My response to how KONY2012 has opened [my] eyes to unhighlighted human rights issues...

• Friend: You sure you don't want to put ur head down to rest
• Me: No, I'm writing a blog. Have you learned about the kony2012 internet campaign as of yet?
• Friend: No I haven't
• Me: Oh ok. Well that's what I want to write about, my thoughts about it as I've been watching this story unfold on the internet the past two weeks and a bit. I have my two cents to say as its really irritating me that I haven't just spoken my piece yet.
• Friend: Oh ok. What is it about in a nutshell though?
• Me: KONY2012 campaign - the organization Invisible Children conducted this campaign with aims to take down a man by the name of Joseph Kony & his army who tops the list of worst criminals in the world by using a social media campaign (Youtube and Twitter #KONY2012). They originally lobbied the US Government to intervene but their request was ignored as it had no effect on US security or financial interests. And with that, no one heard about it… so in order for the US government to be interested enough in intervening and helping out the Ugandans, the "people" must care about it and in order to care about the issue, they needed to know about it. Hence why Invisible Children produced this 27 minute Youtube video about it, and as they only intended on getting 500,000 views on it, they managed to get well over 80 million views in 9 days and probably well over 110 million views through public screenings. Invisible Children wanted people to simply share the video or mention this guy's name to raise awareness thus garnishing support to their lobbying efforts to help Uganda arrest this man and make an example out of him in hopes that other ‘invisible’ war criminals will be unveiled and help set a precedent for international justice.
• Friend: Oh ok, I think one of Sarah's* roommates was from Uganda but that is kind of smart. I wonder if stuff like this would affect this whole SOPA and PIPA thing.
• Me: How so?
• Friend: Because if they pass these acts, websites like Youtube and Facebook would get shut down and what you just told me about is a way that they can use these websites for justice. So that could be an argument against passsing these acts.
• Me: Ok, I get what you mean. You know, I wonder if anyone has made that connection yet and wrote about online?
• Friend: hm.... probably.
• Me: But ever since this blew up on the scene, like it's had me rethink how much I really know about stuff, everything I own, and where I fit in this whole mess. Like I mean the world's effed up, everything's interconnected that it really makes me wonder why bother with ANYTHING.
• Friend: Hmm... that is kinda bad. Maybe stop being informed, you never heard the saying ignorance is bliss?
• Me: Yes.
• Friend: Well, the world was effed up for a long time now so stop reading into things.
• Me: I just stumbled on this Youtube video about conflict minerals and how some minerals used and found in electronics come from numerous places in the world, but they highlight Congo as the funds generated from selling these minerals is helping to fund their raging war. So for a moment there I was like... what else in my house is fueling crimes and slave labour and sh*t? Like does it ever end?
• Friend: Uhmm... almost everything.
• Me: I guess I should cut down my own trees and build myself a effing house because clearly some dude(s) died to give me shelter...
• Friend: Look, people die everyday. If you feel sad about everyone that gets killed, you would forever cry.
• Me: Yeah but some are dying just to keep me happy, clearly. I guess that's God's job to cry aka rain.
• Friend: Straight up, people aren't dying so that you could be happy, people die because of money. Almost every rich person in the world either directly or indirectly got rich by criminal or inhumane means. Straight up and this didn't just happen last year or the last century. That is just how it is.
• Me: I know that. But it still doesn't throw away how I feel about it. It's fucked up and sad. No, I'm not crying about it but I guess that's why it's important to pick your battles because it's impossible to fight for everything, you won't win because you don't have the resources, time or energy to fight them all.
• Friend: Hmm.. true. But just remember, when you buy an iPod, the only thing you did was buy an iPod. If you buy the ipod or not, the people already get kill. The people that did the killing for the materials already have their money, so you might as well get the ipod for yourself and have a good time.
• *Names have been changed to protect the identity of the people involved in the conversation
• -- I still have no concluding thoughts on all this, but I just had to ramble about it to someone who'd ramble back to me as well --