RE: John Lennon, my Inspiration - and my apology

June 12, 2006

Wow! I'm really sad to see this boiling up like this.

A couple of people said they admire Lennon. This led to what I asssumed were sarcastic put downs along the lines of did he end the Vietnamd war. I replied sarcastically "Yes... and more" I still can't understand anyone thinking that anyone else in their right mind would say that Lennon ended the Vietnam war and more single-handed! Come on!

Someone said Lennon was a feminist and Peter K said that he found offensive to him as a radical feminist. I found that offensive myself and in a fine example of double standards (my own) launched a rather stupid one-line put down of holier-than thou so-called feminist men, which I is how I (mis)interpeted Peter's comment.

This launched into an up-and-down but serious discussion between me and Peter who for whom I have solid respect as a result.

Whatever my own thoughts about the holier-than-thou postings criticising Lennon and presenting a one-side and uncompassionate judegement of his problems with Ono the fact remains that my initial sarcastic replies were disrespectful and antagonistic and I want to apologise not juast to those on the list who felt offended by them but also to all those who got drawn into the subsequent exhcanges of insults put-downs, takings of sides and all that crap with the hurt involved.

Whatever our differences about music or people with round glasses, I'd bet that all of us who got wrought up in this are also vegans for reasons of compassion.

Let's try and be a bit more compassionate and sensitive about each other. I'm trying to start now.

Cheers

Mike

On Behalf Of Peter Kebbell12 June 2006 08:46 Subject: Re: Re: John Lennon, my Inspiration

Hi Colin

>hi peter. i have read the argument on this list for disliking john and there is enough

>immunition to damn the most of us.

You seem to have completely missed the point. This started because of the "hero worship" of the "perfect" John Lennon, who, according to one post single-handedly stopped the Vietnam war. I don't think that kind of hero worship is healthy for anyone, and was pointing out that, although Lennon did do a few good things, he wasn't the "deity" that some people like to make him out to be.

>i am not taking part in an argument.

I beg to differ - you clearly are!

>john was a voice for a lot of us for decades. is a fact.

Why, did you not have your own voice?

>that u mastered three chords at 12 is irrelevant. :-)

That depends on what we're discussing. If we're talking about how "complicated" the Beatles music was, then it's very relevant. (And actually, I mastered 3 chords at the age of 8, I just didn't start writing music until I was about 12).

>i don't knock or mention, dr who supporters, which i could say something about, but i don't

> like to get down to that level of communication if i can avoid it.

You've managed to get way down below that level of communication here, by specifically "knocking" me! But then I don't think anyone here has claimed that Dr Who single handedly stopped the Vietnam war... most of us just view it as an entertaining TV programme... much like a lot of people view John Lennon as an entertaining musician. I find it strange that people take such offence to this suggestion...

>what we say is john was a fantastic human being and a fantastic example of a multi, multi

> millionaire and a man of rare original thought. if u never could see this, that's okay, there is

> no need to convince those that did that they are deluded.

Y'see, I just don't see a great deal of "rare original thought". I see a good entertainer who had some nice pacifist ideas, but those ideas were hardly his own - he never even gave it a thought until he went to India and met influential pacifists. Most of us (peace activists) have managed to come to the same conclusions without that same level of influence, so just how does this equate to "original thought"?

> peace

I love the way you make a swinging personal attack, and then put "peace". I do think that perhaps you should be more careful with the way you use words - peace has such lovely connotations, and it seems so sad that you dirty it in this way.

Peter