Politics December 8, 2016
Yoko Ono has made a strong statement about gun violence as the world remembers her slain husband, John Lennon.
On the 36th anniversary of his murder by gunman Mark Chapman, she urged Americans to give peace a chance. Gun crime has soared in the nation, leaving more than a million further people dead since Lennon’s killing in 1980.
“We are turning this beautiful country into a War Zone,” Ono wrote in a Dec. 8 Facebook post. “Together, let’s bring back America, the green land of Peace.”
READ MORE: Late Beatles’ Frontman John Lennon Turns 76
In 2016 alone there have been 53,784 accidents involving the weapon in America with 13,895 killed and 28,602 injured, according to Gun Violence Archive. These include mass shootings and officer involved incidents, many of which have affected children and teens.
Of these incidents, 2,667 were home invasions. 16 years ago, Lennon was shot seven times outside of the couple’s apartment, as Rolling Stone reported. The gunman, Mark Chapman, received a sentence of 20 years to life which he has been serving in New York.
When Chapman was up for parole in August 2016, his appeal was denied. This was partially for the “celebrity seeking nature of the crime,” a factor that has prompted some news outlets reporting on shootings to focus on the victims rather than the gunmen. Chapman, now 61 years old, even admitted the crime was “premeditated, selfish and evil,” according to BBC.
READ MORE: 8 Celebrity Funerals That Fascinated the Public – From Michael Jackson to Babe Ruth
Yoko Ono also posted a Twitter photo to promote her project IMAGINE PEACE. Her mission for the movement is “creating a world of Peace, Love and Freedom, all while the negative forces try their hardest to stop us,” her website states.
IMAGINE PEACE
love, yoko
2016https://t.co/ldxxUYm3wN pic.twitter.com/G10lNe2pDB— Yoko Ono (@yokoono) December 8, 2016
Although she is a dedicated social activist, the 83-year-old hasn’t taken a break from her career as an artist. Instead, she uses her passion for social change to fuel her work. Ono is currently encouraging women to contribute to her latest artistic endeavor. The Icelandic exhibit, “Arising,” will feature photographs of female eyes with statements of any harm done to them as a result of their gender.
READ MORE: Photo Series ‘The Atlas of Beauty’ Captures Women’s Diversity
