Kony 2012: Questions?

This week, a viral video called "KONY 2012" became an internet sensation and has gotten an immense amount of attention and support from various social media websites. The video received over 30 million views within the first three days of it's posting and many major news corporations have also ran news segments about the video. The view count for the short documentary film, is now close to 60 million on YouTube.

What is 'Kony 2012'?
A video launched by an advocacy organization called Invisible Children (IC), aiming to bring light to the crimes of ruthless Ugandan army leader, Joseph Kony. Kony is/was the leader of the Lords Resistance Army (LRA), and is allegedly the mastermind of inhumane acts towards Ugandan children. The video reported that young boys were used for child soldiers and young girls were turned into sex slaves. The awareness is to capture Kony and have him face charges at the International criminal court for crimes against humanity.

Mission Complete!
The power of social media continues to show it's strength in today's world. The massive support for the campaign has persuaded many people into supporting IC and it's mission. From the countless sharing and likes on Facebook, the considerable amount of vlog responses on YouTube, blog posts and articles, and the hashtag #StopKony2012 trending on Twitter.

Action kit as seen on website

Hold Your Brakes.
One question to ask is, how many of IC's supporters have done their research on Kony, the LRA, Ugandan war history and it's current political situation? Some rumors say that Kony has been committing crimes in Uganda since the '80's and is allegedly dead.

Furthermore, how many have researched IC? What is their mission? Where are their 'profits' going? (Because they are seeking money) The 'Kony' action kit was listed as sold out as of 3/10/12.
Are some supporters aware of the many scams of charity organizations? Or even better, how many people, especially Americans, have researched United States military involvement in Uganda? If you don't have these questions answered, how can you (blindly) support a cause you are not knowledgeable about? Thousands have been manipulated by this video and are now on the bandwagon.

I am not against supporting awareness issues, especially as it pertains to young children and humans in general. But this political propaganda is all too common and whether IC's mission is legit, it should be questioned. Many organizations have been proven to be scams, and have used political crises for their own personal gain.

*Recall the RedCross, YeleHaiti and several other charities after the Haitian earthquake. Where did all that money go? And what is the current state of Haiti two years after?

Think First
Who truly knows the intentions of IC? The world is bigger than it seems, but it is small as well. The KONY 2012 campaign could also be a ploy to get attention to the issue, only for powerful countries to intervene. Does Uganda have oil or other desired and valuable resources?

The shady possibilities are real. The issue in Uganda is real, and I'm glad to see how many people are interested in the lives of others who aren't so fortunate. What concerns me is the lack of knowledge many supporters seem to have, and the tactics being used garner to advocacy for Invisible Children.

Why is it only now there's an interest in Uganda?

I was not fully aware of Uganda's political issues. I was moved by the video and got the message, but I did feel slightly suspicious after watching a few minutes. Prior to the viral popularity of the campaign, I had only heard about IC on Oprah last year.

As of now, I'm reading varying viewpoints and public government reports from a few years ago about the state of Uganda, before clarifying my stance on Kony 2012; as I should.

I support the cause, but my eyes and ears are still open.