UK & World News
- 21 March 2013, 10:37
Yoko Ono Tweets John Lennon's Bloodied Glasses
Yoko Ono, the artist and wife of former Beatle John Lennon has entered the gun control laws debate in the US by posting a personal photograph of the dead rock star's blood-spattered glasses on Twitter.
On what would have been the couple's 44th wedding anniversary, the 79-year-old tweeted the image in several posts and called for an end to gun violence.
She said: "Over 1,057,000 people have been killed by guns in the USA since John Lennon was shot and killed on 8 Dec 1980.
"31,537 people are killed by guns in the USA every year. We are turning this beautiful country into war zone.
"Together, let's bring back America, the green land of peace.
"The death of a loved one is a hollowing experience. After 33 years our son Sean and I still miss him. Yoko Ono Lennon."
Ono and Lennon were married in Gibraltar on March 20, 1969, and went on honeymoon to Amsterdam where they famously campaigned for peace by spending an entire week in bed.
Lennon was murdered outside their New York apartment in 1980.
The 40-year-old was shot four times in the back by Mark Chapman who had asked for his autograph only hours before he laid in wait and killed him.
The recent calls for tougher gun control laws in the States follows the December 14 mass shooting that killed 20 schoolchildren and six adults in Newtown, Connecticut - and the Aurora theatre massacre in Denver last summer which claimed 12 lives.
what do you think?
Paul Martin
It's a very strong message, which is totally wasted on the American people. They are all basically as thick as a welshmans wotsit. However,Yoko the clown , again using her husband for a bit of self publicity, is just acting in her typically self serving way. John Lennon was laid to rest a long time ago. It's about time Cocoa the clown , let him have some peace..... man. Put the props away, and stop preaching .
Louisa Gieldon
It is a very strong message but i don't think that self publicity has anything to do with it Paul. You say it will be wasted on the American people but you haven't embraced the message either.
Paul Martin
I don't need to be told about the danger of guns.Especially by this clown. I don't have anything to do with any sort of firearms, so why should i embrace a message of no relevance to my situation. She's your hero, not mine. She's about one step above Thatcher as the most unpopular woman of the last century.
Louisa Gieldon
Paul. Your post insulted the American people, the Welsh people and Yoko Ono. Fair enough, you don't like them. You said it was a strong message which made me feel that you were anti guns, then you said that the Americans were too thick to get the meaning of it. My post wasn't intended to make you so annoyed. Why comment and then get so annoyed when other people have a bit of a different view?
Kristin Reid
I'm American and I'm not thick. I won't judge you, as are clearly afflicted with a terrible case of ignorance. I'll just choose to feel sorry for you.
movvi
No generalisations there then, Paul!
paul owen
must be a englishman their thicker by a long chalk than welshmans wotsits good 1 yoko less guns equals mor respectable world unless your name is paul martin twonk
Dave Smith
When they take the guns of america, the people lose its power, the whole constitution was built on the 'right to bear arms'.
SIMON HAROLD
........Should have gone to "Spec-Savers" ,
Louisa Gieldon
A brave strong message. Always admired Yoko Ono. I wrote to her after Lennon was killed and it's the first and only time i've ever been inclined to do that. She has been so reviled down the years and remains pretty misunderstood. These glasses are a powerful and personal statement on the utter lunacy that prevails in the USA with regard to gun ownership. Gets the message across in a very direct and visceral way. RIP John and all the others
Paul Martin
She's only misunderstood by you, Louisa. I've never had a problem understanding her motives. Why tell us you wrote to her.??? It's not like she's a friend of yours. The fact you "admired" the vile woman, is enough information. What do you find so appealing about her? Don't answer, i don't really want to know.
movvi
Oof; a bit angry there, Paul!
Louisa Gieldon
Paul i don't understand why you have been so hostile. We can't all like the same people and i have read a lot about Yoko Ono and do like her. I bet that you have people that you admire and i probably wouldn't like all of them. So what? Why be so annoyed -she has had terrible lies written about her in the press and has been called many many names by people who don't know her. Sorry that you didn't like what i wrote but it certainly wasn't meant to provoke such an unpleasant reaction. There are others on here who have expressed negative opinions - am I not allowed to express a positive one because you don't like me?
Louisa Gieldon
And Paul, I only mentioned writing that letter because i am a bit chatty, even in print! I've been posting on here for awhile now and get a bit "talkative" is all, Don't know why that annoyed you so much and certainly didn't mean it to have that effect. But i've apologised enough for myself now and you could be a bit less rude.
Brian Holmes
Louisa, you have nothing to apologise for. Paul Martin seems to be practising a spot of trolling.
Louisa Gieldon
Brian i find the aggression on here a bit scary and wierd sometimes. I like a good debate/argument but I really only get annoyed at angry or ignorant people. If someone has a very different viewpoint but can argue their case , i admire that. This is wierd - maybe you are right and people get a kick from trolling
Baker101
So is this a recent photo or one taken at the time?
movvi
I'm not a fan, but it's a pretty strong image. I think the woman (often a bit silly in my humble view) is more than entitled to her view as many of us are lucky enough not to know anyone who has been shot and killed. She isn't. If my man had been murdered by a gun-toting nutter, I'd be affected by the current debate too.
Name witheld
This comment has been removed for violations of our Terms and Conditions.
j.r.haynes
Cheep shot (no pun intended). Blood that would be at least 32 years old would not be red, so just a poor publicity stunt from a shallow old wannabe/has been. It's only a strong image if you believe these are the bloodied glasses that John was wearing at the time of his death. Sorry, but the appliance of science says no.
j.r.haynes
LOUISA - There is a clear pattern to what you post and who you select to disagree with. I can only assume that you get so many negative responses from people cos you manage to constantly rub 'em up the wrong way. I have no intention of adding to the battering you regularly get on here, so we won't be playing semantics, or disagreement ping-pong. I'm gonna peacefully let your comments go over my head.
Brian Holmes
It doesn't look red to me, more like brown. But anyway, what scientific evidence do you have that the photograph was taken recently? Be sure to let us know. Yoko Ono would have a lot to lose if the picture turned out to be fake. It is clear the cheap shot has not come from Yoko Ono, but from you. And you obviously don't realise it, but you have made a complete fool of yourself by being disrespectful to Louisa. Perhaps, as a scientist, you shouldn't assume so much.
j.r.haynes
Oh dear, Brian, I've certainly upset you with no intention of doing so. How chivalrous of you to come to Louisa's defence. I think if you c a l m l y read my post again, I haven't claimed to be a scientist and haven't been disrepectful to anyone. That said, you really shouldn't join forces with Louisa in becoming the Mary Whitehouse of this forum. I will exercise my right to post whatever comments I choose and will leave the censorship up to the very zealous censors already doing the job.
Louisa Gieldon
Jr all I said was that it looked a miuddy brown colour and that was what i would expect after the passage of time. I was not rude to you, just thought that it would have darkened with age. I said nothing else and am taken aback by your response. As for the rest, i disagree with those people who have views i disagree with. That's what everyone does so your comments are really unfair. I am very quick to agree with the same people if they say things i agree with and i have done this many times. I think what you have said is grossly unfair and my comment above has been removed, making it look like i said something bad about you.
Louisa Gieldon
Brian thank you for that. Jr you have over reacted to my comment and i don't really understand why - i do not support censorship and don't understand the Mary Whitehouse jab either as she is a person i did not admire in any way. All i said was that i would have expected this very old blood to be brown. You were the one who talked about "publicity stunts" and "a shallow old wannabe" and a "cheap shot". I actually criticised no one. And then you are rude because someone defended me! You are not the only person who has the right to comment and my comments were a damn sight less angry and indignant than your own.
j.r.haynes
Spelling correction - "cheap".
gypsy56
Can't see how the blood hadn't been smeared somewhat after all this time, why would she want to keep such a 'momento', I can understand keeping the glasses, but surely the first thing you would do is clean them. And how did they get to be blood splattered when he was shot in the back?
Robbie369P .
Bit of tommy sauce I bet
shaun spencer
6:38am on 21/3/2013
Poignant gesture.good for her.
Louisa Gieldon
11:49am on 21/3/2013
I agree Shaun and don't think that self publicity has anything to do with it, as suggested above.
Louisa Gieldon
8:11pm on 21/3/2013
Every relationship has good years and bad. He was no angel to her either WLU. Anyway, i don't just like her because she is the widow of someone famous and don't really understand why so many feel so strongly negative about her. When i've seen her interviewed and read her words she seems smart and has a strong humanitarian stance. Still, I suppose we can't all like the same people, can we?
bjnk
10:38pm on 22/3/2013
Louisa, she's certainly different and not afraid to air her views,a bit like yourself and I can admire that. A few years ago I was in Liverpool on business and the place was full of banners and posters of her vag ina on full view to everyone,I think it was some kind of publication for an exibition going on at the time. NO I didn't go.