Video and article links related to the tragic killing of Western pop music icon John Lennon in 1980

Last updated on 21st July 2018

Over the past few days I saw a few videos and read a few articles about the tragic killing of the Beatles' star and Western pop music icon, John Lennon, in 1980. I did not know a lot of the details that these videos and articles provided. Don't have the time to make a proper post on this sensitive matter. But thought I should share some of the key links and give some quick thoughts of mine on it.

*) John Lennon's Last Day and Death in New York City, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQ68xik2pMo, 8 mins, publsihed by Inside Edition on 7th Dec. 2017

*) The Man Who Shot John Lennon (The Beatles Documentary) | Timeline, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkmaGvdJIZU, around 54 mins, published by Timeline - World History Documentaries on 6th Feb. 2018.

*) Murder of John Lennon, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_John_Lennon.

The killer, David Chapman, talked about being heavily impressed by J.D. Salinger's book, The Catcher in the Rye, and its hero, Holden Caulfield. Chapman made some weird statement about the book (a copy of which was with him when he shot Lennon) being his statement!

Chapman is in prison now. From the above wiki page, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_John_Lennon, "Chapman pleaded guilty to the murder of Lennon and was sentenced to 20-years-to-life imprisonment. He has remained in prison ever since, having been denied parole nine times amidst campaigns against his release after he became eligible in 2000."

Ravi: What a tragedy! How utterly meaningless was this murder act of David Chapman! One of the big downsides of celebrity status is that some madman may develop some peculiar hatred towards the celebrity, and so try to harm the celebrity.

It was just too easy for this murderer to buy a gun, get some gun shooting practice and then kill John Lennon as Lennon was entering his apartment building in New York City, USA. John Lennon had no security. Earlier in the day, the killer asked for and got Lennon's autograph!

The killer seems to have claimed that a small voice in his head asked him to kill Lennon while a big voice was asking him to not do that and get on with his regular life, but that the small voice won on that day.

What an utterly meaningless and destructive act that deprived significant part of the world (English pop music fans world) of a great music icon who dared to dream and sing about imagining a world of peace and "Nothing to kill or die for"! Here's the Imagine song video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkgkThdzX-8, around 4 mins, and its lyrics: https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/johnlennon/imagine.html.

He did not want religion too! As a supporter of religion, I do not agree with that part of his imagined dream, though I do recognize the need to move away from religious practices that are bad or inappropriate for our early 21st century life today. But I sure have no issues whatsoever in peacefully and politely disagreeing with him on this point while still enjoying his singing, music and most of the lyrics of the song.

I end this post with the last lines of the Imagine song:

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 live as one

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Readers may want to visit this related post: 'CNN Special Report: Killing John Lennon (2015)' gives some views on twisted and wrong notions which led Chapman to kill Lennon (in 1980), http://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2018/07/cnn-special-report-killing-john-lennon.html, 21st July 2018