Political Activism

Some of the popular music of the late 1900s focused on social issues. During my early twenties I had a poor habit of hitting women, which is why I have dedicated countless songs to the promotion of peace and love. Following the issues in Northern Ireland in 1972, in which the problem of fighting between Catholics and Protestants could not be solved by the Conservative and Labour parties of Great Britain, I opposed the British intervention of Irish affairs and wrote two songs along with Ono in protest.

Seeking for a more peaceful society, the Vietnam War gave us the opportunity to show our most-dedicated enthusiasm for peace. The song “Give Peace a Chance” was an anti-war anthem that I used in retaliation of the Vietnam War. As the Cold War ensued, peace movements were increasingly popular while the stakes got higher. However, I didn’t get the chance to witness the end of the Cold War and to see my hopes of peace somewhat fulfilled. I considered my lucky along with the rest of the world who were born after 1945 to be living in a time where civilization reached a benchmark where alternatives to war were considered first in order to avoid a war. War is a perilous time that hopefully nobody in the future would ever have to face. Since I was born in the midst of World War II I know what it is like to be alive when a bomb may drop all of a sudden and I tell this to all of you that you do not know what war is like until you actually live in a time of war.

Source: http://www.johnlennonandthemercystreetcafe.com/lennonactivism.html

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