Sometimes You Have To Fight—By PJ
Bono Green Shadow, watercolor by Kelly Eddington, 2018. Based on a reference photo by Remy Gardien/U2Start. From The Fake Bono Interview.
Sometimes You Have To Fight
PJ DeGenaro
At the end of 2020, Kelly asked me if I’d like to write something to usher in the New Year, so we could post content on New Year’s Day without actually posting New Year’s Day.
2020 was dark and death-haunted, but somehow I didn’t find it hard to write a greeting. I felt close to my U2 fandom friends, near and far, because we were all connected in our fear, isolation and hope. But as the covid situation slowly improved(ish), Kelly and I let the subsequent two New Year’s Days go by without a mention.
This year, I need to say something that doesn’t feel easy at all.
In a couple of recent interactions, people whose opinions differed from mine confronted me with rather pointed U2 lyrics, and with statements that Bono has made from the stage over the years.
I say this from the depths of my heart, which has been broken more than once in the last few months: Nothing anyone has said to me, on the internet or in real life, has hurt me more than that. You can call me every name in the book, but to claim you know me, to say you’re my friend, and to use Bono against me? That is shitty. It is so shitty, guys. My vocabulary fails me, sorry.
My response in one case was to say that Bono doesn’t run my life. By which I meant, I can be a U2 fan and not have to take every lyric Bono wrote at age 22 — specifically about Ireland — as a gospel which must then be applied to all situations. I don’t come from a messianic tradition, so when I find myself in disagreement with my heroes, as uncomfortable as that can feel, I think it’s probably healthy.
Not that I disagree with Bono very often, or at all(?). Bono has spoken, written, and sometimes borrowed many, many words in support of democracy. He has on occasion come to regret supporting individuals who were not trustworthy, an unfortunate side effect of having a good heart. But he has never asked the defenders of democracy to back down from a fight, and he has been unequivocal in condemning terrorism.
Most of the people who will read this live in democratic countries, and most could list many, many ways in which their countries have failed to live up to democratic ideals. Our governments are made of people, and people can be bought, sold, manipulated, or just plain hateful. That’s why it’s so important to keep watch over them and to use our voices and votes at every opportunity.
Beyond that, my own view is that we should not ask anyone — and I do mean anyone, regardless of country, heritage, religion or lack thereof, skin color, sexual orientation or gender expression — to respond to violence by offering an apology for daring to exist. Sometimes, you have to fight, and I wouldn’t ask anyone who’s reading this to back down.
I wish everyone a brave New Year.
Addendum: A million thanks to Kelly and the BaEs for letting me opine here. If you wanna dish about this, or Bono’s evolving Sphere wardrobe, or anything else, I’m at thepeej333@gmail.com.