It seems like there’s a mass shooting every week in America, each followed by little change. People offer their ‘thoughts and prayers’ and argue about gun control on Facebook, and Congress doesn’t pass any legislation. After a gunman killed four people in a Nashville Waffle House this Sunday Morning, however, one man decided he would break away from the cycle. In response to the shooting, local hero Sam Browne copied and pasted all of the lyrics to John Lennon’s “Imagine” onto his Facebook timeline.
Wow! Talk about a game changer.
Instead of offering meaningless thoughts and prayers, Browne actually implored his 28 Facebook friends to imagine a world with nothing to kill or die for. And Browne didn’t post just the chorus or first verse; he actually took the time to highlight every single lyric of the song and even double-check that he had every word right before he made the post.
Amazing! If Congress put in half of that effort, they would have solved the crisis by now.
Browne’s message is clearly starting to resonate with people, as his post already has one like and one heart react. By sharing the song produced by Lennon, Yoko Ono, and Phil Spector, Browne broke away from the mold and actually did something to put an end to gun violence. In case of another shooting, Browne is already prepared to share the lyrics to Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On.”
Browne’s commitment to ending mass shootings is awe-inspiring. Let’s hope his brave actions encourage other people to share song lyrics in the future!