John Lennon

I once knew a guy, Alistair, whose hero was John Lennon. 

When John Lennon was killed, from all accounts, Alistair had a nervous breakdown, he didn’t cope with his hero being shot and killed.  Imagine that? I guess Alistair wouldn't have been the first, fans being what fans are? Apparently, three Beatles fans killed themselves at the news of Lennon's death.

Apparently, Alistair ended up having a very long recovery from his breakdown.

I haven't seen Alistair for years, he was a nice guy.

But, whenever, I hear that it is the anniversary of John Lennon's death, I still think of Alistair and wonder how he is?

So that is forty years for… I googled what happened on 8^th December to get the name of the guy who shot John Lennon’s name, and I got the following,

1863 Abraham Lincoln issues his Amnesty Proclamation and plan for Reconstruction of the South

1941 US and Britain declare war on Japan, US enters World War II

1941 US President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivers "Day of Infamy" speech to US Congress a day after the bombing of Pearl Harbour

1965 Pope Paul VI signs 2nd Vatican council

1966 US and USSR sign treaty to prohibit nuclear weapons in outer space

2004 Cuzco Declaration is signed in Cuzco, Peru, establishing the Union of South American Nations

War and religion, seriously, the two things that have caused the most destruction in the world. 

John Lennon didn’t even get a mention. Is that irony? One of the greatest peace advocates is not mentioned in favour of war and war-causing religion?

But, I did find out it is Jim Morrison’s, Sinead O'Connor’s and Niki Minaj’s birthdays.

Anyway, back to Mark David Chapman, it means he has been in jail for 40 years. Forty years, that is rather a long time for murder. Now, I am no advocate for Mark David Chapman, or murderers in general, but usually, well, in Australia, murder is 25 years. Of course, since the conservatives have been winning elections lately, with their ideology bent towards law and order, I guess we can expect a lot more of “Life Means Life.”

I guess it depends on what you want your jail system to do? Most conservatives want it to be punitive, lock them up, throw away the key. Build more jails, punish, punish, punish. And, I think as a society, we are skewing away from rehabilitation and towards punishment more and more, since law and order has become a political tool to win elections. 

From all accounts at 87 years of age Yoko Ono’s health is beginning to fail and she is now frail and apparently suffering from some undisclosed disease. From what I have read, she has been the driving force of keeping Mark David Chapman in jail.

Apparently, the singer James Taylor ran into Mark David Chapman a few hours before he shot John Lennon four times at close range on the streets of New York and Mark David Chapman was talking like a crazy person. So, is our failure to deal with mental health issues as a society the real reason John Lennon was shot and killed?

Oh, bleeding heart, the conservatives would whine in unison, no doubt.