The Blue Board

There are gangs off of Kinsman who are heavily armed. They take whatever they want from that neighborhood. The people are most certainly terrorized on those blocks.

Apathy? Yes, exactly.

devidee has a point, to an extent. How quick are we to throw $10 to help a foreign country, when we have our own issues to deal with? Why don't we have a fund to send $.30/month to feed all the starving kids in our own country? Why are we so quick to send aid and money to a foreign country struck by a natural disaster, yet we don't do the same when our own is struck?

I'm all for helping others, but we fail to take care of our own needs first.

You kept hearin about Tebow building a hospital is some third world country, why not build a hospital here to help those who can't afford insurance?

/rant

You raise a point, but not very legitimate one.

At least in America there are people trying to protect them.

And again if you don't support the issue don't even both discussing it.

Posts like these are taking away from the issue at hand and not helping anyone.

If you are seriously trying to argue these Ohio kids lives = Ugandans you clearly are out of touch

The poverty levels alone are not even on the same radar, let alone any other issue.

Who's protecting them. The police? Not even the slightest.

Again, it's not about supporting this particular issue. I think it's a great cause. Although, I think it's extemely pretentious to believe that this is the greatest tragedy happening on the earth right now. It isn't.

I'm not arguing the inner city kids in Cleveland = anyone's lives. I'm simply stating they live absolutely terrible lives. Every single day in our own backyards. And no one cares.

Just remember that by helping to take out one side you are implicitly helping the other. The Ugandan government is far from saints. Please just keep in mind that issues like these are very complicated. Certainly more complicated than can be conveyed by a slick 20 minute video on youtube.

1) The Ugandan Government is a dictatorship with Yoweri Museveni as the president since 1986. Among many of its human rights violations the regime tortures prisons, oppresses other political parties and the press and also wishes to introduce a bill that would have 'convicted homosexuals' put to death.

2) In the civil war in which Yoweri Museveni gained power child soldiers were used by his army (National Resistance Army) which is now the army of Uganda but under a different name. (http://www.teachkidspeace.org/doc315.php)

3) The Ugandan army, or rather its high ranking officers have being using 'ghost soldiers' (soldiers who are no longer on the pay-roll) to siphon off funds, making the war even more profitable for them than usual, giving them a vested interest in its continuation. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3514473.stm)

4) (kinda the same point again) War is profitable, especially for large arms economies such as the U.S. and the UK. 'U.S. Military adviser support' may as well say 'we want the US and its arms manufactures / dealers to sell the Ugandan Government tons more weapons'. I'm sure there's many more points that could be made, and this is still a really basic explanation that barely goes into any detail, but even a single one of these points is enough to be critical of the campaign and its support of the Ugandan army. If the campaign really wants to be truly supportive of human rights it needs to recognise that Kony is not the only war criminal, all warmongering is a crime against humanity."

Additionally,

Of the $8.9 million in donations they spent in 2011, this is the breakdown:

$1.7 million in US employee salaries $357,000 in Film costs $850,000 in Production costs $751,000 in Computer equipment $244,000 in "professional services" (DC lobbyists) $1.07 million in travel expenses $400,000 in yearly office rent in downtown San Diego $16,000 in Entertainment etc... Only 2.8 million (31%) made it to their charity program (which is further whittled down by local Ugandan government officials) - what do the children actually get?

Their rating on Charity Navigator is because they haven't had their financial books independently audited, and have no independent board members ...which is not a surprising given the use of cash noted above.

Source: Their own finacials -> Pages 6 and 12 http://c2052482.r82.cf0.rackcdn.com/images/737/original/FY11-Audited%20Financial%20Statements.pdf?1320205055

Source For Ratings: http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=12429 http://c2052482.r82.cf0.rackcdn.co

Donations to non-profits rarely go directly to government. So bringing up Uganda's expenditure of donations is largely irrelevant.

Same with your point about corruption in the government. Obviously the government is corrupt, most of those countries have corrupt governments. Does that mean their kids should be left to die?

Kony is one of the worlds most wanted war criminals. Anything taking him out of power is a legitimate idea.

Still a douche for trolling this thread. You have a problem with this, take it up with the people who are running this campaign. Don't discourage people who are interested in it.

It could bolster the Ugandan government sure.

Kony is killing kids, he should be stopped.

He is one of the most wanted war criminals in the world, he should be stopped.

Tell me why Kony continuing to be free will be a good thing?

Just stop man honestly.

Again if you have issue with the campaign talk to the people running it. I don't see why you feel the need to discourage people who are donating to charity. Could you explain?

I have explained. Read the link I posted.

I agree that stopping a war criminal is a good thing. Again, I don't think it's as simple as "taking Kony out." There will be other consequences to this effort. I think it's reasonable to ask if those consquences will end up being worse than the current situation. Especially if you plan on donating to said effort.

I rarely get upset when reading 247 boards. Stop trying to be smarter or more compassionate than everyone else and just admit that its a good cause that deserves attention. I look forward to seeing your million + person movement, advertising campaign, and 30 minute professional video about the gangs of Ohio.

Sometimes being a contrarian isn't always necessary or warranted. I'd say more, but I don't want the thread to get deleted or locked.

In a vacuum it's not. That however is not the case here.

Most people get behind things like this because they are spoon fed a small slice of the overall reality taking place. Like I said, by donating to this cause you are directly aiding the Ugandan government. Is that a good thing? I don't necessarily think that it is.

Well played

Bought my Koney bracelet just now.