I’ve been watching the new U2 Live in Chicago dvd tonight, just prior to singing “One” Bono goes into a small sermon about how he’d like the world to tell President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair that there are people out here who care, who will say that it’s not ok for a child to die in 2005 for the lack of a 20cent immunization, it’s not ok for a child to die for the lack of food in its belly, that’s not ok anymore… He asks people to tell the politicians:
“We’re asking them to do something extraordinary… we’re not asking them to put a man on the moon, but more like put mankind back on the earth. We have the technology, we have the resources, we have the know how to end the extreme poverty, if we have the will, and I believe that we have the will…”
He goes on to say
“And I know you know that, but I’d like you to tell President Bush that, Prime Minister Blair that and any other politician that you see, and you can do that quite easily, just take out your cell phone… Anyone have a cell phone here? You can get yourself into a lot of trouble with cell phones… Cell phones, dangerous little devices… Turn my lights off Bruce… so we’re looking for a million Americans to email us, to join the one campaign, we’re not looking for your money, we’re looking for your voice…”
And as he’s speaking he pulls out his cell phone and holds it high, and the audience follows, when he gets Bruce to turn off the lights the entire stadium was filled with the light of thousands of mobile phones…
Imagine if every single mobile phone in that building emailed and joined the One campaign right then and there, as the band played on.
Mobile phones as a sign of action, of hope?
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