Hi everyone,
My name is Trapa, some of you know me, some of you don't. If you don't know me, I think i'll give a small self-boasting introduction here, which you will just have to take my word, isn't really my strong suit. If you know me, skip this next paragraph.
My name is Trapa, and I have been part of the furry fandom for years. I was a major player in starting first Califur, then Rainfurrest, and am now helping start Vancoufur and Fureh. In addition I have worked many other conventions. I have written software which has touched the lives of thousands of furries and will continue to do so. I became aware of the furry fandom back in 1994, and have been a furry for a very very long time. I can build things, but can't draw worth shit. I have made fursuits, and leatherwork, chainmaile, electronics, networks, servers, woodworking, radios, programs gidgits and gadgets. But i've never changed the world.
Many people don't know why it is that I do what I do. Nearly no-one of all the friends I have know about what motivates me to spend thousands of dollars starting conventions and programming every night on software no one really cares about. But i'm going to tell you now.
It's because I want to change the world, I want my life to have some meaning before it ends. I want the efforts I have put into this world to actually mean somthing. And I want all the furries I know to help me with it! I want the furries to help change the world!
Watch this video,
KONY 2012 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc#ws)
If you want to help, Post a reply. I am doing this, with or without your help.
--Trapa
Trapa...
I'm in. :3
Count me in.
What are we doing exactly, just reposting this video?
I'm just going to put this here.
Kony 2012 Video is Misleading (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DO73Ese25Y#)
I'm in no way trying to put a damper on this, as.... I'm a little neutral on this PARTICULAR subject, now. Neither against nor quite for.
However I do love that citizens were able to come together and push the government to do something like this. ;)
It just needs to be directed properly.
*sigh*
I wish it could be as simple as this....but the more and more I read about Invisible Children and the Kony 2012....movement I guess, the more I'm disappointed. I'm honestly very torn about supporting this or not, I feel as if maybe stopping one bad person might help even a little, but after doing some research on what the project is essentially supporting, I found this report by the Huffington Post and it made me worry a lot:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-deibert/joseph-kony-2012-children_b_1327417.html (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-deibert/joseph-kony-2012-children_b_1327417.html)
It...saddened me really, along with that video with the girl talking about how Kony wasn't really the problem anymore...
Maybe it would be best to support something else...? But then again who am I to say that? I really don't understand the circumstances at all...too many people saying too many different things, I wish I could say I had a clear image and knew exactly what to do, but I don't. People are complicated...there's too much gray when dealing with people, at least when you are fighting AIDs or Breast Cancer you know you can't really go wrong...
It seems as if overnight Kony became known by many by the means of the internet.
There are far bigger things happening in the world right now, multiple wars and rebellions, crackdowns, worldwide economy crisis.
Why take down just the one bad guy? Is the new trend going to be taking out one bad guy a year? That's pretty inefficient really.
And as has been mentioned there's a ton of controversy over the Invisible Children movement thing, the Kony video is apparently stirring up a fair bit of dislike from Ugandans. Invisible Children has denied audits of their organization, and by their own record keeping under 35% of the money they get is sent off to help Ugandans directly. Most of the rest of the millions of dollars they've already gotten has been used for media promotion
And apparently that action kit costs around $30 if you're over seas.
In response to the other video that was posted;
- I'm not at all in disbelief that this person is telling the truth. Even the original video says kony has now left Uganda. However, does leaving the country now rid him of his crimes, or stop him from doing what he's doing, or is he just moved to another country? If he has left to another country doesn't that region of the world need even more than ever, the american army help to help track him down, since in her video she says the Ugandan government doesn't have rights outside of uganda?
- In her video she says it's been six years since his last strike. Maybe in Uganda specifically, but this third party document says otherwise: http://www.hrw.org/news/2011/05/23/no-end-lra-killings-and-abductions (http://www.hrw.org/news/2011/05/23/no-end-lra-killings-and-abductions)
- In her video she questions the proliferation and allocation of money regarding the inivisable children funds. Having been in accounting for organizations, I'm sure there is a lot more things to the job that just putting money into Uganda. Especially greasing palms in the government. In addition to the other taxes, duties, man-power, flights and such that they have to pay for. Accounting is never as black and white as all that.
- A second point in regards to the allocation of funds, is that in the video they aren't asking for money like 90% of the charities, they're asking for help. Yes they want you to buy posters and shit from them because if you do they can do other stuff with that money, however, they don't require it. They want help
- A third point in regards to the allocation of funds, If the guy making the video got rich doing the shit that he's done, there most CERTAINLY would be people all over that shit. If he has a better paycheque than you, maybe he's doing something to deserve it. But i doubt it's all that much better than you.
- In response to the idea that there are bigger causes in the world right now
Yes there are indeed many other bigger causes right now. I think what attracts me to this cause is that it's the first cause i've seen not begging for money. No in fact they're asking for help and most importanty .. in a way that we can actually help.
I want people to understand, this cause doesn't have me because I think this kony guys is special. In the subject I mentioned changing the world. This changing the world part has very little to do with Kony, but more the idea behind the project. I really do think that this is the first time in my entire history where I have felt that the world can be changed by a group. This superseeds all the stuff about kony and the shit related to him. If this succeeds, then this type of marketing campaign is going to be the kind of thing that you will see more and more often, and this kind of marketing only works if the group as a whole back it.
I have seen protests man many times in my life. Maybe they worked for Vietnam, but now, they're completely ineffective. This looks like, if it succeeds, it might just be the new, effective method of protesting. What I like about it is that it requires agreement by the masses. If I'm the only idiot out there on the 20th plastering up posters, then so be it, and they'll be some posters about and everyone will ignore them. The majority would have said, "I don't care" ... if I'm not the only idiot out there, then the world, or at least those who see the poster, will understand that the group does care.
That's the part of this project that I like, That's the part of the project I feel is important. Yes Kony is a bad guy, Yes he deserves to be caught and punished for his crimes even if he's stopped doing them, even if he's in another country. Yes he might not be in Uganda, but that's the whole reason to involve the Americans. And yes, he might even be dead, but that's highly unlikely.
Many people who know me, know i'm not the kind of guy who will give a man a fish. You need to teach a man to fish, in order for them to survive, so for me. If breast cancer, or aids wants my help, well that's what we have programs like BOINC, but donations. Sorry, my money is hard earned, and most of it goes to furry conventions (Making/Building not attending, to be clear).
I don't think this will change the world overnight, but I think it's a start. I think that it's a eye-opener for all, and I'm pretty sure if it's successful, it will change how people and how the world thinks about politics. It's time the world starts to understand that with the invention of the Internet and instant communications, we're in a world political market too. The decisions of other countries affect us. Canada had to help fight SOPA / PIPA, and the American Terrorists are already arresting people from around the world on criminal charges that are not crimes where the people reside (http://wideshut.co.uk/briton-faces-us-extradition-for-copyright-crime-uk-doesnt-recognise/ (http://wideshut.co.uk/briton-faces-us-extradition-for-copyright-crime-uk-doesnt-recognise/)) so why do we not wanting these Americans sticking their nose in where they might actually help people.
Champion Spotlight - Volibear, the Thunder's Roar (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfp6hAsC4D8#ws)
I was just intending to post that. I do feel I have to respond to just a couple of things the OP just said, though:
: Trapa March 14, 2012, 12:29:50 -06:00
Many people who know me, know i'm not the kind of guy who will give a man a fish. You need to teach a man to fish, in order for them to survive
I feel that, as a person living in somewhat rustic lands, who's father was a fisherman, I do need to point that we have, at this time, actually hunted the large majourity of the world's fish stock to virtual extinction. So it may, in fact, now be more lucrative to give a person a fish--if you somehow have excess fish laying around--rather than to teach them the skill. Because, really, the yield will be very small, so it would be difficult to offset the cost of, well, the training for it, as well as for the fishing pole, lines, and lures; as well as the cost of gas to transit to a location to fish. It may be a euphomism that's simply past it's time, however I do I feel I need to point that out.
Now, if you're able to teach people to digest electricity as a food source: that would be a useful skill to learn at this time, in my opinion. Ah, also..
: Trapa March 14, 2012, 12:29:50 -06:00
- A third point in regards to the allocation of funds, If the guy making the video got rich doing the shit that he's done, there most CERTAINLY would be people all over that shit.
Now it has taken about 20 years for anyone to really notice this Kony guy, so I do think that, ah, this guy could easily be profiting in numerous ways from this operation. Flying all around the world, like he is; and obviously he's being fed pretty well, and can feed his family well, too.
I've done a lot of volunteer work; it's probably the majourity of my portfolio now. And we weren't paid any money for that, at all. About once a week, we could each get a couple of slices of pizza, and that was pretty nice, because otherwise I was basically starving. This guy doesn't look like he's starving, so I do have to assume that's he's doing alright for himself. And, really: good for that aspect; good for him.
However, attempting to combine charity, with military, is never going to lead to a good outcome, in my opinion. I will never support an increasse in war effort, of any kind. So I'll just lay my cents down here, and bid you adieu! :D
: Crassadon March 14, 2012, 03:53:17 -06:00
I was just intending to post that. I do feel I have to respond to just a couple of things the OP just said, though:
I feel that, as a person living in somewhat rustic lands, who's father was a fisherman, I do need to point that we have, at this time, actually hunted the large majourity of the world's fish stock to virtual extinction. So it may, in fact, now be more lucrative to give a person a fish--if you somehow have excess fish laying around--rather than to teach them the skill. Because, really, the yield will be very small, so it would be difficult to offset the cost of, well, the training for it, as well as for the fishing pole, lines, and lures; as well as the cost of gas to transit to a location to fish. It may be a euphomism that's simply past it's time, however I do I feel I need to point that out.
Now, if you're able to teach people to digest electricity as a food source: that would be a useful skill to learn at this time, in my opinion. Ah, also..
Awesome! You rock man, too funny.
: Crassadon March 14, 2012, 03:53:17 -06:00
However, attempting to combine charity, with military, is never going to lead to a good outcome, in my opinion. I will never support an increasse in war effort, of any kind. So I'll just lay my cents down here, and bid you adieu! :D
And this is probably one of the better arguments against that i've seen so far,
ahmah glob, you don't hate me??!?!
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lu9gbpQxql1r4gk8oo1_500.jpg)
Yay!!!!!! ;D