Local Students Call For Justice

You may have noticed posters, painted windows and chalk murals that say “KONY 2012” around town Saturday. It’s all part of a viral campaign to draw attention to international war criminal, Joseph Kony.

Staying after school on a Friday night isn’t typical of most high school students. But for sophomores in Ms. Busby’s English class, spreading awareness about the Kony 2012 campaign was more important than starting their weekend early.

“It shows higher powers, like the government, that the younger generation aren’t just going to let things slide,” said Isaac Regalado, a sophomore at Idaho Falls High School. “Like, if they want change they’ll fight for it, whatever the cause may be.”

It’s a 29-minute documentary that’s gone viral on YouTube. The video depicts Uganda’s Joseph Kony, the head of the Lord Resistance Army in central Africa. Kony is described as an international war criminal who has committed mass atrocities to the people of Uganda for the last three decades.

“Kony exposing teenagers and children to an environment that has war and battle and death … I just think it’s horrible,” said Braxton Cox, a sophomore at Idaho Falls High School.

Friday was dubbed “Cover the Night” by a group heading a campaign to get Kony apprehended before the end of the year. Supporters across the country plastered posters throughout their cities in an effort to draw attention to Kony as a “call-to-action” for U.S. lawmakers. Students at Idaho Falls High School also joined the cause.

“After watching the video, some of us were in tears and extremely motivated to help spread awareness about what Joseph Kony is doing in Uganda and to the children of Uganda … and that really struck a chord with me because I’m both a mother and a teacher,” said Heather Busby, a teacher at IFHS.

The KONY 2012 short film was released in early March and has since gained over 88-million views.