Bono likens foreign aid to tithing in Dallas speech
10:05 PM CDT on Friday, May 5, 2006
By COLLEEN McCAIN NELSON / The Dallas Morning News
Bono didn’t bring his band. But the U2 frontman was greeted by a cheering crowd Friday in Dallas as he spoke about poverty, AIDS and the crises in Africa.
“If you’re expecting the band, I’m sorry to disappoint you,” he said. “I don’t even tell them I do these things.”
The rock superstar asked an audience of about 3,500 to help him fight for equality and justice in Africa and to urge the U.S. government to do more.
“Africa is a continent bursting into flames,” he said.
Mixing comedy with compassion, Bono spoke about the issues he has devoted his time, his influence and his money to. He described his first trips to Africa in the 1980s, recounting the day that a man asked him to save his child by taking the baby back to Ireland.
“In that moment, I think I started this journey,” Bono said. “In that moment, I became the worst thing of all -- a rock star with a cause.”
Bono sported his signature sunglasses but wore a coat and yellow tie for the event, which was presented by the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth.
“I don’t wear ties for politicians, but I wear them for the people of Texas,” he said.
The singer joked that Dallas had humbled him in the past, noting that his first show here in 1981 drew about 30 people and was double-billed with a wet T-shirt contest.
His message, though, was a serious one. And the rocker who generally roams the stage during his concerts stood behind a lectern at Dallas’ Fair Park Music Hall as he detailed the horrors in Sudan.
“Pray for a peaceful result,” he said.
He merged religious references with a few mentions of rock ‘n’ roll, assuring the audience he hasn’t gone soft or become a warm and fuzzy guy. He still favors army boots over Birkenstocks, Bono said.
“I am not a hippie. I do not have flowers in my hair,” he said. “I understand that holding hands and wishful thinking will not solve difficult, complex problems.”
But he argued that addressing the poverty and disease plaguing Africa could change the world.
“Every generation has its defining moral struggle,” Bono said. “This is our shot, our one true grab at greatness.”
The Irishman warned that chaotic, war-torn countries in Africa could become havens for terrorists. Poverty breeds despair and violence, he said.
“In turbulent times, isn’t it cheaper to make friends out of potential enemies than to defend yourself against them later?” he said. “A better world happens to be a safer one as well.”
He likened foreign assistance to tithing, urging the U.S. government to devote an additional one percent of the federal budget to the poor. Foreign aid is “not about charity—it’s about justice,” he said.
Bono has divided his time between music and world affairs in recent years, co-founding DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa) to raise awareness of Africa and to pressure wealthy governments to help.
He has said that there’s something unnatural — even unseemly — about musicians preaching to presidents and then retreating to their villas in the South of France.
But he has proved to be an influential advocate, winning praise from political leaders of all stripes, including President Bush and former Sen. Jesse Helms.
Friday, he said that he has urged the president to polish the United States’ international image by distributing the drugs needed to fight the AIDS epidemic in Africa.
“Paint (the drugs) red, white and blue. Just get them out there,” he said. “We can transform the globe if we have the will.”
The Nobel Prize nominee and former Time magazine Person of the Year spoke in Michigan Thursday night before making his way to Dallas. Friday night was the end of long journey for the World Affairs Council, which spent several months wooing the rock star. The group’s invitation was initially rebuffed, but in March the council announced that Bono — sans band —would be taking the stage in Dallas.
The sold-out event will benefit the non-partisan World Affairs Council’s education initiative.
Although the event drew some U2 fans, most in the audience were interested in the singer’s ideas.
“I’m not here for his music,” said Larry L’Heureux, a retired educator from Pilot Point. “I’m here for his message.”
He said Bono’s ability to cross cultural and political lines had transformed the musician into an influential thought leader.
“He’s a humanitarian I really admire,” Mr. L’Heureux said. “He’s the future of where we’re going.”
Tiffany Flores has been a U2 fan since the fourth grade, but she said she’s equally impressed with Bono’s commitment to important issues.
“I love to be entertained by him, but his conversation is so compelling,” she said.
The 31-year-old teacher from Arlington said that some celebrities seem insincere about supporting causes, but Bono has shown that he’s serious about making a difference.
“If a famous person doesn’t know what they’re talking about, they should stick with looking cute,” Ms. Flores said. “But look at what Bono’s doing.”
There are lots of celebs who would have assistants open things from fans and read the notes because they don't want to take the time to do so.
So poo-poo on those who say he's arrogant or has "diva" behavior at times. He's a human being, and I love and admire this man and U2. 
Bono in a tie... 
Mmmmm.... Power Tie Bono.... 
