The name Joseph Kony strikes fear in the hearts of many. In Sonoma, it invokes sadness, anger, and a call to action.
For local students, many following in the footsteps of their parents and grandparents before them, uniting in protest seems almost second nature. So when Sonoma Valley High School teacher Gary Gissell suggested a Stop Kony 2012 inspired rally, the teens jumped on board, marching up Broadway on Thursday afternoon, chanting, placards held high and assembling at the top of the Plaza horseshoe to show their solidarity with others around the world.
Joseph Kony is the head of the Lord’s Resistance Army, a Ugandan guerrilla group. One of the world’s worst alleged war criminals, Kony is charged with abducting children and forcing them to become child soldiers. Indicted for war crimes in 2005, Kony has evaded capture ever since
Kony 2012 is the movement to put Kony behind bars. While the movement first gained a foothold in 2005 with the release of the documentary film “Invisible Children” it has steadily built momentum, culminating tonight, Friday, April 20 with what is being called, “Cover the Night,” in solidarity with other groups around the world.
SVHS’s Gissell capitalized on this opportunity to show his students how “social media,” which targets the 18- to 30-year-old demographic, is being used to make history. An added bonus – participating in the rally makes democracy “come alive.”
“The kids were very excited to participate,” said Gissell. “The Kony effort presents an ideal opportunity to explore social media with real life current events.”
Senior Brianna Garcia wholeheartedly agreed. “The goal of the movement is to “push the government to put Kony in jail and we’re doing our part to make that happen.”
C’mon, by then (April 20) anyone with the slightest sense of curiousity would discover that the Invisible Children staged nothing more than a farce. Even the celebrities who blindly endorsed the campaign are notably mum on the topic.