Today marks 36 years since John Lennon was shot and killed in the archway of his Upper West Side residence. Since then over 1.2 million Americans have been killed by guns in the United States, and around 62 million Americans voted for a president unlikely to make the frightening epidemic subside. On the anniversary of her husband’s death, Yoko Ono — who still lives in the building where Lennon was shot — made a heartfelt plea for gun control. “Every day, 91 Americans are killed with guns,” the legendary artist and peace activist wrote on her Facebook page this morning. “We are turning this beautiful country into a War Zone.”
A few days after the election, Ono issued what is probably the most relatable response yet. In her appeal today, she elaborated on that by subverting the President-Elect’s campaign slogan promise. “Together, let’s bring back America, the green land of Peace,” she wrote, before adding, “The death of a loved one is a hollowing experience. After 36 years, our son Sean and I still miss him.” The post is accompanied by a photo no less haunting now than when it appeared on the cover of her 1981 album Season of Glass, the first she recorded after her husband’s death, or when she erected it on giant billboards over the ensuing years. It shows the blood-splattered glasses that Ono retrieved from the murder scene before photographing them against a backdrop of Central Park. Many “fans” are noting that Ono hasn’t made an explicit call for tighter gun control legislation, but really, the image and statistics make doing so pretty unnecessary.
Credits
Text Hannah Ongley
Photo courtesy creative commons