Elvis
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
[SIMG]http://bonovox.interference.com/experience/worldaffairs-sml.jpg[/SIMG]
By Andrea Kilgore (drealynn42)
2004.10
When it was first announced that Bono would speak at the World Affairs Council of Oregon on October 20, I immediately knew that my friends and I would find a way to be in Portland that day. For one thing, my two very good friends have both spent time volunteering in African villages and are quite concerned about the issues affecting those communities. For another, we are all dedicated music fans whose admiration of U2 grew exponentially as we learned more about Bono's social activism, his commitment to social justice truly inspires us. He is a brilliant speaker, armed with both an intellectual argument and an endearing sense of humor. There is no doubt in my mind that it is Bono's uncanny ability to connect with an audience, whether from behind a podium or the very top of the stadium scaffolding, that drives his effectiveness as a social activist. As a member of the U2 trading community, I have been able to collect quite a few of his speaking engagements on mp3 and video, so it was quite a thrill to think that I could finally attend an event like this in person.
I also wanted to attend this event to demonstrate my support of both DATA and Bono as its driving force behind. I know that many people question whether or not it is right to ask a celebrity to champion a cause. The truth is, the word "celebrity" is often wrongfully confused with "infamy," while some people do capture our attention for the wrong reasons, we too often forget that "celebrity" is actually the celebration of a person we have come to admire on some level. Bono may have become famous by singing rock 'n' roll tunes but he has proven himself capable of doing work that other people have found daunting.
Additionally, those of us who have dedicated our lives to serving our communities as nurses, teachers, activists or community volunteers can tell you that the voice of an advocate is absolutely essential to the work that we do. The attention brought to an emergency situation by an individual of standing in the local or national community can mean the difference between life and death, justice and injustice. Effective advocates are those who break through silence and ignorance. In the end it really does not matter what path led them toward their success, for there is essentially no difference between the work of a high school student, grandmother, city mayor or film actor when they change lives for the better. What is more, successful advocates give us inspiration and encouragement when we get tired carrying on the work ourselves. To be perfectly honest, I did feel a twinge of guilt about driving 300 miles just to see my favorite rock star speak for a couple of hours while the homeless shelter I work for is understaffed. Fortunately, my boss was much more understanding than I had expected him to be, in fact I learned that he is also an admirer of Bono's activist work. He instructed me to take very good notes for him and I am pleased to share those with you now.
The World Affairs Council of Oregon is an organization that fosters discourse on international issues between renowned world leaders and the local community. Past events have featured, among others, Desmond Tutu, Mikhail Gorbachev and the Dalai Lama. The representative of the WAC of Oregon joked as she opened the evening that Bono would be the first rock star invited to speak, though some of the past speakers possibly liked to think that they were rock stars. The event was scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m., but the stage, and many of the seats, were still empty at 7:15. It was soon announced that a traffic accident near the Rose Garden had caused much of the audience to be delayed, so the event would be postponed for another 15 minutes. At 7:30, the seats had filled and everyone began clapping and shouting in the hope that things would finally get started. After some introductory remarks, Bono finally took the stage and opened with some friendly banter about his tardiness. "A funny thing happened on the way to the theater…" Yes, he explained, an accident had stopped traffic on the way to the Rose Garden and delayed his appearance. But something even more extraordinary had happened while he was in Portland that day.
Bono began his story by asking whether anyone knew The Foghorn, a club U2 played early in its career. Many people in the audience cheered in response. Bono then joked that it was highly unlikely anyone present actually remembered the gig, for only eight people had attended—four of those people were in the band, one was a bartender, another was security and the other two were thieves. The reason he knew they were thieves was that he had made a special effort to speak with them after the show and, while he wasn't looking, they walked off with his suitcase. The suitcase just happened to contain the notebook of lyrics he had written for the recording session that would produce the "October" album. The theft caused Bono great distress and has become something of a legend in the U2 fan community for the loss of the notebook is often blamed for the poor quality of the "October" album since Bono rushed to write new lyrics that he claimed were inferior to those he had lost. The disappointment of losing the notebook came to an end on October 20. Amazingly enough, the thieves never sold the notebook though it may have been worth a great deal of money. According to the report from U2Log, two women came across the notebook, recognized it for what it was and decided to return it to its rightful owner. Bono thanked the women and joyously announced: "You don't know how much this means to me, now I can say I love Portland and mean it."
The surprise announcement of this good deed set the tone of the evening, for the incident seemed to have warmed Bono's heart and left him a bit giddy. He appeared relaxed and comfortable with the audience. Though much of his speech was more than just a little familiar to those of us who have already heard him speak about AIDS and debt relief, his warm and friendly tone made the usual jokes about mullets and meeting the Pope feel new and spontaneous.
Someone else may be able to provide a more accurate transcript than I, but I would like to share some of the notes that I was able to scribble down. Quotation marks indicate phrases that I believe were copied down accurately, while phrases not in quotes indicate my paraphrasing of what Bono said.
In addition to the story about the returned notebook, Bono began the evening with the traditional greeting "I am a rock star," only he altered it by saying, "Tonight I am an ice skater." I really have no idea what he was talking about, I was just happy to be in the same room as he at this point.
One of the more playful moments of the evening occurred when Bono noticed that the crowd was willing to participate. After repeatedly emphasizing that the AIDS crisis in Africa is an emergency that needs immediate attention, Bono found that the crowd would finish his phrase on cue.
Bono: "It's an…"
Audience: "…emergency."
After leading us through several rounds of this, Bono was quite satisfied and joked, "I'm feeling a little black tonight. It's like being in church, thank you for that. It won't fly in Dublin, though." He then did his impression of what would occur if he tried to recreate this moment with an Irish crowd.
Bono: "It's an…"
Irish audience: [gives a very rude two fingered salute and mouths "F--- you."]
Bono: "That's what they do to me in Dublin, you're going spoil me here."
Throughout the evening, Bono emphasized that the crisis of AIDS and poverty is a challenge that this generation must face. He acknowledged that the problem may appear insurmountable at times and he could very easily "go back to throwing TV's out windows, inviting the entire ladies soccer team round to the hot tub… You know, rock star stuff…" But we are on the verge of a great achievement that is attainable in our time if we would only work toward it. Later he would say, "This is our Omaha Beach…our moon shot…"
Bono also emphasized the ties between terrorism and severe poverty. "The war against terror is bound up in the war against poverty," he said. "Africa is 40 percent Muslim and we know they [Islamic extremists] are making progress there." He then said that "Brand America" is tarnished throughout the world. "The neon sign is crackling and fizzing, someone threw a rock through the storefront window," he said. "Brand America needs some polishing." If Americans were to show interest in the Third World, even by painting the medicines red, white and blue, we would effectively thwart terrorism. He explained, however, that his metaphor of "Brand America" should not be taken as criticism of American capitalism. He admitted that he buys the brands, too. After listing off some of the luxury items that he enjoys as much as the average American, he called out: "I buy the iPods. I want my MTV."
Bono then compared debt relief to the Marshall Plan. "This argument is dirtier than that," he said. "It's rooted deeper than that, it's rooted in the dirty battlefields of Europe in WWII. They built a bulwark against the extremism of the Soviet Union, now we can build a bulwark for half the cost."
"The Clash wore army boots, not Birkenstocks," Bono shouted above the cheers. "I wanted to say that in on the West Coast." Bono then explained the difference between idealism and pragmatism. "Idealism isn't being played on the radio these days," he said. "Knowingness, the smirk…I got quite good at it myself…" So, he said, choose to be pragmatic rather than idealistic. "Roll up your sleeves, apply muscle and bend the world a bit."
"Ireland is a great country, France is a great country, but they are not ideas, America is an idea," Bono said. "In 1771 Benjamin Franklin spent three months in Ireland and Scotland. Could Americans remain part of the British Empire? Very upset by what he saw. Not a happy camper, Benjamin Franklin. Neither were the people. Exploited by the British, they subsisted on potatoes. Not the American dream…So America became the model for Ireland. And when the potatoes went, they showed up here, on these shores…"
"The presidential election is on everyone's mind right now but in two weeks it will be over," he said before pausing and adding, "Well, we hope it will be over…" After the crowd stopped laughing, he continued, "I can't vote here, but I do come lecture here, in your country. I keep waiting for someone to say, 'Go home.' No one has told me to go home yet, so I stay…" You can do your part. "Tell whomever wins: do right by Africa, do right by America, you do right by the world."
Bono finished by telling the story of a congressman who had survived the concentration camps of WWII. The most horrific part of the experience was not the camp itself, but the fact that ordinary people did not question where the trains were going. "We will not let the trains go by," he said. "We will go down to the tracks and lay a line across them…"
Bono then invited special guest Agnes Nyamayarwo to tell her story. Her husband died of AIDS in 1992, leaving her alone to raise their 10 children. She decided to have herself tested and learned that she too had contracted HIV. Her oldest son experienced the full force of stigmatization at school, being bullied by the other students and repeatedly told that he would be a failure and an orphan. He suffered a mental breakdown and later disappeared from boarding school, never to be seen again. Agnes' youngest son tested HIV positive when he was 5 years old and later died of pneumonia. Agnes herself was weak at the time she first met Bono and Paul O'Neill during the pair's tour of Africa in May 2002, but she is feeling better now that she has been receiving treatment. She is glad that her surviving children will not be orphaned, however, it is difficult for her to take the medications while her friends are dying. Her story illustrated the importance of treating the adult population so that they can continue to raise their children. At some point during the evening, Bono remarked that the missing generation of parents has created a "Lord of the Flies" situation as orphaned children are left to raise other children.
Question and Answer Session
The audience was invited to submit questions for Bono before the event. The moderator was rewarded with a kiss on the cheek whenever Bono was pleased with the question she asked.
Are drug companies willing to lower prices or provide free medication? If not, how can we afford it?
"They are slowly coming on, but we can't wait for them. If you're dying, you don't care about the brand name, just that they work. We are telling them that…" Bono went on to say, "The top down approach doesn't work, where you parachute down ideas… We must listen to what Africans themselves are telling us about their continent." Some have suggested that Africans do not deserve to be given the drugs they need because they are not capable of following the drug regimen but studies show that Africans are actually better at following their drug regimens than people in the United States and Europe. We must listen to what the patients are saying about what they need.
What do you think of the Bush administration's Millennium Challenge Account?
"Absolutely brilliant idea, and we helped think it up." Bono then said he had bad news about America, Americans are great, generous people, but number 22 in per capita spent in the world. They do not like it when they hear this. "Americans don't like coming last, is my impression of it." Many Americans believe money they have given to the Third World is wasted on corrupted governments, he continued, but we must change this perception by showing results and being careful about which countries receive benefits. "They are slow, don't want to cash the check, but it's coming."
How has your faith influenced your work?
Bono remained silent for a moment and allowed the irony of this question to sink in. He then joked that it would take a very long time to explain all that. "I generally find it hard talking to people who can sum up their faith or their entire world view in three minutes." He paused and added sheepishly, "Though I do try to do so in a pop song." He then said, "People ask me, 'Are you right with the Lord?' Ask him, he'll probably say, 'No, but I love him anyway.' And that's why I love Him, He's very patient."
"Scriptures talk about what you do with the poor," he continued. The scriptures do not talk about the things that have become religious issues." This comment drew a huge response from the audience.
Describe your meeting with the Pope.
Bono seemed flabbergasted that someone would actually ask this question. "We swapped rosaries for sunglasses, what can I tell you?" He joked that the two swapped pics, then we went out for a pint of Guinness and the photos were never seen, because they could see the T-shirts. "In Ireland, we have very strong feelings about the Pope, particularly women, concerning contraception issues, so I had to tread carefully," Bono said. "As a man, I don't agree with everything he believes but I found him to be a beautiful man." Bono then explained that he was still honored to meet the Pope despite his personal feelings toward him and found him to be a great ally. Adopting a very humble and reverent tone, Bono said, "I thank you, Holy Father."
Bono repeatedly emphasized his commitment to bipartisanship throughout the evening, but the people who submitted questions seemed determined to get him to reveal his actual opinion. Each question became more loaded and difficult to answer without revealing too much information about his personal feelings. Bono had been very friendly and open all evening, and his light-heartedness continued even as he and the entire audience realized he was fighting an uphill battle against some very determined fans.
Does George II answer your calls? What are your impressions?
Bono chuckled as he realized the question had backed him into a corner. After stalling for a bit, he finally said, "Well, you couldn't come from somewhere more different than me and George." The audience laughed while he began to stammer and stall again, trying to choose his words carefully. "He didn't want to meet me…but I did feel he was moved at a deeper level." At the meeting, Bush had said the situation in Africa was genocide, but, according to Bono, his aides advised him not to use the word as it implied that we were complicit. "We know where he parks his car. We will make his life miserable if he doesn't follow through." He then added that the same will apply to Kerry if he wins.
Why did you pick AIDS as your cause?
After reading the question, the moderator paused and said, "I know you don't like that word, but I know what the questioner meant." Bono quickly interrupted her, saying emphatically, "No, I do not like that word 'cause,' I have other causes. Everyone has their causes, some people's causes are their pets…"
As a father of four, what is your best parenting advice?
Bono pretended to have nothing to say, implying that he had no parenting advice to share. "Ask the parent of 10," he exclaimed and quickly handed the mic to Agnes. Her advice was that it is important to teach children morals, no matter what those morals are based in. It is also important to "show them that they are not different from children in other parts of the world." The crowd cheered at this and Bono took his turn. "I have two little boys, 3 and 5, two girls, 13 and 15. I say to the boys: don't smoke in bed, don't torture your mother, don't sing in the bath, put your dirty clothes away…oh no, that's me." Taking a serious tone, he added, "I listen to my children as much as I listen to me." This drew perhaps one of the most enthusiastic responses of the night. "Ditto what Agnes said."
What keeps you up at night?
"Nothing keeps me up at night. I am getting up early, changing my ways. I meet the muse on her way back from work when she's beat and run circles about her."
Lots of people in this audience want you to answer: If you could, who would you vote for?
Bono sat silent for a moment as the audience laughed, then gathered up all of his resolve to remain bipartisan. It's very hard for an Irish man to keep his mouth shut but I am not allowed because I will have to work with both of them," he said. "The president is not important, congress is important and must be dealt with in a bipartisan way. When I first came to Washington, I asked, 'Who is Elvis?' At the time, the president was known as Elvis because he 'talked like this,'" Bono said in a very good Clinton impersonation. "Actually, congress is Col. Tom Parker. So I can't answer your question." After a moment, he added, "Kerry knows his stuff. His wife is African. He is not just briefed but is passionate about these issues."
How can we be involved?
In any way you wish," he said. "There are sides to this problem that should appeal to any interest, whether it is social justice, AIDS, women, etc…Choose which one interests you, because each aspect of the problem is just as important as the rest."
After the last question had been answered, everyone immediately rose for a standing ovation. The moderator thanked everyone for attending and asked if the ladies in the audience might wish to touch the cheek that Bono had kissed. Bono thanked everyone for supporting DATA through their attendance. "The next time you see us," he closed by saying, "we'll have a new record out."
By Andrea Kilgore (drealynn42)
2004.10
When it was first announced that Bono would speak at the World Affairs Council of Oregon on October 20, I immediately knew that my friends and I would find a way to be in Portland that day. For one thing, my two very good friends have both spent time volunteering in African villages and are quite concerned about the issues affecting those communities. For another, we are all dedicated music fans whose admiration of U2 grew exponentially as we learned more about Bono's social activism, his commitment to social justice truly inspires us. He is a brilliant speaker, armed with both an intellectual argument and an endearing sense of humor. There is no doubt in my mind that it is Bono's uncanny ability to connect with an audience, whether from behind a podium or the very top of the stadium scaffolding, that drives his effectiveness as a social activist. As a member of the U2 trading community, I have been able to collect quite a few of his speaking engagements on mp3 and video, so it was quite a thrill to think that I could finally attend an event like this in person.
I also wanted to attend this event to demonstrate my support of both DATA and Bono as its driving force behind. I know that many people question whether or not it is right to ask a celebrity to champion a cause. The truth is, the word "celebrity" is often wrongfully confused with "infamy," while some people do capture our attention for the wrong reasons, we too often forget that "celebrity" is actually the celebration of a person we have come to admire on some level. Bono may have become famous by singing rock 'n' roll tunes but he has proven himself capable of doing work that other people have found daunting.
Additionally, those of us who have dedicated our lives to serving our communities as nurses, teachers, activists or community volunteers can tell you that the voice of an advocate is absolutely essential to the work that we do. The attention brought to an emergency situation by an individual of standing in the local or national community can mean the difference between life and death, justice and injustice. Effective advocates are those who break through silence and ignorance. In the end it really does not matter what path led them toward their success, for there is essentially no difference between the work of a high school student, grandmother, city mayor or film actor when they change lives for the better. What is more, successful advocates give us inspiration and encouragement when we get tired carrying on the work ourselves. To be perfectly honest, I did feel a twinge of guilt about driving 300 miles just to see my favorite rock star speak for a couple of hours while the homeless shelter I work for is understaffed. Fortunately, my boss was much more understanding than I had expected him to be, in fact I learned that he is also an admirer of Bono's activist work. He instructed me to take very good notes for him and I am pleased to share those with you now.
The World Affairs Council of Oregon is an organization that fosters discourse on international issues between renowned world leaders and the local community. Past events have featured, among others, Desmond Tutu, Mikhail Gorbachev and the Dalai Lama. The representative of the WAC of Oregon joked as she opened the evening that Bono would be the first rock star invited to speak, though some of the past speakers possibly liked to think that they were rock stars. The event was scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m., but the stage, and many of the seats, were still empty at 7:15. It was soon announced that a traffic accident near the Rose Garden had caused much of the audience to be delayed, so the event would be postponed for another 15 minutes. At 7:30, the seats had filled and everyone began clapping and shouting in the hope that things would finally get started. After some introductory remarks, Bono finally took the stage and opened with some friendly banter about his tardiness. "A funny thing happened on the way to the theater…" Yes, he explained, an accident had stopped traffic on the way to the Rose Garden and delayed his appearance. But something even more extraordinary had happened while he was in Portland that day.
Bono began his story by asking whether anyone knew The Foghorn, a club U2 played early in its career. Many people in the audience cheered in response. Bono then joked that it was highly unlikely anyone present actually remembered the gig, for only eight people had attended—four of those people were in the band, one was a bartender, another was security and the other two were thieves. The reason he knew they were thieves was that he had made a special effort to speak with them after the show and, while he wasn't looking, they walked off with his suitcase. The suitcase just happened to contain the notebook of lyrics he had written for the recording session that would produce the "October" album. The theft caused Bono great distress and has become something of a legend in the U2 fan community for the loss of the notebook is often blamed for the poor quality of the "October" album since Bono rushed to write new lyrics that he claimed were inferior to those he had lost. The disappointment of losing the notebook came to an end on October 20. Amazingly enough, the thieves never sold the notebook though it may have been worth a great deal of money. According to the report from U2Log, two women came across the notebook, recognized it for what it was and decided to return it to its rightful owner. Bono thanked the women and joyously announced: "You don't know how much this means to me, now I can say I love Portland and mean it."
The surprise announcement of this good deed set the tone of the evening, for the incident seemed to have warmed Bono's heart and left him a bit giddy. He appeared relaxed and comfortable with the audience. Though much of his speech was more than just a little familiar to those of us who have already heard him speak about AIDS and debt relief, his warm and friendly tone made the usual jokes about mullets and meeting the Pope feel new and spontaneous.
Someone else may be able to provide a more accurate transcript than I, but I would like to share some of the notes that I was able to scribble down. Quotation marks indicate phrases that I believe were copied down accurately, while phrases not in quotes indicate my paraphrasing of what Bono said.
In addition to the story about the returned notebook, Bono began the evening with the traditional greeting "I am a rock star," only he altered it by saying, "Tonight I am an ice skater." I really have no idea what he was talking about, I was just happy to be in the same room as he at this point.
One of the more playful moments of the evening occurred when Bono noticed that the crowd was willing to participate. After repeatedly emphasizing that the AIDS crisis in Africa is an emergency that needs immediate attention, Bono found that the crowd would finish his phrase on cue.
Bono: "It's an…"
Audience: "…emergency."
After leading us through several rounds of this, Bono was quite satisfied and joked, "I'm feeling a little black tonight. It's like being in church, thank you for that. It won't fly in Dublin, though." He then did his impression of what would occur if he tried to recreate this moment with an Irish crowd.
Bono: "It's an…"
Irish audience: [gives a very rude two fingered salute and mouths "F--- you."]
Bono: "That's what they do to me in Dublin, you're going spoil me here."
Throughout the evening, Bono emphasized that the crisis of AIDS and poverty is a challenge that this generation must face. He acknowledged that the problem may appear insurmountable at times and he could very easily "go back to throwing TV's out windows, inviting the entire ladies soccer team round to the hot tub… You know, rock star stuff…" But we are on the verge of a great achievement that is attainable in our time if we would only work toward it. Later he would say, "This is our Omaha Beach…our moon shot…"
Bono also emphasized the ties between terrorism and severe poverty. "The war against terror is bound up in the war against poverty," he said. "Africa is 40 percent Muslim and we know they [Islamic extremists] are making progress there." He then said that "Brand America" is tarnished throughout the world. "The neon sign is crackling and fizzing, someone threw a rock through the storefront window," he said. "Brand America needs some polishing." If Americans were to show interest in the Third World, even by painting the medicines red, white and blue, we would effectively thwart terrorism. He explained, however, that his metaphor of "Brand America" should not be taken as criticism of American capitalism. He admitted that he buys the brands, too. After listing off some of the luxury items that he enjoys as much as the average American, he called out: "I buy the iPods. I want my MTV."
Bono then compared debt relief to the Marshall Plan. "This argument is dirtier than that," he said. "It's rooted deeper than that, it's rooted in the dirty battlefields of Europe in WWII. They built a bulwark against the extremism of the Soviet Union, now we can build a bulwark for half the cost."
"The Clash wore army boots, not Birkenstocks," Bono shouted above the cheers. "I wanted to say that in on the West Coast." Bono then explained the difference between idealism and pragmatism. "Idealism isn't being played on the radio these days," he said. "Knowingness, the smirk…I got quite good at it myself…" So, he said, choose to be pragmatic rather than idealistic. "Roll up your sleeves, apply muscle and bend the world a bit."
"Ireland is a great country, France is a great country, but they are not ideas, America is an idea," Bono said. "In 1771 Benjamin Franklin spent three months in Ireland and Scotland. Could Americans remain part of the British Empire? Very upset by what he saw. Not a happy camper, Benjamin Franklin. Neither were the people. Exploited by the British, they subsisted on potatoes. Not the American dream…So America became the model for Ireland. And when the potatoes went, they showed up here, on these shores…"
"The presidential election is on everyone's mind right now but in two weeks it will be over," he said before pausing and adding, "Well, we hope it will be over…" After the crowd stopped laughing, he continued, "I can't vote here, but I do come lecture here, in your country. I keep waiting for someone to say, 'Go home.' No one has told me to go home yet, so I stay…" You can do your part. "Tell whomever wins: do right by Africa, do right by America, you do right by the world."
Bono finished by telling the story of a congressman who had survived the concentration camps of WWII. The most horrific part of the experience was not the camp itself, but the fact that ordinary people did not question where the trains were going. "We will not let the trains go by," he said. "We will go down to the tracks and lay a line across them…"
Bono then invited special guest Agnes Nyamayarwo to tell her story. Her husband died of AIDS in 1992, leaving her alone to raise their 10 children. She decided to have herself tested and learned that she too had contracted HIV. Her oldest son experienced the full force of stigmatization at school, being bullied by the other students and repeatedly told that he would be a failure and an orphan. He suffered a mental breakdown and later disappeared from boarding school, never to be seen again. Agnes' youngest son tested HIV positive when he was 5 years old and later died of pneumonia. Agnes herself was weak at the time she first met Bono and Paul O'Neill during the pair's tour of Africa in May 2002, but she is feeling better now that she has been receiving treatment. She is glad that her surviving children will not be orphaned, however, it is difficult for her to take the medications while her friends are dying. Her story illustrated the importance of treating the adult population so that they can continue to raise their children. At some point during the evening, Bono remarked that the missing generation of parents has created a "Lord of the Flies" situation as orphaned children are left to raise other children.
Question and Answer Session
The audience was invited to submit questions for Bono before the event. The moderator was rewarded with a kiss on the cheek whenever Bono was pleased with the question she asked.
Are drug companies willing to lower prices or provide free medication? If not, how can we afford it?
"They are slowly coming on, but we can't wait for them. If you're dying, you don't care about the brand name, just that they work. We are telling them that…" Bono went on to say, "The top down approach doesn't work, where you parachute down ideas… We must listen to what Africans themselves are telling us about their continent." Some have suggested that Africans do not deserve to be given the drugs they need because they are not capable of following the drug regimen but studies show that Africans are actually better at following their drug regimens than people in the United States and Europe. We must listen to what the patients are saying about what they need.
What do you think of the Bush administration's Millennium Challenge Account?
"Absolutely brilliant idea, and we helped think it up." Bono then said he had bad news about America, Americans are great, generous people, but number 22 in per capita spent in the world. They do not like it when they hear this. "Americans don't like coming last, is my impression of it." Many Americans believe money they have given to the Third World is wasted on corrupted governments, he continued, but we must change this perception by showing results and being careful about which countries receive benefits. "They are slow, don't want to cash the check, but it's coming."
How has your faith influenced your work?
Bono remained silent for a moment and allowed the irony of this question to sink in. He then joked that it would take a very long time to explain all that. "I generally find it hard talking to people who can sum up their faith or their entire world view in three minutes." He paused and added sheepishly, "Though I do try to do so in a pop song." He then said, "People ask me, 'Are you right with the Lord?' Ask him, he'll probably say, 'No, but I love him anyway.' And that's why I love Him, He's very patient."
"Scriptures talk about what you do with the poor," he continued. The scriptures do not talk about the things that have become religious issues." This comment drew a huge response from the audience.
Describe your meeting with the Pope.
Bono seemed flabbergasted that someone would actually ask this question. "We swapped rosaries for sunglasses, what can I tell you?" He joked that the two swapped pics, then we went out for a pint of Guinness and the photos were never seen, because they could see the T-shirts. "In Ireland, we have very strong feelings about the Pope, particularly women, concerning contraception issues, so I had to tread carefully," Bono said. "As a man, I don't agree with everything he believes but I found him to be a beautiful man." Bono then explained that he was still honored to meet the Pope despite his personal feelings toward him and found him to be a great ally. Adopting a very humble and reverent tone, Bono said, "I thank you, Holy Father."
Bono repeatedly emphasized his commitment to bipartisanship throughout the evening, but the people who submitted questions seemed determined to get him to reveal his actual opinion. Each question became more loaded and difficult to answer without revealing too much information about his personal feelings. Bono had been very friendly and open all evening, and his light-heartedness continued even as he and the entire audience realized he was fighting an uphill battle against some very determined fans.
Does George II answer your calls? What are your impressions?
Bono chuckled as he realized the question had backed him into a corner. After stalling for a bit, he finally said, "Well, you couldn't come from somewhere more different than me and George." The audience laughed while he began to stammer and stall again, trying to choose his words carefully. "He didn't want to meet me…but I did feel he was moved at a deeper level." At the meeting, Bush had said the situation in Africa was genocide, but, according to Bono, his aides advised him not to use the word as it implied that we were complicit. "We know where he parks his car. We will make his life miserable if he doesn't follow through." He then added that the same will apply to Kerry if he wins.
Why did you pick AIDS as your cause?
After reading the question, the moderator paused and said, "I know you don't like that word, but I know what the questioner meant." Bono quickly interrupted her, saying emphatically, "No, I do not like that word 'cause,' I have other causes. Everyone has their causes, some people's causes are their pets…"
As a father of four, what is your best parenting advice?
Bono pretended to have nothing to say, implying that he had no parenting advice to share. "Ask the parent of 10," he exclaimed and quickly handed the mic to Agnes. Her advice was that it is important to teach children morals, no matter what those morals are based in. It is also important to "show them that they are not different from children in other parts of the world." The crowd cheered at this and Bono took his turn. "I have two little boys, 3 and 5, two girls, 13 and 15. I say to the boys: don't smoke in bed, don't torture your mother, don't sing in the bath, put your dirty clothes away…oh no, that's me." Taking a serious tone, he added, "I listen to my children as much as I listen to me." This drew perhaps one of the most enthusiastic responses of the night. "Ditto what Agnes said."
What keeps you up at night?
"Nothing keeps me up at night. I am getting up early, changing my ways. I meet the muse on her way back from work when she's beat and run circles about her."
Lots of people in this audience want you to answer: If you could, who would you vote for?
Bono sat silent for a moment as the audience laughed, then gathered up all of his resolve to remain bipartisan. It's very hard for an Irish man to keep his mouth shut but I am not allowed because I will have to work with both of them," he said. "The president is not important, congress is important and must be dealt with in a bipartisan way. When I first came to Washington, I asked, 'Who is Elvis?' At the time, the president was known as Elvis because he 'talked like this,'" Bono said in a very good Clinton impersonation. "Actually, congress is Col. Tom Parker. So I can't answer your question." After a moment, he added, "Kerry knows his stuff. His wife is African. He is not just briefed but is passionate about these issues."
How can we be involved?
In any way you wish," he said. "There are sides to this problem that should appeal to any interest, whether it is social justice, AIDS, women, etc…Choose which one interests you, because each aspect of the problem is just as important as the rest."
After the last question had been answered, everyone immediately rose for a standing ovation. The moderator thanked everyone for attending and asked if the ladies in the audience might wish to touch the cheek that Bono had kissed. Bono thanked everyone for supporting DATA through their attendance. "The next time you see us," he closed by saying, "we'll have a new record out."
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