I love U2. I have been a fan of U2 for years. Seen many of your concerts, excellent job of course! I was just wondering, do you support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Foundation, or the National Cancer Institute in any way? My husband suffered Leukemia 9 1/2 years ago, underwent treatment successfully, but relapsed in Oct., 2006 and recently underwent a bone marrow transplant in April, 2007. So far, so good. My mom died 2 years ago of colon cancer and my dad died 7 years ago to liver cancer. Not to mention everyone else in my immediate family who suffered the disease. What are your thoughts about cancer? Love, Michele Sutton

Don’t you think you are ‘getting on’ a bit now to be engaging in all this adolescent rubbish? What are you? 45?

We could give all Africans $50 000 tomorrow and the place would still be a dysfunctional mess. This is due to the absence of civic responsibility and good government among African nations.

JFK

That´s all I want to say, hope you read this, and if you do, I would be very pleased

My best wishes from Chile, to you and U2

Ignacio Aylwin

To expand on your celebrity and the mission you’ve undertaken to help Africa, I was wondering what your interest would be in promoting peace?

Back in 1984/1985, you were part of the group organized by Bob Geldof to raise money and awareness about the plight of Africans starving from famine. Today, those same people in Ethiopia and other countries like Sudan, Eritrea, and Ivory Coast are victims of war. Throughout the Middle-East, southern Asia, the Caucuses and other areas of the world, our fellow men are killing each other. Whether you view the battles as just or righteous, I take pause at this time of year to wonder what has happened to peace on earth. I am certain that is not solely a Christian aspiration but one that all mankind would wish for our children and generations to come.

To leverage what was learned from Band-Aid, I was hoping you would consider pursuing a World Peace Day. Obviously the organization of such a day would be enormous. But a man of your celebrity and influence might have a chance of spreading the word throughout the recognized governments of the world and beyond to the war-lords, the militia leaders, guerilla commanders, etc. This would need to be a day where all combatants would lay down there arms for the sake of their children and see what a day without war can be like.

We would have to make combatants feel the pressure of the world such that no one would want to be the one who fired the only shot on World Peace Day. I believe much could be gained by simply pursuing such an undertaking and considering that there must be a better way to resolve our differences.

I am sure I will be torn apart here as a bleeding heart, liberal, pacifist; a dreamer who needs to get real. On the contrary, I simply remember how I felt on 9/11/01 holding my 1½ year old son and wondering what sort of a world he was going to grow up in. War is one answer and finding common ground and resolving our differences peacefully is another and must surely be more acceptable in the eyes of the higher being most of us pray to regardless of whether we call him Allah, God or whatever.

I dont believe politicians can undertake a cause this great. I believe it must be a groundswell supported by all, championed by a voice recognized throughout the world. I believe through your efforts in support of Africa, you have gained that recognition and the credibility to be that voice that could start the pursuit of one day of peace and we can then strive for two days of peace, and then three, and a fourth..

I pray you have the soul to dream that peace on earth is achievable and a dream we all share, and the courage to try and help it become reality.

- Tony

I’m an “old timer” in that I saw you at age 19 in New Haven on the 1983 War tour. You weren’t selling out arenas then but it was still a heck of a show. I caught you the right time…a huge buzz gathering but you hadn’t officially made it yet. It looked like Dublin that night with all the Irish and Irish flags celebrating the first big Irish rock band. I was a U2 freak from ‘83-88. I’ll tease you a bit by reminding you that a great appeal about you was “we will NEVER sell out to big lights and money!” statements to thunderous applause. Oh well…we were young.

Anyway…thank you for the spiritual challenge. You’re right. However, I’d like to challenge you back. I’m sincere, not cynical, nor am I being a wise guy when I say I challenge you also.

I would warn you to be careful about using your celebrity as “cash” or to kick in doors we can’t. Two reasons: 1) Careful you don’t become a hypocrite since you peronally could feed about 10 million people for 20 years in Africa because you have the cash and know where NOT to give it (about a dollar a day to do such a thing along with any medicines they’d need). 2) Be careful about all these politicians, spiritual leaders, and celebrities being seen with “Bono”. For them it’s a photo op, pr buzz, just fun since you have embraced celebrity like no one I have ever seen other than Michael Jackson and you need to be careful that you don’t become a walking tourist attraction. Don’t let yourself become Mickey Mouse, Elvis in his Vegas years, Ronald McDonald, or an elephant at the zoo, where people just want their photo so they can say “I saw the Bono!”. It might become a distraction and counterproductive to your African focus - though it is no doubt a great pr buzz for the band - in that people may care more about meeting you then what you are trying to focus on. We all give and care about Africa (and sadly all those other countries that don’t get any focus) and God bless ya for doing what you really don’t have to do at all…relentless focus. Nobody should doubt your sincerity and I peronally am happy to see you focused again on what I think you do best. But I do agree with some of the comments that you have become extraordinarily wealthy and there is a valid point that you should be giving almost all of it since you’d still be wealthy if you gave a massive sum of your wealth to the least among us. You talk of this issue as if humanity’s soul is in the balance. You eloquently point out there is a bigger picture we may be missing and we really need to wake up to…God’s judgement. Is it not an all out spiritual war requiring every bit of any resource? Release two or three more popular albums and the four of you will be billionaires individually when all is said and done since the new global economy is a cash cow for those who come up with even mediocre products. (If Elvis were starting out now in this global ecomonmy he’d be worth Bill Gates money). It is important that if you continue to stand up, chest out, not afraid, fly and dine with all the world leaders and celebrities we’d all love to have a chat with, that you also make a personal commitment with your personal wealth. You’re starting to border on official hypocrite…or worse…politician! Many of the individuals you’ve sung about, for, made personal commitments not to embrace wealth when they easily could have. All these brothers and sisters you’re trying to save in Africa desperately need money…even if you can’t save them all you could choose to save millions of them. You’ve stared into their souls via their eyes. You know them like we don’t. You know how they truly are surffering. You know it’s a simple answer. Do you ask yourself that very same question. God forgive me if it seems a judgement but…you and the guys could literally save millions from dying (same is true of Brad/Angelina, Clooney, Oprah as generous and caring as they are). You could feed and provide medicine for millions for the rest of your life with your money. We can’t do that. You can. Do it. I challenge you, as you challenge me. Set an example. Throw down all your chips and challenge the wealthy. What will you lose if they pat you on the back and leave with all their money? Nothing. You will have won! Don’t let those people down who you speak of so heroically. Perhaps you already are incredibly generous with your cash in ways we might never know and just too humble to say it for fear it will come across as bragging about charity which Jesus taught not to do (what’s that bit about don’t let the other hand see the other giving charity?). You’ve studied the bible and I just had it read to me for 12 years in Catholic school and read it a bit on my own. I can’t quote chapter/verse like you but… I do remember Jesus saying you can’t serve two gods (money and God). I do remember Jesus saying something about how a poor old lady gave her last coin for charity and that was infinitely more of a big deal than wealthy people who are generous to the poor. I do remember a young rich man genuinely asking what he should do for Jesus, and Jesus telling him to give all his wealth to the poor and follow him. That man walked away sad, confused, and hurt but the message wasn’t meant to be cold hearted it was meant to focus on what (who) is important. (Let’s not go into the bit about the camel and the needle.) The message was, give everything. It’s annoying to see a celebrity pick up a cause then jet back to their mansions and kingly life (the new U2 tower penthouse is gonna be sweet overlooking the Liffey). Be careful you don’t fall into that trap of asking of others when you yourself could instantly do so much more than we ever will. If you’re not worth $200 million yet, you soon will be. You’ve moved your income off Ireland to avoid taxes (millions of dollars that Ireland could use in the increase of aid you have challenged Ireland to give!). Careful you don’t start judging your own merits as “I’m doing so much so these riches must have been given to me or at least it should be okay because of what I’m doing”. What are you doing with that money? What’s the purpose of amassing a grotesque fortune while being known as the world’s greatest champion of the poor…perhaps a Nobel Peace Prize soon to join your award shelf? There is almost something almost sinister in someone who would visit the poorest of the poor, hug them, genuinely care deeply for them, fight for them in front of all the world, then buzz off into the night on a jet and back to mansions and kingly escapades you seem to experience weekly (not saying it’s your fault as I guess celebrity brings things great and terrible and I too would love to know and I think I might find how tempting so many things are). You need to challenge yourself even more. You stumbled upon riches…will you share all of it for the least among us? most of it?

I don’t look at you as hero as some unfortunately look to celebrities as beyond role models. I do look at you as someone genuine and sincere with a humble take on what has been given to you in this life. I’ve heard you are unusually down to earth and “normal” for someone so famous. I don’t look at you in any negative way at all. I do wonder what is going on with all the cash your pocketing? I have a right to know even though you say I don’t. I have a right to call out a man who as taken a brave stance and made a decision to lead a cause. Let’s hope you are doing the right thing with your own money. Not saying you need to become poor or not stay a millionaire (I think the whole world would be amazed by you if you kept $15 million for you and the rest for those with the least among us. Just wondering if you see your fortune as crops to feed your brother and sisters? Otherwise, I’m not alone in saying you’d be a hypocrite of biblical proportions if you were keeping most of it. I have written this in a caring way for you, not with any malice or malicious intent. You’re a good man. I just would like to challenge you as you are challenging the entire world…and good for you for doing so!

I’m a 15 year old buy from Spaulding High School, in Rochester, NH, and I was wondering if their would ever be a chance that i could get you to come speak at my school, on the behalf of the earth i guess you could say, because i’m really interested in what you’ve been speaking about, like aids in Africa, and global warming problems, and I’ve also been trying to think of ways to help the earth and people in it the best way i can, and i was wondering if maybe you could help me out with that. i think your amazing for what you do, and i would really appreciate if maybe you could try to come and speak for me, um i guess to get a hold of me which i dont think you will e-mail me at joemoore4321@AIM.com