This documentary I rented over the weekend shows the legendary John Lennon as more than just a musician but a radical anti-war activist.
In 1970 he and his wife, Yoko Ono, moved to New York.
There Lennon was seen as one of President Richard Nixon's greatest enemies. Authorites were terrified of him and his influential power, and this soon lead to Lennon's five-year struggle from being deported.
Out of many protests in the movie, one of the most memorable was shortly after he and Ono were marriend. Instead of a honeymoon, they stayed in bed for seven days as a "silent protest." Their "bed peace" protest was aimed to project a political goal: promoting peace.
"All we are saying, is give peace a chance," was a line Lennon sang repeatedly in a protest, basically making it the national anthem of peace demonstration.
Click here to view the video.
Lennon saw himself as an artist first and a policitan second. He constantly protested the Vietnam war, and many of the later Beatles' songs were deeply influenced by it.
"When you have to come down to violence," said Lennon, "you play the system's game."
This documentary displays Lennon in a way many people never saw of him, especially people not of that generation. It shows his motivations were to create a peaceful world, and he continues to influence many people. To this day, his message is still alive.
5 comments:
We cannot decrease terror and hate in this world by acting out in a hateful way. Positive actions fuel postive actions by those on the receiving end!
yoko ono still scares me
The Beatles rule! I never knew how political Lennon was about the actions in Vietnam War. I definitely need to watch the movie!!
The John Lennon and Yoko Ono "protest" was anything but a protest. One mega-celebrity and one celebrity leach launched their own personal views on politics and global issues. The couple, are musicians not experts in global politics nor military strategy. Somehow in today's culture celebrities, whether actors/actresses and/or musicians are making his or her own personal agenda of war and politics known to the nation. As a result our constant enchantment with celebrities consider whatever they say or do as gospel. George Clooney, Michael Moore, Annette Benning, and other anti-war celebrities all push their personal agendas on how wars and other issues should be handled. Many people do forget that these people who are making these really difficult decisions are HIGHLY educated from the top schooling institutions in the world.
Although it may seem that something as simple as having a "bed-in" would have no affect on the political climate but John and Yoko proved that it did! It also shows the power the Beatles had on our culture not only with their awesome music but on their personal views!
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