MB Civic

Had he lived, John would have been 66 today. Given life expectancy these days, he could have looked forward to yet another two decades or more.

Despite many people’s “canonization” of him, John was a man of contradictions. He was an animal lover who unapologetically wore fur. He was an anti-capitalist who owned four apartments in one of the toniest buildings in NYC, and rode around in a Rolls Royce. And now we learn (via the film “The U.S. versus John Lennon”) that despite his staunch anti-war and anti-Nixon stance, he “caved in” on actively “campaigning” against Nixon when his citizenship was threatened.

Still, John was unquestionably a force for good, both as a Beatle and as an individual. Only John could have written “All You Need Is Love,” and, later, “Imagine.” Only John could have staged “bed-ins” for peace (“All we are saying…is give peace a chance.”) and thought up and executed the first celebrity-driven concert fundraising event: Live Peace in Toronto predated The Concert for Bangladesh by over a year, and Live AID by over 15 years. And that is just the tip of the socio-politically progressive iceberg.

Two questions cross my mind now about John. The first, of course, is: how would he have reacted to the current world scene? To 9/11? To its cynical manipulation by this administration, and the climate of fear they have created vis-a-vis a never-ending “war on terror?” To Bush? To Guantanamo, Abu Gharib, domestic wiretapping? To global warming and the alternative energy movement? To the overall global geopolitik?

The second question – one which is far more interesting – is: had he lived, would John’s presence have “mitigated” any of these?

For example, would John – actively vocal on the world scene – have joined the 9/11 truth movement and helped expose 9/11 as a staged event? After all, one can ignore Charlie Sheen, Sharon Stone, Ed Asner and other celebs who have verbally supported the movement. But would people – COULD people – have ignored the genuine, powerful voice of John Lennon? And if John HAD joined the movement, would that have had a “preventative” effect vis-a-vis Guantanamo, Abu Gharib, etc., since he would also almost certainly have been railing about these “outgrowths” of the cynical manipulation of 9/11?

Would John have been railing at the at the Bush administration – and perhaps the world – for allowing global warming to get this far? Would he have been active in getting the Kyoto Protocol signed by the U.S.? Would he have been a major voice in Al Gore’s campaigns, both environmental and presidential? [N.B. And might this have “changed history” by actually geetting Gore elected?] Would John have been at the forefront of the alternative energy movement, perhaps even financially supporting various projects – well before Branson and others?

Would John be standing side by side with Bono in his crusade for the forgiveness of international debt, and assistance to developing nations?

What other movements and causes might John have been a part of – adding his politically powerful and persuasive voice?

Yes, all of this is simply speculation and wishful thinking. But I cannot help but believe that John’s assassination (for that is almost certainly what it was) had FAR more far-reaching effects that any of us could have seen at the time.

John, wherever you are, we miss you.

Peace.