Yoko Ono has issued a plea for peace amid the toll of gun violence on the 36th anniversary of her late husband John Lennon’s murder; Lennon was shot and killed by Mark David Chapman on this day (Dec. 8, 1980) outside of his home at the Dakota in New York City.
In a message posted on her website, Imagine Peace, and on Facebook, Ono posted a plea to “bring back America, the green land of Peace,” along with an image of Lennon’s blood-stained eyeglasses.
“Dear Friends,” she wrote. “Every day, 91 Americans are killed with guns. We are turning this beautiful country into a War Zone. Together, let’s bring back America, the green land of Peace. The death of a loved one is a hollowing experience. After 36 years, our son Sean and I still miss him.”
The photo also stated that more than 1,200,000 people were killed by guns since Lennon’s death in 1980.
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Write to Cady Lang at cady.lang@timemagazine.com