There’s no Democratic way or Republican way to love John Lennon and the Beatles’ iconic music.
Which is why Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-Bay Ridge, Staten Island) traveled to Manhattan’s Central Park today and the site of the Strawberry Fields Memorial to the legendary singer and songwriter to call on the New York State Parole Board today to not grant parole to Lennon’s killer, Mark David Chapman.
Chapman pleaded guilty to the murder of John Lennon and admitted it was a premeditated act in 1981. He was sentenced to 20 years to life and since the year 2000, the parole board has reviewed his case every 2 years, denying him parole each time.
“Many of us were guided through both the toughest and most beautiful moments of our lives by the iconic music of John Lennon and the Beatles. On December 8, 1980, John Lennon was shot 4 times by a cold-blooded murderer. Mark David Chapman robbed John Lennon’s sons of their father, his wife of her husband and the world of a beautiful soul who touched the lives of millions,” said Malliotakis.
It is not the first time that Malliotakis has spoken on the issue of the state parole board letting out convicted murderers, as she has previously been critical of the board’s decision to release multiple convicted killers including convicted cop killer Robert Hayes.
“Next week, the New York State Parole Board will review Mark David Chapman’s case for the 10th time. I strongly urge this parole board to follow in the steps of 9 prior boards and ensure that Chapman remains in prison,” said Malliotakis.
Malliotakis is urging New Yorkers to phone Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office and the parole board to urge them to keep Chapman behind bars.
While the Beatles were known for their catchy love songs, the group evolved with the times during the turbulent 1960s that saw great social unrest including the assassination of Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and both President John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert Kennedy.
After the band split up, Lennon himself wrote a number of political and thought-provoking songs including the ditty, Imagine, with the following utopian lyrics reflective of that time:
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people living for today
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace, you
But I’m not the only one
I hope some day you’ll join us
And the world will be as one
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people sharing all the world, you
But I’m not the only one
I hope some day you’ll join us
And the world will be as one
