It comes from an interview given by John Lennon in the late 1960s: We Are The Government. Lennon was the king of the slogan. War Is Over. Imagine. Give Peace A Chance. Power To The People. Millions of people do not tweet and share these slogans every time his birthday or the anniversary of his passing come around because he was a pop star that rattled off casual sound bites. The popularity of these slogans endure because they were founded on his study of human rights and his ability to approach politics and spirituality together, as one. He was impeccable in his word. To be impeccable in your word is one of The Four Agreements written by the Mexican author Don Miguel Ruiz in his book on ancient Toltec Wisdom. Positive and uplifting words that unite us can only do good for each other and our world.
Lennon was a spiritual warrior, and arguably one of the first people to utilise his celebrity to promote spiritual and political beliefs for the benefit of the many, for which we must thank Yoko Ono, who was surely the catalyst for that groundbreaking, artistic delivery of social activism . During this sad and divisive time in our country and across the world, it is disappointing and retrogressive that contemporary celebrities are doing nowhere near as much work as Lennon did 50 years ago, and, that the one politician whom Lennon would be supporting today has been discredited to such a damaging degree, that those of us who truly believe in a world of equality and social justice cannot see whom we should support in order to get it.
You cannot admire John Lennon if you discredit Jeremy Corbyn.
The fact that Lennon is no longer with us means that we haven't been able to see him protesting with us, marching with us, speaking for us or, supporting Corbyn - which he would almost certainly be doing.
If like me, the political landscape today resembles a sight of devastation and hopelessness, it is because there is no melding of that politics with our innate spirituality. Jeremy Corbyn does not lead with an ambition rooted in protocols, he leads from the conviction of his spirit, much the same as Justin Trudeau.
The current and previous governments in our country have led with the conviction of ignoring this country's people. Whether it be the protest against our involvement in the Iraq War (which I proudly marched at), the protest against Brexit, or the 1.5 million signatures on the recent petition to prevent Trump from making an official state visit to the united Kingdom, nobody in power is listening to you or I.
The system is less for the people than it ever has been in our history.
Speaking at the LGBT History month this week, Corbyn gave a beautiful and rousing speech about the importance of inclusivity in our society for gay and lesbian individuals. He also highlighted the importance of foreign LGBT individuals in the UK who cannot return to their own countries for fear of persecution. And yet articles in the media have appeared within 24 hours, lambasting his speech just because he said people 'chose to be gay'. Granted, an unfortunate phrase to end a brilliant speech on. My own mother, a lesbian, has always said she did not choose to be gay, that is how she was born. And my own extended family, many of whom are gay state exactly the same as her.
However, based on followers of almost all ancient religions all over the world strongly believing that people chose to be born into their lives before their birth, I would say Corbyn was profoundly accurate in his remarks. If we understand it from a spiritual point of view.
Paul Church, a conservative councilor for Westminster described Corbyn's comments as retrogressive and offensive. I know Paul and I like him very much. He plays a strong supportive role for the Soho community in Central London, and his voice in that sector has great value. But in this instant, he has not been impeccable in his word, whilst Corbyn was utterly impeccable in all his words at the launch of the LGBT History Month.
Councillor Church's comments on Corbyn's turn of phrase were taken vastly out of context, and as such, can fan the flames of division. Taking a quick glance at social media, they have done exactly that. Many of the very people whom Corbyn is both experienced and qualified to support are turning against him.
This is one of the greatest injustices I have ever witnessed. This is a man who actually does speak for the people. Theresa May's speech writer for her first public address as Prime Minister wrote a Corbyn speech for her. And yet she has just ignored the people who elected her. Sorry, the people who didn't elect her.
As for Trump's 'special relationship' with this country, he has succeeded in provoking protests against May from the British people. If we as a country are now losing faith in her and already decided that Corbyn is a non starter, perhaps we will be left with Trump's favourite British politician, Nigel Farage?
We,the people, need to get our house in order. The word coup has been used in reference to Trump's administration by both The Independent and The New York Times. If that is true, the shock doctrine of Trump's rise to power will be motivated by the same reasons all shock doctrines have been instigated in recent American history: war.
Trump has been diagnosed by countless experts in the medical profession as suffering from narcissistic personality disorder. But it our own narcissism that his position of power relies on and it is our own narcissism that helped put him where he is today. He has nothing valuable to offer the world and yet he is the most well known public figure IN the world. Trump is the patron saint of mediocrity and speaks for everyone who craves celebrity and delivers nothing that can enrich our lives. And sadly, that is a lot of people,
He is the leader for any of us who have spent more time promoting ourselves than caring about each other and our communities. If we spend a large portion of our lives filtering photographs of ourselves to share with everyone we know just to advertise and publicise an idea of who we are instead of the truth, without realising it, this is the kind of leader we have asked for. Like any narcissist, Trump suffers from low self esteem and illusions of grandeur. He may be past the point of no return, but I believe we can get better. We can become better. And by becoming better, we will be able to expect, demand and receive better.
Social media gave us the one thing that we never actually asked for: the ability to make comment instantly. Without thought or responsibility, and no accountability for the repercussions.
By doing so, we are gilding the iron bars of our own prison cell. We are losing the promise in our hearts by abusing the power we have to make comment.
We don't have to agree with Corbyn's politics. Party politics can no longer answer hopes for a better world. That's not what this is about.
We have to know the man's actions and the heart that compels him to make those actions. Surely that is what must motivate our support for a leader?
If we dig deep enough within ourselves, we will only find that most of us share the same hopes for the world as Jeremy Corbyn and others like him. Why do we all feel afraid to be idealistic? Don't we think it's time to trust that? How is it that so many are reluctant to...imagine?
From Gandhi to JFK and Martin Luther King, great men who stood up for our rights as human beings were all assassinated. Today, Jeremy Corbyn is assassinated on a daily basis. It may be the media that has taken the role of the rifle, but it is us that have the power to pull the trigger, or put the weapon down.
The now famous caricature of the revolutionary may seem like a joke, but similar to the greatest songs in history, only the best ones are easy to parody.