1960s Jess Doll
1960s America was a time in which social movements such as the woman's liberation, the civil rights movement, and various rallies against the Vietnam War were taking place. One of the most controversial issues of this time was the Vietnam War. Some say that this "un-patriotic war" divided the country because it was not as easy to rationalize retaliation as attacks such as Pearl Harbor or 911. Thus many were against the war, but no one more so that John Lennon.
The documentary "The U.S. vs. John Lennon" sent a quality message about peace and the need for change, which continues to be an issue today. Much like many thought the Black Panther party of the 1960s was dangerous because they carried guns; many thought that because Lennon promoted revolution, he promoted violence. James Perone, author of "Musical and Radical Politics," supported this notion stating, Lennon's song "Revolution No I" is directed at someone who is calling for a violent overthrow of society." However, after watching the film it is clear that John Lennon wanted revolution through peace and the primary reason Lennon and the Black Panther party were feared was not because they were violent but rather because they "stood up to power."
In the end, it was ironic that President Nixon, after working so hard to monitor Lennon, resigned from office because of his own disloyalty to the country. No one can argue against "peace being patriotic" and if the government would have listened to Lennon they would have realized that "All [he] was saying [was] give peace a chance."