectly captured what went through the minds of so many on this issue. I respect Invisible Children for the awareness they’ve brought to this issue. I haven’t seen the KONY video yet, but I did see their original documentary that started it all years ago. It brought me to tears because the Ugandan kid’s faces looked like the Ugandan kids that I was working with at the time. They HAVE done good things, even if it’s not monetarily. I don’t think I would donate money to their particular charity, but I appreciate that they’re bringing such a serious topic to the light.

    • http://unknownjim.com/ Jim Woods

      Thanks so much for sharing Jamie. I appreciate it and I think you have many great points! 

  • http://www.zahndrew.com/ Andrew Zahn

    True. It’s easy to get overwhelmed isn’t it?

    Why is the KONY video out there? Because something needs to be done. For me, I just need to do something. 

    It’s easy to criticize the group who put the video out… but what video did I put out to bring the awareness.

    At least they did something.

    So… I just gotta do something. If it’s a buck, a blog post, or whatever. 
    ;)

    • http://unknownjim.com/ Jim Woods

      Right on Andrew. I didn’t really think I’ve accomplished anything yet, but you’re right, even a blog post is something. :)