'Don’t let these children be invisible any longer’

It started last year early in the fall semester when I was sitting with the infamous Travis Weeks. We had nothing else to do so Travis said that we should watch a documentary about kids in Africa that his dad had sent him.

At the time I didn't jump at the opportunity to watch a video that may make me feel uncomfortable. But we did it. An hour later my life was changed.

That fall day I was taken from my comfortable loveseat and placed in a world I had never known.

Every day in the country of Uganda, thousands of children walk an average of six miles so that they can find a place to sleep. "Why don't they just sleep in their beds?" you may ask. Well for over 20 years there has been a civil war in Uganda, a war which needs to end. The war is between the LRA (Lords Resistance Army) and the Ugandan Government. The LRA is controlled by Joseph Koni. Koni cannot convince anyone to join his cause so he must abduct children and force them to fight. Since the war began tens of thousands of children have been abducted and a majority of those are killed. So these kids, ages 8 to 15, walk six miles to sleep in groups of thousands in hospitals and on verandas in the city. They do this because the rebel army will not come into the city to abduct them. But something must be done. And it must be done soon.

Three filmmakers traveled to Uganda and shot a documentary called Invisible Children. This film is the story of these children and of the war. Since they made the video it has spread all over the world and gained popularity. There will even be a feature film in theaters coming soon to show the plight of these children. These children need a lot from us. They need our time, our money, our prayers and our ideas. But there is something we can do now.

Tomorrow, April 29, in Knoxville, Tenn., there is going to be a Global Night Commute. Right now almost 40,000 people across the world are committing to this GNC. And a group from Milligan is going. We will be leaving at 4 p.m. from the canyon. Once arriving in Knoxville we will park the vans and walk six miles. Then, with a thousand other people, we will sleep in the park. In the morning we will walk back to the vans and drive back to Milligan. This is a silent protest against the war in Uganda and it is something you can do. We are asking anyone who wants to go to contact Ryan Arnold or Josh Kaminsky.

This many people all over the world sleeping in parks will make the rest of the world look around to see what is happening. Please don't let this children be invisible any longer. For more information go to www.invisblechildren.com.