The Invisible Children

The Invisible Children

D.C. Miles

We are a nation built on connections. At any given time on any given day we can reach no further than our phones or laptops and touch someone on the other side of the world. We can share our ideas, our thoughts, our dreams, our goals or just a witty observation about the world around us. In 140 characters or less we can literally touch the world.

That's a lot of power. So what are we doing with it?

I write about writing. My Facebook and Twitter feeds are generally discussing writing, the fandoms I belong to or support, funny things my daughter says or the humorous side of the hectic life I lead. None of those things are wrong. But none of them are changing the world either. 


I'll be honest enough to say that, while I've heard about hundreds of horrible things happening around the world, things that turn my stomach and make me wonder to what depths of depravity humans are capable of sinking - at the end of the day I haven't done anything to change it. I've complained, watched documentaries and shed more than my share of tears. But when the crying is done and the day is over I lock my front door, head upstairs, tuck my daughter safely in her bed and go to sleep.

Sleep. It's ironic that I'd use that word because with regard to the injustices of this world that exactly what I've been...sleep. In my years on this planet I've not taken the time or the steps to ensure that the world I leave for my daughter is a better one than I lived in. I haven't committed myself to the cause of improving the world I live in, the community I live in. And I've never really been bothered by that...until today.

I saw a video today. Perhaps some of you have watched it as well. StopKony 2012, created by Jason Russell, Co-Founder of Invisible Children. Invisible Children is an organization that uses media to help raise funds and awareness about the longest running armed conflict in Africa. The StopKony 2012 video is a documentary and a call to arms. It details the atrocities done to African children at the hands of Joseph Kony and his army (for more details on Kony, please see the video below). Kony is responsible for over 60,000 African children being abducted and forced to fight in his army. These children are forced to maim and even kill at his direction and are helpless to protect themselves.  


Unprotected children. The thought breaks my heart.

The images in the video are alarming; the story even more so. That such horror could exist in this world is mind blowing and even as I type this I'm completely unable to keep the tears from flowing. That isn't uncommon - as I said, crying over injustice was never the problem. But this video, made by one very brave man, has hit me differently. In the dark places in my heart and mind where the fear that my one voice cannot make a difference paralyzes me, this video has turned on a light. And under the brightness of reality something amazing has happened.

I woke up.

This post is not intended to shake a finger at anyone who, like me, has found themselves feeling helpless to make a change. It is not intended to tally up a list of all the ways we could have helped in the past and didn't. There is no judgement here; for myself or anyone else. The purpose of this post is to do for you what was done for me.

Turn the light on. Give you the opportunity to wake up.

Why? Why does it matter? Because change always does. Because injustice is always worth fighting. Because all of our voices, however quiet, hold the power to penetrate the evil around us and give right a fighting chance. Because we are not alone in our fight. We are an army of people who refuse to sit back while children in this world are abducted, killed, forced to fight a war they did not start.

Because every child matters. Because every child deserves to have someone fight for them.

You can make a difference. We all can, and there's no better time to do it than now. It's a scary thing to think of what terrible injustice there is in the world. It's even scarier to think of how that injustice will continue to grow if we do nothing.

So what I'm asking you to do is simple. Take 30 minutes. Watch the video and when it's over look inside your own heart...turn on the light. 

Wake up.

KONY 2012 from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

To sign the pledge or donate please follow this link.  http://s3.amazonaws.com/kony2012/kony-4.html