Yesterday, pop singer Rihanna was among several celebrities who used social networking to bring awareness to a viral video that was created by a charity group calling themselves Invisible Children. The charity’s goal is to bring notoriety to the brutal Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and its leader Joseph Kony, who allegedly abducts children from their villages and forces them to become soldiers for the LRA.
The charity calls upon celebrities and politicians to help publicize the plight of the child soldiers so that President Obama will continue to fund U.S. troops who are “advising” Ugandan troops on how to capture Kony.
But timing is everything, and the timing of this KONY “movement” has skeptics speaking out about the group’s tactics. In November, Foreignaffairs.com published an article criticizing the Invisible Children charity for manipulating the facts and for “exaggerating the scale of LRA abductions and murders” of children.
Another theory floating around is that the KONY movement is just a smokescreen for a grassroots effort to register young voters for the upcoming elections. They say Joseph Kony is already in U.S. custody, and that the Obama administration is waiting for the opportune moment to parade him in front of the cameras.
A loyal reader, who asked not to be identified, thinks this movement is really about the U.S. gaining control of Uganda’s rich oil resources.
Click the link to read her email:
Dear Sandra:
Thank you SO much for downplaying the #KONY2012 “movement”. What people do not understand is that this is a ploy to start a US-backed war on the continent of Africa. In 2010, OIL was found in the Uganda. Less than 12 months later, the US government sent in 100 military “advisors” to help the Ugandan government find Joseph Kony. I think that people need to research the causes that they back because this is going to be BAD for the continent of Africa. As of today, March 7th, 2012, Kony is NOT in Uganda. He has been reported to be in the Congolese jungle. The American people are weary of war so the celebrities and social media are being used to draw public support. America has seen how the continent of Africa proved to be a resourceful asset to the Chinese. The #Kony2012 movement is a way for America to engage in a turf war with the Chinese in order to secure Ugandan resources for themselves. I believe this is why the powers that be allowed President Obama to become president. If a white president started a war in Africa, he would be a “racist”. A Black man would just “defend democracy” and save “little African children”. Thank you Sandra for being an independent thinker.
~A Pan-African
This is the timeline:
US Sends troops to Uganda to help fiight terrorism
An international campaign is mounted to find the #1 terrorist in Uganda. Celebrities are used to sway public opinion of Western funded war in Uganda. #Kony2012
What the heck is a Kony.. going to read now.
hmmm mmm
I dont know much about this.. just hearing and seeing folks speak about it. I know there is some ppl are saying is heartbreaking…sigh.. time to do some research before i got more work to do
Look at their eyes….they are possessed by the devil himself …
Sandra says: A loyal reader, who asked not to be identified, thinks this movement is really about the U.S. gaining control of Uganda’s rich oil resources.
______________________
Sounds exactly like that, Auntie I am interested in what your opinion is I’m listening
I’m still doing my research..
Morning y’all
Well if it is a ploy, then that is disappointing, i’m more concerned for the young children that are being ripped from their homes to murder following behind someone who is brainwashing them. This kind of reminds me of the situation that occured for blood diamonds. i’ll do my research, but i think which ever way it swings, it’s good that there is awareness being raised
Everything has an ulterior motive/consequences. If we kill or remove a man from power that abducts children AND come up on some oil, all the better.

people are brainwashed everyday just read your news and blogs, it’s all around us, the only escape is to use your own mind.
@NOLA
:2dance: Happy Thursday!
LittleBigMouth says:
i’m more concerned for the young children that are being ripped from their homes to murder following behind someone who is brainwashing them.
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I’m waiting for the evidence to support these allegations. Where are the bodies of the children? If this was happening for 30 years, where are the thousands of children now? Shouldn’t they be adults? That KONY film smacks of propaganda like those old Nazi propaganda films. I was concerned with the way the father was brainwashing his 3-year-old son by showing him pictures of the bad black man.
@Sandra
I tried to watch that video yesterday but it caused my laptop to blue screen and shut down…I think it has a virus
@fefe Friday can’t get its azz here quick enough
I watched the 29 minute video, but I’m on the fence..I also looked at the financial records of the charity on it’s website, but I still don’t know..
@NOLA
Tell me about it…you must have big plans this weekend!
@Man
Where ya azz been? Prolly robbing folks blind of their tax refunds….
Sandra Rose says:
LittleBigMouth says:
i’m more concerned for the young children that are being ripped from their homes to murder following behind someone who is brainwashing them.
_________________
I’m waiting for the evidence to support these allegations. Where are the bodies of the children? If this was happening for 30 years, where are the thousands of children now? Shouldn’t they be adults? That KONY film smacks of propaganda like those old Nazi propaganda films. I was concerned with the way the father was brainwashing his 3-year-old son by showing him pictures of the bad black man.
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I was speaking more in terms of the kids being abducted and then trained to be soldiers of Kony’s army. They are obviously impressionable which is why he targets to kidnap kids when they are very young. That is why I said just like the kids that were kidnapped, trained, and not to mention fed a steady supply of drugs in sierra leone for the purpose of smuggling dirty diamonds in and out of Africa in some cases trading them for weapons (to kill their own people) supplied by Liberia’s president, I am more concerned for the kids because even if they are “rescued” from this, they still suffer a lifetime of what occured. I’m not sure what happens to them after they grow older, my guess is they grow and remain in the army since that is all they know. I need to do a little more research but i don’t doubt that this is not real is all i’m saying. For years, people didn’t know or chose to do 30 second blubs on the news about the war in sierra leone glossing over the fact that kids were being kidnapped to kill why would that not be the case with this situation?
@Sassy
They on peoples Azz this year homie. nigga been working like a rented mule round here. Better have ur ducks in a row this year my nigga.
LittleBigMouth says:
I was speaking more in terms of the kids being abducted and then trained to be soldiers of Kony’s army. They are obviously impressionable which is why he targets to kidnap kids when they are very young.
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And I am asking where is the evidence to support the allegations that these kids are being abducted by Kony? Where are there wailing parents? And if the parents were killed, where are their bodies? I need a little more than just a propaganda film before I believe any of it. Especially since they are asking for donations.
Wait, but wouldn’t they be better off stealing the oil from Nigeria?? I mean wouldn’t it be easier to take it without having to go to war first??
Actually Sandra there was a story in the news a few months ago about a woman who had escaped from Kony’s “army” and had come here for surgery because her face had either been shot off or blown up or something and she had a pretty interesting story to tell. I wish I would have saved the article but it was on CNN and it was really really good.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/23/world/africa/uganda-war-survivor/index.html
(Don’t block me)
Now…we all know that the atrocities that happen in some regions in Africa…for decades…on a daily basis…would put the SS to shame…
And you are telling me that Uganda, the land that spawned Idi Amin…a HUMAN MONSTER…is not able to bring ANOTHER monster into fruition by the name of Kony?
I do believe this story, both of them. Countries in Africa are no stranger to assembling infantries Sandy you know that, this is not far fetched.
The man in the video wasn’t just showing his son pictures of one bad black man he also showed his son a picture of another black man. The good black man his son considered a friend. He wasn’t brainwashing his son against black men.
I want to do my research also before I donate anything but the idea that children are snatched from thier homes and forced to be sex slaves or killing machines is just so horrible. Isn’t it amazing that so many awful things happen in Africa right now and we hear nothing about it. This is right now not the 1800’s not the 1930’s but right now. We have access to so much but an entire country of people still live like this and we are so apathetic and stuck in our material crap to pay any attention.
I mean I admit this is a cause that may come and go until the next big thing happens but with Facebook and Twitter and Youtube our next generation of leaders (19 and 20 year olds) are being taught to do something, to stand for something. I think doing something and standing for something is something that american blacks have lost over the last four decades.
sorry if this is a rant that makes no sense. got caught up in my feelings.
AMEN, round of applause, and Brava Sandra Rose for fulfilling your journalistic responsibilities and showing a point of view outside of what is popular at the moment. This subject is very touchy for us Ugandans, but this discussion is necessary and appreciated.
@African1
What is your opinion as a Ugandan?
@miamore1973 I refuse to downplay the evil carnage Kony and the LRA are said to be associated with, but I do believe the victims are being used as the “Trojan Horse” of a pending conflict with Uganda. When I see merchandise, music, and donation accounts being set up by people who 2 months ago didn’t know Ghana and Uganda are not the same place, it becomes painfully clear what #Kony2012 is about. Black gold.
Great Points
What does that have to do with this man using recuiting kids to be soldiers? Is he or is he not? You can’t use someone as a ploy if they haven’t done these things. Do they have proof that this man is using kids as soldiers..truth or lie? If it is truth then he should be stopped…