Remembering John Lennon

It is with profound sadness that I remember John Lennon, since today marks the 25th anniversary of his tragic and sudden death, shot down in cold blood outside his NYC apartment by a crazed asailant. I know I was only 11 years young when Lennon was shot, but there is something about that event that stays with me now and I am not sure why. I was familiar with the Beatles early pop songs as a kid, and listened to the hippy and drug induced stuff later when I was in high school and college.

For most of my youth, I prefered Brian Wilson's beach sounds over the Beatles. But when John Lennon was shot something deeper occurred to me that I still cannot put my finger on to this day. Maybe it is the same feeling's that Don McLean captured in American Pie, talking about the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper, the music died that day and how things were never the same afterwards.

I have often thought about how the world would be different now, if certain people were not assisniated before their time. Generally, these thoughts revolve around politicians like Abraham Lincoln, John Kennedy and Robert Kennedy, but even to other strong courageous leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. Would he be remembered so fondly today if he was not viciously gunned down in Memphis April 4, 1968? Would he have spent the next 20-30 years fighting for civil rights and a leader of the African-American community or would he become what Jesse Jackson or Rev. Al Sharpton are today, leaders of small factions of that community that do not provide a single voice for the whole?

What would John have done with 25 more years? Probably laughed and critized at the state of the music industry today, (see the Grammy nominations for a perfect example). He would have supported peer to peer file sharing, because he believed that the art was important, not the money. He would have written a book or two about how to change the world, and further refining the idea of all we need is love, something that seems missing in todays world. He probably would not have sold out, like his old writing partner Sir Paul McCartney and for that matter, he would probaly not have accepted British Knighthood. He would probably still be on the far left advocating for peace, saying the US and UK have no business in Iraq.

I don't think he would have joined the mainstream, but obviously this is all speculation. I doubt in the bigger picture he would have had a greater influence on society than JFK or MLK could have, but it is still a sad day because the world is poorer in many ways because he was taken away from the world too soon.