Shame On You, For Thinking I'd Settle For Less

I usually don’t make posts like this but I’ve been (obviously) seeing lots of posts about Kony and Invisible Children. There are those that claim that watching one clip isn’t going to help. Then, there are those that say that doing a little something is better than doing nothing. NOW, my real question that I haven’t seen addressed, aside from being addressed by my professors and peers, is the question of: When is enough actually enough? Sure the publicity is good for the campaign but is the campaign enough? I wish people would think about that. The roads to all kinds of demise are paved with good intentions. People watch the clip then feel, what’s typically referred to as ‘the white man’s burden,’ and donate. This being said it’s very crucial to social movements that people know more than just the base of the issue, it’s that type of thinking and hubris that’s paved the road to development. It’s great that people want to help but being informed on a basic level may not actually lead to the strengths, motives, and force that’s needed when trying to take agency in political issues. The use of social media for awareness is something that’s a relatively new concept in the field of social change and it should be taken for what it is: a tool. The efficiency of this tool has yet to be seen, and I’m personally excited to see how all of this is going to pan out. I’m not making any substantive claim that people should or shouldn’t donate but before you do read a little more into it, find out where the money is going and how much of it is actually getting there. Its unfortunate that the general public can only be moved to participate in a campaign like this through images and documentaries that target their empathy and pull at their heart strings. All of this being said, it’s important to note that  ”The path of sound credence is through the thick forest of skepticism,” (George Jean Nathan). So. Read. Think about what you read. Inform yourself.