-George Carlin.
"With a Smith and Wesson 38
John Lennon's life was no longer a debate
He should have stayed home
He should have never cared
And the man who took his life declared,
He said, 'I just shot John Lennon."
'I just shot John Lennon.'"
-The Cranberries.
I am practically an expert about John Lennon. I have read 3 books about him and 2 or 3 about the Beatles. If you have any questions about him feel free to email me.
The thing that is lacking in the news coverage of his memorials this morning is that so far I have not heard a commentator honor his memory by stating that his death was a twisted, ironic reminder of the violence that he outspokenly opposed and that we should work toward eradicating... the sort of senseless rush to violence that might cause a country to invade a non-threatening country, strip it of its sovereignty, then rape it of its resources.
Don't misunderstand me: I don't believe that everything can be resolved via pacific means. Lennon was such a radical pacifist that he believed that World War 2 was unnecessary.
If you know the basics of Lennon's life and want to learn about more obscure things, including surprising personal anecdotes I recommend this book to you:
Fred Seaman was one of Lennon's assistants. Although Lennon later disliked and distrusted him, he worked for him until the of his life. The book reveals things that might surprise you such as the time when Lennon navigated a ship through stormy waters when everyone on board--including its captain-- was terrified and the time when he predicted his own death to Seaman months before his assassination.
A couple of years ago I posted downloadable audio from Lennon's final interview on this blog. I might do it again tomorrow if conditions are right.
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