Joseph Kony | Teen Ink

Joseph Kony

May 14, 2012
By Angellynn1996 GOLD, San Francisco, California
Angellynn1996 GOLD, San Francisco, California
16 articles 17 photos 0 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... it's about getting out and dancing in the rain"


Joseph Kony in Uganda. You probably want to know the basics.

What happened? Where did it happen? When did it happen? Who was involved? Why is this important? How does this continue to affect Uganda today? Well I will answer all of these and more. Joseph Kony killed thousands of Ugandan citizens in the name of Christianity. (Which is all wrong). Joseph is a former alter boy. Now going around to all different villages killing people and taking the children. He is making the children kill there own families as to break all ties of there own life. Turning the boys into soldiers and the girls into sex slaves.

He is thought to have 88 wives as of 2007 and 42 children as of 2006 (Joseph Kony) they where forced to marry him or die. This leads to our first question. What Happened? Joseph Kony a former alter boy made an army called the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) who kidnaps children at night and turns the boys into soldiers and the girls into sex slaves. He makes them kill their own families all in the name of “God”. Michael a thin 10 – year old boy wrapped in a patched blanket, spoke of village boys and girls abducted by armed men and never seen again “I can’t get to sleep at home because they’ll come and get me” he says (The Horror). Children are kidnapped and never heard from again.

He burns the villages and kills every one. The children in Uganda will commute all the way from their villages to town every night because they are safer there then in their own homes. The walk is any where from 10 to 40 miles that these children have to walk. This is not just any war this is a children’s war. These kids are anywhere from 3 to 11 years old being turned into sex slaves and soldiers being made to fight.

Furthermore bringing me to our next question. Where did it happen? It is happening in Uganda, Africa. I know it’s on the other side of the world that they are not in the same time zone as us. That they act different then us. But they are still children not just people but small children. LRA rebels roam northern Uganda’s country side in small units. Showing up out of no where in the middle of the night. To torch villages, Kill people, and kidnap children. (The Horror) Joseph Kony is from the Acholi area in Uganda. His Niece is Alice LaKwena who led thousands of Africans into battle against President Museveni. (Lira) Joseph Kony says he is taking over in Alice’s place and is making a more pure holy nation as this is what “god” wants.

Leading to our third question. When did it happen? It started in the mid- 1990’s and is still currently going on it is far less then it used to be but is still in face happening to day in 2012. If a child goes missing in the USA we send out and Amber Alert and Police to find the child and the abductor. But In another par t of the world, on the other side of the globe , in the northern district of Uganda 40,000 children has gone missing in the past 20 some years. Twice as many have been killed. (Lira)

Question number four now. Who was involved? Joseph Kony started it all he had a lot of followers at first because of being related to Alice, But shortly after he lost most of his followers. The ones who remained with him became lead officers in the LRA. The LRA was also involved considering they were the ones going out and doing all this and they are Kony’s army. The Uganda army is also involved because they have to protect the people of Uganda to the best of their abilities and so they had to step in and fight the LRA. And last but definitely not least is the Children and people of Uganda they are the most involved and most affected by this tragedy.

Why is this important? Well Because Joseph Kony is taking kids and turning them into soldiers and sex slaves. It has been going on for way to long this needs to end. How does this continue to affect Uganda now? In two ways. First the people that were killed will never come back. Second children killed their own families and this has caused great emotional and mental trauma. Third little kids were turned into sex slaves and soldiers at ages an where from 3 to 11 and that has caused great emotional and mental trauma. And fourth it’s still going on today right now as I type this.

How does this relate to what I have learned in Modern World History? Well let’s just say. Remember the holocaust well it’s exactly like that. No one else is getting involved until they have to we are just sitting by and letting it happen. Its so much death why don’t we step in? Oh yeah that’s right people think liking a facebook status or sharing a video on the web is actually going to help. Well its not people need to step it up and help because these are little children. How would you feel if this was you Son, Daughter, Mother, Father, Sister, Brother, or Even your friend? You wouldn’t like it very much you’d want people to help you get your family member or friend back wouldn’t you? But yet no other country will help they just sit by and let happen.

Joseph Kony IS the new Hitler, The LRA are the new Nazi’s, the children are the new Jews, and we are yet again just the people sitting by watching and letting it happen because its not our country right? Well we are all the same I don’t care if you live in a cardboard box or a mansion, or if you are black, white, Asian, purple, gay, bi, or straight. You still have Human Rights so why don’t these children? Why doesn’t any one step in to help? Why do we just sit by? Oh yeah that’s right because we are just to lazy I mean its not our country now is it? But that shouldn’t matter none of that should we need to step in. Stop sharing Videos, Liking Facebook statuses and actually do something. Its time to stand up and fight for what is right no matter what the cost!


The author's comments:
Joseph Kony needs to be stopped

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