Kony 2012 - Racist?

I've actually read in a CNN article yesterday (I've included the link but the post was removed for some reason) by Jeb Boon that some scholars have claimed that the Invisible Children's movie "Kony 2012" is racist and it implies that rotten Africa needs white/U.S rescuing, blah, blah, blah.

Seriously? Why everything must be corrupted into stinky politics, and schemes, and race, and shit?

Why can't we just be human beings trying to help other human beings?

Obviously there is racism out there. People are naturally judgmental of people who differ from themselves. We all judge based on appearances. Oh, look at that girl's outfit. So, trashy! Got a stripper poll? Look at that guy's mullet. Really? Eighties are over, pal.

I recently felt it myself: On my birthday, I went to a tattoo studio with my husband and my son. When I walked in there all the eyes fell on me and I've never felt more unworthy. It was like they were thinking: You? Seriously? Who do you think you are? Go back to your average, boring life, you can't handle a tattoo.

I didn't get the tattoo by the way, but only because all the artists were booked that day.

But this video is so important and goes so far beyond race. Sure, it puts the U.S support as essential to ending Kony's reign of terror, but so what? The U.S has the technology and the resources.

If I need help publishing my book who I am going to ask: my neighbor who is a hair stylist or Random House? The thing is Random House will hang up on my face, but if there were millions of people calling on my behalf then things might turn out differently.

I've known about Invisible Children for a while, I've used one of their videos as a theme for a speech class in 2008. I proudly use my "rescue riders" t-shirt all the time.

This video is inspiration for a Western youth that so very often alienates the problems of the world and it proves social media has transformed the way we access (and interact) with information.

I'm sure the problems of Africa as the problems of other countries (e.g. my beloved Brazil) are much more complicated than what this video entails. I fear that as soon as Kony is captured a successor (may even be their own military) will take his place doing the equally revolting atrocities. But should we stop trying to do the right thing because of that? No. I don't think so.

KONY 2012 from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.