Give Peace A Chance by John Lennon

I was torn between “Imagine” or “Give Peace A Chance” by fellow New Yorker John Lennon. Why those songs? The answer lies in Lennon, who said in 1980: “It's not a new message: ‘Give Peace a Chance’ -- we're not being unreasonable, just saying, ‘Give it a chance.’ With ‘Imagine,’ we're saying, ‘Can you imagine a world without countries or religions?’ It's the same message over and over. And it's positive.” Yes, positive--that’s why I like those songs. They’re well-crafted, but they’re also positive. 9/11 was a terrible event. It's hard to choose a suitable piece of music in relation to it consequently. Because Give Peace A Chance is a bit more upbeat, I went with Give Peace A Chance over Imagine. John Lennon, you must remember, died on the streets of New York by an equally reprehensible act of violence. Am I saying the murder of those on 9/11 is equal to Lennon’s, or the life of one equal to the lives of thousands? No, I’m only equating the wrongness of both acts. Both events were and are wrong and sad. They simply should not have happened, despite having happened. I understand that there are those out there who don’t like or appreciate John Lennon or what he stood for, those who don’t consider him a New Yorker. Despite this, he had a message which was positive and meaningful. It’s a message I’d like others to think about and reflect on 9/11. Give Peace A Chance not just on 9/11 but every single day of your life.

Jeremy Owen Warneke