U2’s Bono hits out at Kristi Noem for saying Renée Good committed “demostic terrorism”: “An attempt to assassinate meaning itself”
In a surprise release, politically-charged EP, U2 has released six new songs that investigate the current global sociopolitical climate. Bono has explained the meaning behind the first song, ‘American Obituary’, which is in honour of the late Renée Good, who was murdered by an ICE Agent in Minnesota.
The touching, emotionally-charged EP opener turns its attention specifically to Good. The lyrics in the second verse recount, “Renee Good born to die free, American mother of three, Seventh day January, A bullet for each child, you see.” Famously, Good was a mother of three.
The accompanying lyric video also incorporates images of Good as an angel, holding onto a flower.
Explaining the single in an accompanying fanzine, Bono revealed that ‘American Obituary’ was the last song the band worked on. “I started writing the lyric the day after the killing of Renee Nicole Macklin Good, which shook the world. A young mother shot dead in broad daylight in her car leaving three children behind.”
He then hit out, without saying her name, at Kristi Noem, who said Good had committed “an act of domestic terrorism” before being killed. The Irish singer said, “A woman committed to nonviolent civil disobedience whose family then had to face the further indignity of her being described as a ‘domestic terrorist’.”
Bono went on, “That was the final straw for so many… That’s when the world realized we were dealing with something much bigget that the killing of a peaceful protester by her own government.”
Ruminating on the greater meaning of her tragic passing, the singer-songwriter shared, “This was an attempt to assassinate meaning itself… The meaning of words… The meaning of truth. If you let people get away with that, you can kiss your democracy goodbye.”
As such, the band poured a boat-load of emotion into the track: “‘American Obituary’ is a song of fury… But more than that, a song of grief. Not just for Renee, but for the death of an America that, at the very least, would have had an inquiry into her killing.”
Bono then called for an “independent inquiry” into what took place during her killing, for the sake of Good’s family and for the sake of justice, but also “for the sake of a man who clearly made a decision he’s gonna have to live with for the rest of his life… Renee doesn’t get to live with it.”
Hitting out at ICE agents, who have also been central to the protest songs of Billy Bragg, Bruce Springsteen, and more, Bono mused: “Is it just me or are these ICE men starting to look the paramilitaries or the gang members we’re being told they’ve come to arrest?”
Despite the fury in Bono’s message, he shed light on the forgiveness exercised by Good’s current family: “I know the family of Renee has been praying for the ICE officer who took Renee’s life, while also praying for his family… That’s the kind of people they are, and Renee was: The very best of us… Better than the best of us.”
Listen to ‘American Obituary’ below.
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