[3rd World Man]

~Remembering John Lennon~ I'm sitting here on my computer, trying got find a video clip of John Lennon I have where John is confronted by an intruder at his home, and calmly tries to reason with the man. (the video was out there, but the jerks at YouTube pulled it)

A synopsis of it is here: "A homeless man had broken into the Lennon grounds and had been sleeping there. Here we see that the man has an extremely personal connection with John s music and believes it was written just for him. John corrects him and says that his music is for everyone." John's compassion and trustworthy nature is such that he invites the man into his home and offers him breakfast. The man joins John and they eat breakfast together and talk.

This is as far as I got watching this video. The tears rolling down my cheeks made it impossible to watch more. I get tears in my eyes every time I think of that scene, imagining John approaching his killer with the same trust and compassion right before he was murdered.

I'm dating myself when I say that I remember that fateful day all too well. I was 18, and waiting in my Dad's truck while he got supplies for work, listening to the radio. It was cold, dreary and raining. Then they came on and said that John Lennon was dead, and then started playing his music. I broke down crying, sobbing in disbelief. I turned the radio off, I couldn't listen anymore. I cried quietly to myself the rest of the day, trying to hide it from my Dad.

That day still affects me. I can listen to John's music without tears, but if I try and watch anything about his murder, forget it. The tears come and I can't stop them. Trying to find that clip, I saw news reports from the day, the vigil outside The Dakota, an interview with Mark David Chapman…all of them brought tears.

I have no sympathy for Mark David Chapman. I hope he never gets out of prison. If he ever does, I'm sure someone will martyr themselves and take his life. I wish him a horrible, painful death for what he has done. He should have been put to death as soon as it was clear he was absolutely responsible for John's death. It is a travesty of justice that he gets to live, to breath the air, see the sunshine from time to time. while the world mourns the loss of John.

I realize that John would not agree with my opinion, and I am sorry John. While you imagined a world without religion, you were closer to God & Jesus than many could ever hope to be. Long live John Lennon :-)