The U.S. vs. John Lennon Mikhail Karpich
Gloria Emerson, a reporter from the New York Times, asked Lennon, “You don’t [actually] think you’ve saved a single life” [by writing and singing about peace]? I truly believe that some music has the ability to either save lives or make a change in the world and that it is not just a nitch for disaffected youth. I believe John Lennon and Yoko Ono would agree with me on that because they not only firmly believed that they could bring about a change but also lives. Why else would they do what they did? According to the book, “Rock, Pop, and Politics,” by J. Street, “These enemies (enemies of popular music, specifically Rock n Roll) have warned of its (Rock n Roll) extraordinary power to influence the way people think and act” (273). The article went on to talking about how under communism and capitalism in the name of Islam musicians of pop music were punished and pop music was banned. Obviously these regimes or institutions were aware of the effects of music on their society if they were willing to take such protective measures. Music’s success and ability to motivate, inspire, and capture dreams makes it a concern to its enemies (pg244 article by J. Street). Looking at teenagers now a day’s one can say that they idolize some artists. They see and think the artists are exceptional because they are drinking, smoking marijuana, and having sex and that has a big impact on them and influences them and makes them strive to imitate them and become more like them. According to the book,” Ethics of Rock”, Plato and Socrates, remarked, “musical training is powerful because rhythm and harmony sink deeply into the soul and fix themselves there solidly” (77). Music can have significant affect on one, influencing not only feelings but also behavior. So, yes some music can bring about peace or a message of inspiration and hope potentially saving lives just as much as it can cause suicide or chaos.