Heal the world/
Make it a better place/
For you and for me/
And the entire human race
Recognize the lyrics? I'll give you a clue: glove on one hand, glittery socks and high-water pants.
That's right, Michael Jackson. The King of Pop himself penned those words. And last week, he stepped up to his own challenge, visiting Capitol Hill to urge lawmakers to pay attention to the crisis of AIDS in Africa.
Jacko was in Washington, D.C., to accept an award for his work fighting AIDS overseas, and he met Wednesday with several members of Congress and foreign ambassadors from a dozen African nations to discuss the ravages of AIDS in Africa.
Some have argued that Jacko's presence in the House of Representatives - while he is being investigated on felony charges of lewd acts with children - was merely a distraction for the press from more important issues. The Congressional Black Caucus even turned down a request from Jackson to meet with him, citing busy schedules (but according to more than a few sources really because they did not want to be associated with Jackson).
However, there are few other celebrities of his stature who are willing to take a public stance to advance a cause they feel passionately about. Jackson is no Mother Teresa, but he is planning a concert tour in Africa later this year to help raise money to fight AIDS and he has donated generously in the past to similar humanitarian efforts.
Rep. Chaka Fattah, D-Pa., who hosted the meeting in his office, called Jackson "one of the leading celebrities in the world who has actually used his celebrity status to help people."
In reality, M.J.'s visit was probably mostly ceremonial, but it does reflect a genuine desire on his part to "Heal the World." The New York Times reported, "At the news conference, Mr. Jackson listened intently, nodding his head once in a while, flashing a few more V signs ... But he added nothing of substance to the moment other than his appearance. Or maybe that was enough."
As Rep. Fattah said to reporters, "I know you're interested in the sideshow, but we're grateful to Michael Jackson for bringing attention to this issue."
For a long time now, it has been acceptable to mock and laugh at Jackson for his quirks. He has been the easiest target for jokes in the media - in fact, in a phone survey conducted on April 1, he was even selected as the most Foolish American of 2004.
But Jacko showed again last week his true humanity, and he should be commended. I'm not ashamed to admit it - I'm a proud Jacko fan.
In a brief statement, Jacko told the diplomats "Let's all work together to bring about positive change. I make a personal commitment to work with you in whatever way that I can to make life better for those who are in need."
The situation of AIDS in Africa is indeed dismal. Seventy percent of the world's total HIV- and AIDS-infected population lives in Africa. In Zambia and Zimbabwe, newborn children are more likely than not to die of AIDS at some point in their lives.
I've written about the AIDS situation in Africa here in The State Press before, but I doubt I could pay a visit to Capitol Hill myself to try to advance the fight against AIDS. An article in The State Press a few weeks ago said four ASU students will be spending part of their summers in Africa educating uninfected people in Tanzania about how to avoid contracting HIV. It is by the efforts of students like these and people like Michael Jackson that we can hope to conquer AIDS today.
Jackson's message was made clear in his music a long time ago:
There are people dying/
If you care enough/
For the living/
Make a better place/
For you and for me
Ishtiaque Masud is an economics junior. You can reach him at ishtiaque.masud@asu.edu.
For more information on AIDS in Africa, please visit http://www.time.com/time/2001/aidsinafrica/ or www.unaids.org.
