i could be brave

Thursday, October 21, 2004

Bono and DATA

Categories: Life • Music • Religion

I’ve never really thought much of Bono.  I mean that in the literal sense.  I’ve never thought much of him because I’ve never had reason to.  He is the lead singer of U2 of course.  But then, unlike many other people in the world, I have never been moved by U2’s music.  Maybe I’m a member of wrong generation?  I’m not sure why but I have largely ignored both the band and its famous lead singer. 

Bono of course is the guy that many Christians love to hate.  He has flirted quite publicly with Christianity while at the same time doing all those sorts of things that a “good” Christian is not supposed to do.

I’ve taken interest in the occasional article regarding Bono mostly because of his search for something to believe.  I can’t relate to his life experiences growing up in Ireland.  I didn’t feel like I related much to his music either.  However, I can relate to his experience as a human trying to figure out what to believe in.

Of course Bono recently started something called DATA that has been supported by many groups of people including Sixpence.

I’ve taken a passing interest in this man.  However, I had the opportunity recently to listen to him speak.  I am very glad for the experience I received.  Bono is a gifted speaker.  More importantly he has a cause that I can respect completely.

A friend of mine called me up the night before last and said, “I have tickets to a U2 concert! Would you like to go?”

Now as I’ve said.  I have never been a terribly big fan of U2 but some bands have something that gets you Live that their albums don’t have.  Thinking U2 might be one of those I said I thought it would be fun. 

Turns out my friend was a little confused.  It wasn’t a U2 concert it was Bono.  And Bono wasn’t singing he was talking (though he did almost start rapping during one part of his speech).  Bono had been invited to be the keynote speaker during a conference in Portland regarding world awareness and activism.

Speak he did.  Bono managed to be amusing, disarming, eloquent, and piercing at various times throughout his speech. 

Bono spoke of the way America is being viewed by the world today.  We aren’t being viewed positively in case you have been living under a rock.  He spoke of the great things our country has done.  And we have done great things.  We rebuilt Europe after WWII (though I’m not sure some of those countries appreciated it all that much).  He spoke about what a wonderful place we live in.  And we do.  I agree completely.  I’m amazed by people who act as if the country we live in is the worst in the world.  Things are possible here and rights protected here that are not as protected anywhere else; even in those countries that consider themselves as free as we are.

Bono said all of these things (himself not being an American citizen but a citizen of Ireland).  However, the important part of his speech had nothing to do with how nice it was that we have all this power, wealth, and freedom to enjoy.  No, his speech was really about the the things we could do with those things to help those who have nothing. 

In Bono’s words we could provide Africa with the medication, money, education and other resources they need to stop AIDS from devastating their continent for a fraction of what it cost for us to rebuild Europe after WWII.

Now, I don’t have an easy way to check his math.  I don’t know if he was adjusting for inflation or all of those things.  I do know that he struck a nerve with me and the two wonderful ladies I was there with. 

Apparently during their next session the United States Congress will be deciding how much money to spend helping out Africa for some time. 

I don’t have millions.  But we as a country have much more than we need.  And thankfully, though we don’t get to really elect the President (the electoral college gets that honor), we do get to elect the congress.  And that means to some degree they really do have to answer to us. 

With that in mine why don’t you send your Congressman or Congresswoman a little note saying that the plight of the people Africa actually does matter to you.  Maybe yours will be the one that makes the messages enough for them to take notice?

Contact Information For The US Senate

Contact Information For The US Congress

So Bono, I was impressed.  And I have to say I liked you.  Looks like I might have to try listening to you sing now and see if there was something I was missing the first time around.

Posted by Jamie at 06:25 PM