By Angel Sabater |
This year marks the 36th year anniversary of John Lennon’s death. Lennon was forty years old when he was shot and killed by Mark David Chapman, a twenty-five year old security guard from Honolulu, on December 8, 1980 outside his apartment in Manhattan, New York, NY. Mostly known not only by being a Beatles member, but being an husband to Cynthia Lennon and then Yoko Ono, being a father to Julian and Sean, and also for being a political artist, anti-war activist and peace advocate.
“I was a sophomore in high school and I remembered that Yoko Ono was saddened by his death,” attendance clerk Sandra Saldana said. “I remember the feeling of being sad for his son that was growing up without a father. I remember that day his music was playing on the radio and the media talked about his story and his music all day long. When they mentioned that he was with the Beatles, that’s when I realized who he really was and it really was a sad day.”
Many people looked up to Lennon for his stand on peace, love and work with his wife, Yoko Ono, peacefully protesting against the raging war in Vietnam and asking for World Peace.
“I was in the Texas Department of Wildlife, a park superintendent at the Landmark Inn in Castroville, Texas,” Coach Surcie Thompson said. “I found out he died through the news media. He did impact my life as to love everybody first and respect everybody. John Lennon was a very spiritual man, he reminded me of Nelson Mandela, Christ, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King and Malcom X. ”
In 1980, thousands of people gathered outside of his apartment. In his hometown, Liverpool, thirty-thousand gathered in his memory. Six days after his death, two hundred and twenty-five thousand mourners filled Central park in New York and joined millions of mourners around the world in ten minutes of silence.
“My son was born in 1980 and I was teaching at a preschool in North Carolina at an Airbase,” Librarian, Anna Denney said. ” A lot of people were shocked that he died.” John Lennon believed in giving power to the people and remains iconic. Here are some of John Lennon’s famous quotes and famous protest songs:
1969 – Give Peace A Chance : This song was made during the Lennon’s honeymoon ‘Bed-In’ in Montreal, Canada. This song became the anthem of the ant-Vietnam war and counterculture movements.
1971 – Imagine : Is based on materialism in the world, asking people to Imagine a world full of peace with no materialism and officially wrote this song during the Vietnam War (1954-1975).
1971 – Happy XMas (War Is Over!) : Is a Christmas protest song against America’s involvement in the war raging in Vietnam.
1972 – Attica State : Which is based on the deaths of the 43 people in a prison riot in 1971, spreading the message of human rights.
All we are saying is give peace a chance.
If someone thinks that love and peace is a cliche that must have been left behind in the Sixties, that’s his problem. Love and peace are eternal.
Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us, and the world will be as one.
