After reading the aricle, it’s quite obvious the guy is still very fucked in the head. Let him die in prison.
I was a sophomore in H.S. when Lennon was murdered. It knocked the wind out of me for several days. It was the first time that the death of a person that I didn’t personally know had a profound effect. The second was when John Belushi died.
I still get a little choked up every time I hear “Imagine.”
I wasn’t born when John Lennon was shot, but I have been crazy about the Beatles from the time I could sing. I was mad when I found out not all of them were still alive and WHY John Lennon was dead.
I think he should stay in jail because he took a human life. No chance for parole, it’s amazing how quickly people can change if they see a “get out of jail free” card.
BTW: “Imagine” makes me cry, too.
Overnight, I had this mental image of John speaking from the great beyond, giving his opinion on whether this jerk should be paroled.
John: Fook no. I’m all for nonviolence and all that, boot give me a gune and I’ll take out the wanker meself. Fookin’ toord.
What really pisses me off everytime I think about it, is all the accounts I have read (including the Playboy interview) that John was happy. Actually, honest-to-goodness, happy. As rich, and famous as Lennon was, and as talented, it seemed he was rarely happy. Even in the hey-day of the Beatlemania, he wrote “Help” as a cry for help, he was so depressed. He went through all kinds of shit, from the time his mother died, until the time his son was born. And finally, finally, the man found peace with himself, his wife, and his children, and that bastard shot him. GRRRRRRRRRR!!!
pugluvr, PLD, among many of the hard-core fans I know, (via internet, etc etc) there is a common refusal to say the assasins name. It may not be in your experience, but it is in mine, and obviously Crunchy Frog’s too.
“If I said I really knew you well, what would your answer be?
Well, knowing you, you would laugh and say that we were worlds apart, if you were here today.
But as it is for me, I still remember how it was before, and I am holding back the tears no more.
I love you…
And you were today, for you were in my song”----Here Today P. McCartney
A few years ago, Sirhan Sirhan told reporters that Robert Kennedy was a compassionate man, and that, if Robert Kennedy were alive, he’d support parole for Sirhan.
Paula Poundstone summed up the situation perfectly: what an idiot Sirhan is! He went and shot the ONLY guy on Earth who’d want him released! What are the odds of THAT?
Sounds like Chapman and Sirhan think alike.
Only if he agrees to come to my place, and I
can have my three guns out to welcome him.
pepperlandgirl, I wasn’t making a value judgement; I just had never heard that practice, and found it unusual. I’m not exactly a dilettante when it comes to the Beatles, you know!
Shoot astorian, you beat me to it. I recall that also about Sirhan.
It reminds me of the time a child killed their parents, then wante dleniency cause they were an orphan.
As in Menedez?
No.
Firstly- He took a human life.
secondly he took John Lennon’s life for fame.
third- he unleashed the Yoko monster. I watched a “top of the pops” Special about John Lennon last night. There wasnt a single Beatles song mentioned. It was all the Solo Material, (and only one song from the album that didnt involve Yoko). and to Cap it all off, she was presenting it. Nothing from any of his friends, artists he worked with.
All Yoko, All the time. My Vitrol for that woman will have no end. And for that guy who shot JL.
He should be let out only when he finishes target practice.
I still think Lennon’s death was an accident and he was trying to shoot Yoko. After his error he had to cover so he wouldn’t look stupid.
I’ll echo what Gomez wrote. I’m not a big fan of parole for life terms, but… If a prisoner normally would be paroled after having served however many years it has been and displaying the behavior he has, then yes, he should be paroled (on the other hand, if a prisoner normally wouldn’t be, then no). In other words, the fact that he murdered a celebrity should not add additional years to his imprisonment.
** Amok ** IMHO, t’aint 'cause of the celebrity aspect, 'tis his continued potential threat. He still is somewhat delusional AsFarAsICanSee (wanting to meet Yoko - I can’t think of a more delusional thought for ANYBODY).
I do agree with your basic stance tho’ of "some one who is otherwise eligible for parole shouldn’t be denied simply because of celebrity status "
Simply, that in this case, even if the person he’d shot been a homeless vagrant, NOT married to Yoko, he still seems to have some delusional thinking patterns.
I do find it interesting, tho’, the strong feelings of folks here who were either toddlers or not born at the time. I was in my 20’s remember the day well, knew who he was etc.
I agree with those who say “NO!” He took a human life and in return he should give his, IMHO.
Speaking of Johns’ death, has anyone ever read Spider Robinsons short story “Rubber Soul” in which John Lennon is revived after being in cryogenic suspension? I won’t give it ALL away but he is revived after twenty three years. So how old does that make him folks? You got it!!! Will you still need me?..)
He should, and probably will, stay in prison until he dies, for the same reason anyone who’s gotten that kind of publicity, like Charles Manson, for instance, should: they have no hope of getting a job on the outside.
This guy (who’s name I won’t mention) claims that besides his obsession with Lennon he also had a poor relationship with his father and had contemplated murdering him as well. I can only hope that he has heard the phrase “Who’s your daddy” many many times in prison.
Dennis Leary sums up my feelings on the John and Yoko thing quite well…
“All those bullets for John and not one bullet for Yoko. So what do we get? Twenty more years of Yoko going naa naa naaa naa naa naa naaa naaaaaaaaaa!!!”
Well, it’s not my decision, but I’m not keen on him walking around loose. He might consider the fact that he’s safer in prison. However, in order to shed some light on his claim, I bopped over to the John Lennon Artifical Intelligence Project and asked the old Beatle himself. Here’s how it went:
*
Me: Do you think Mark David Chapman should be paroled?
John: I don’t think about it.
Me: It’s being considered.
John: You’re kidding, it is?
Me: People are wondering what you think.
John: What do you really want to ask me?
Me: Should we let him out?
John: When do you think artificial intelligence will replace lawyers?
Me: Not soon enough.
John: If not that, what?
Me: Parole Mark Chapman or not?
John: I can’t tell, are you a man or a woman?
Me: A man.
John: Yeah…and?
Me: Should we keep him locked up or not?
John: How old are you?
Me: I have to go now.
John: Yeah, me too.*
He kinda got me nervous there at the end, like his next question was going to be “What are you wearing?” :eek: Anyway, hope this helps.
I was a rabid Paul McCartney & Wings, and Beatles fan in high school. The night Lennon was shot, December 8, 1980, I was watching a special episode of Little House on the Prairie where Mary Ingalls regained her vision from an concussion she suffered in an explosion. I was home alone, when the teletype across the bottom of the TV screen said the following:
**“Former Beatle John Lennon shot and killed in New York City. Details at the 10pm news.” **
This was way, WAY before CNN, much less the Internet. I immediately turned on my radio and started calling my friends who were also big Beatles fans. We all had our ears glued to the radio. We heard reports of spotaneous gatherings at parks, with people carrying candles and singing his songs.
By the time my parents came home later that night, I was in a fetal position rocking back and forth and balling my eyes out. When they asked me what the matter was, I just blurted out, “JOHN LENNON IS DEAD!!!” and they looked real sad, then left me alone for the rest of the night.
For a week after that, I wore black to school as did many of my friends. Some of the guys wore black arm bands. We chided the freshmen, who thought John Lennon was some old washed-up has-been rock star (they were too busy dancing to disco music).
That to me, was the day the music died.
I’ve read the recent articles about his pending parole board hearing. He used to live in Hawaii, so it’s also big news over there (and I keep up with Hawaii news since I used to live there). I first read about it at http://starbulletin.com/2000/09/26/news/story3.html .
Why did they even provide a lock for his door? They should’ve welded it shut. He’s not even fully aware of the impact of his actions.