On what might have been her 44th wedding anniversary with John Lennon, peace activist Yoko Ono has tweeted a graphic reminder about gun violence in the United States – her photograph of Lennon’s blood-stained glasses.
The 80-year-old artist repeatedly posted the picture with the message that “over 1,057,000 people have been killed by guns in the USA since John Lennon was shot and killed on 8 Dec 1980”.
The same image appeared on the cover of her first solo album, Season of Glass, which was released in 1981 and had the songs Goodbye Sadness and I Don’t Know Why.
She reminded her 3.6 million Twitter followers that “31,537 people are killed by guns in the USA every year”.
“We are turning this beautiful country into war zone,” she wrote. “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.”
Ono’s tweets come as one of the toughest and most vehemently opposed gun control bills is being formulated and debated in Congress.
This week the National Rifle Association claimed a significant victory after it was announced that the bill would not include a proposed ban on assault weapons.
Assault guns were used in the mass shooting sprees at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut and at a cinema in Aurora, Colorado.
Although many famous names have already lent their celebrity status to lobby for gun control after the massacres, Ono’s name is the most synonymous with anti-violence messages.
Her latest exhibition War is Over! (If You Want It) comprises of five decades of art works centred around messages of peace, and was named after a poster made by Ono and Lennon, which first appeared in 1969 across public billboards in 12 cities worldwide.
The exhibition is due to open in Sydney for four months as part of the 2013-14 Sydney International Art Series, starting November 15.
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– Sydney Morning Herald
