Wednesday, June 18, 2008

LENNON'S ASSASSINATION

John Lennon was shot on December 8, 1980 outside theDakota in New York by Mark David Chapman, agedtwenty-five. Was Chapman merely another disturbed killer,unsure of his own motives, or could there in fact have beenpolitical reasons behind the killings?It would seem unlikely that Chapman had killed Lennonto be famous. During his life, he turned down thirty toforty interviews, and said himself, “I am not a seekerafter publicity.” He never allowed documentaries to befilmed with him and never gave an interview. Moreover,his composure after he had shot Lennon was quite remarkable.Lennon was one of the most politically active rockstars of his generation. This, coupled with his reputationas a drug user, classified him as an undesirable in the eyesof the authorities, making it difficult for him to obtain agreen card to come and live in the U.S. The coinciding ofhis return to his former greatness with Reagan’s rise topower is interesting to say the least. Reagan’s policieswere radical and Lennon was the only person who would have been able to bring out millions of people to protest.The question therefore has to be asked whether theremay have been some kind of political involvement in hismurder.

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