Over the weekend, I saw the new movie The U.S. vs. John Lennon. This documentary focuses on the Nixon administration's fear of Lennon's anti-war influence, and their efforts to deport him because of it.
While the movie provided a stirring trip down memory lane, with a soundtrack that features some of the best music ever written (mostly Lennon's solo stuff), the movie's message hits home today, more than 30 years later.
We see clips of Nixon admninistration officials accusing the Vietnam war protesters of being unpatriotic. We see them tapping Lennon's phone. We hear them lie to the American people about the war. And we hear them say that they're keeping America safe from the Communists.
The movie almost had a happy ending, when Lennon won his battle with the immigration officials and got his green card. And I can't help but think that if he had lost that battle, and had been sent back to England, he might still be alive today, and joining us in our protests against another unjust war. But that was not meant to be.
But we still have Lennon's music, and we still have his words. And, if there is a heaven, he's up there rooting for the good guys, singing "Give Peace a Chance".
For more information about the movie, click here.
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