"Imagine"

John Lennon was a very popular peace-activist throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s, and he still remains an icon to this day. While he was alive, his passion for peace was evident not only in his music, but also in his lifestyle. He wrote “Imagine” as a way of encouraging others to unite into one world, which is a powerful message about the way our society was at the time. Unfortunately, our society has not strayed far from the path within the past thirty years. We continue to deny the hatred within our country, and we fail to stand up for what we believe in.

“Imagine there’s no countries. It isn’t hard to do. Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too. Imagine all the people living life in peace.” These are the words of Mr. Lennon that, to me, really say a lot about our society. What if we did not have countries to be at war with? Would our outlook on hate, crime and violence be the same as it is today? It seems as if our society views war as inevitable, as if there is absolutely nothing we can do about it. We see so much violence on the news, in television shows and in movies that we have become immune to it. In that same line, Lennon also mentions having no religion. Would having no religions help us to be civil toward one another? My personal belief is that people often use religion as an excuse for what is happening. Christians, who make up the majority of our country’s population, believe that “everything happens for a reason,” and that God has control over everything. By believing in this theory, those individuals accept war because it is “within God’s plan.” When people put so much faith in God, they tend to put less faith in themselves and in what they are capable of doing. Being immune to violence, as well as putting everything in God’s hands, puts our society in a place where very few people feel motivated to do anything themselves to bring peace into our country.

“Imagine no possessions. I wonder if you can. No need for greed or hunger. A brotherhood of man. Imagine all the people sharing all the world.” I find it very hard to dispute the fact that our society, in general, is very materialistic. We thrive on having things, and we consider ourselves unhappy when we do not have enough of something. This mindset leads to greed, hatred for other people, and a lack of awareness of those less fortunate. We get so caught up in ourselves and in our own successes that we do not think of “sharing all the world” with one another.

“You may say that I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us, and the world will live as one.” These are the concluding lyrics to the song, and they really leave the listener with a powerful message. When individuals try to be proactive and try to make a difference in our society, they are often looked down upon. Until lately, our society has not been one to embrace change. It is unfortunate that we do not support more efforts to bring about peace in our society.

“Imagine” truly captures the essence of the American society as one based on lack of motivation, acceptance of violence, dependence on faith, and submission to greed. To me, it will always be a very powerful song within our society, however, I hope that someday we will look back on the song and be able to say that we have accomplished what the lyrics promote us to do. That is to establish peace not only within our country, but also with other countries as well.

Sharing Knowledge with Others

Last week, I had the privilege of staffing at a week-long advanced leadership workshop along with nine other incredible staff members. Fifty-three high school juniors and seniors from all over the state of Pennsylvania attended the workshop to celebrate leadership through their selves, their student councils, their schools, and their communities. For me, this was an experience like none other. For once, I was on the other side of the fence as an advisor, not as a delegate. My being there was not about me or about what I could take back to my council, instead it was about sharing my knowledge with others to hopefully aid them in their own accomplishments. If you have never taken a step back and focused on encouraging others to do what you did for four years of your life, I encourage you to do so. It was as if my time in high school as a member of student council and of other activities really came full circle. I have always viewed my experiences as learning opportunities, but last week really reinforced my way of thinking. Had I not been so involved throughout school, I would have never had the opportunity to give back to other student leaders.