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Parole Denied |
Yoko's Letter to the Parole Board
(Entered October 3, 2000) (Updated October 5, 2000) From Ono-Web ABC News.. http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/chapmanreax0008.html YOKO'S READING OF THE LETTER ON NEW YORK 1 SITE An audio version of Yoko reading the letter she wrote to the parole board is on the New York 1 cable news channel web site. To ensure finding it, go to the main page of the site, click the yellow "search" button near the top of the page, type in "Yoko Ono" and the hyperlink to New York 1's story comes up on the screen. With thanks to Marc at NY1.
What follows is the text of Yoko's letter to the New York state Parole Board, written in mid-September, 2000.
This appeared on the ABC News web site October 4, 2000.
This is my reply to the petition of parole made by Mark David Chapman
from here on called "the subject."
It is not easy for me to write this letter to you since it is still
painful for me to think of what happened that night and verbalize my
thoughts logically. Forgive me if I fall short of your expectation of giving
you a satisfactory opinion. But these are my sincere thoughts.
My husband John Lennon was a very special man. A man of humble origin,
he brought light and hope to the whole world with his words and music. He
tried to be a good power for the world, and he was. He gave encouragement,
inspiration and dreams to people regardless of their race, creed and gender.
For me, he was the other half of the sky. We were in love with each other
like the most vehement of lovers to the last moment. For our son Sean he was
the world. That world shattered when the "subject" pulled the trigger. For
Julian, it was losing his father twice. For the people of the world, it was
as though the light went out for a moment and darkness prevailed. With his
one act of violence in those few seconds, the "subject" managed to change my
whole life, devastate his sons, and bring deep sorrow and fear to the world.
It was, indeed, the power of destruction at work.
At first, I had refused to acknowledge John's death. I announced that,
"There is no funeral for John." In my mind, I was saying "BECAUSE HE IS NOT
DEAD!" "Tell me he is not dead, tell me he is not dead." I was screaming
inside myself. But then, I started to hear that young girls were jumping off
buildings to kill themselves. I realized then that it was not a time for me
to simply wallow in my own pain. I organized a world vigil with the prayer
that, together, we would somehow get through.
For the past twenty years, I've carried the torch John and I once
carried together to try to let the darkness go. I asked the fans to remember
John's birthday, not the day of his passing. When people asked how I felt
about the killer of my husband, I have always told them that I didn't think
about that day anymore. I wanted to look to the future, and not to remember
that horrible moment. But in actual fact, the memory of that night has never
left me for the last twenty years.
It was so cruel. So unjust. My husband did not deserve this. He was in
no way ready to die. He was feeling good with the prospect of doing a
concert tour after making the album which became his last. He would have
gladly changed his position with the "subject," and live the life of
protection that the "subject" enjoys now. Even in confinement, my husband
John would have cherished hearing voices of people he loved, enjoyed
creating songs, and simply appreciated watching the sky and its changes
through the seasons. John cannot do any of that now.
His family and the world rested because justice was finally done by the
court. The "subject" was imprisoned. If he were to be released now, many
will feel betrayed. Anger and fear would rise again.
It would also give a "go" signal to the others who would like to follow
in the footsteps of the "subject" to receive world attention. I am afraid it
will bring back the nightmare, the chaos and confusion once again. Myself
and John's two sons, would not feel safe for the rest of our lives. People
who are in positions of high visibility and outspokenness such as John,
would also feel unsafe.
Finally, it will not be safe for the "subject" himself. He will cease
to have the security that the State provides him now. I understand that he
has been isolated from other prisoners because of the threat of possible
harm to him. Well, there are more people in the outside world who are
strongly distressed about what he has done. They would feel that it is
unfair that the "subject" is rewarded with a normal life while John lost
his. Violence begets violence. If it is at all possible, I would like us to
not create a situation which may bring further madness and tragedy to the
world.
I thank you in advance for your wise and just decision. I am, |