Talk:Mark David Chapman

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NPOV, non encyclopediatic, non referenced[change source]

I have removed the following text from the article:

His name is sometimes used in arguments promoting gun control, but it is also argued that his plan was not to shoot Lennon, but to kill him; if he could not have used a gun, he would likely have tried another way. (Abram's later attack on Harrison supports this argument.) Instead of finding happiness through what he did, Chapman only found greater problems. Even years later, Chapman is hated around the world, by people who still love Lennon and his music.

This is unreferenced, not encyclopediatic, and certainly not NPOV. If it is to be reinserted, please find reliable sources to back it up. Uncle Jerk (talk) 13:15, 13 October 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Here you go - this RS seems to pretty much back up just about everything you've removed. Sure, the phrasing could be improved, but there's your reference. The Rambling Man (talk) 13:29, 13 October 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Well, to be honest, there's nothing about gun control in that article, or Chapman not finding happiness. I think you can probably say something along the lines of:

Many fans of John Lennon have threatened to kill Chapman if he was ever released from prison. In 2000, Mark Chapman claimed that Lennon would have wanted him to be free, saying 'I think he would be liberal, I think he would care,'

That sounds fine to me. Uncle Jerk (talk) 13:32, 13 October 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Did you read the image caption - a "gun control" poster featuring the anniversary of Lennon's death? The Rambling Man (talk) 13:34, 13 October 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Edit Conflict:Edit: Sorry, just seen the yoko ono gun control poster at the top. Ok, how about:

His name has been used in arguments promoting gun control, claiming that he would not have killed Lennon if he could not get a gun. Many fans of John Lennon have threatened to kill Chapman if he was ever released from prison. In 2000, Mark Chapman claimed that Lennon would have wanted him to be free, saying 'I think he would be liberal, I think he would care,'

I don't reckon there's any basis that Mark Chapman would have killed Lennon with, say, a crossbow if he couldn't get a gun. You might as well suggest that Lee Harvey Oswald would have leapt from the window and stabbed Kennedy to death with a sharp piece of wood. Uncle Jerk (talk) 13:36, 13 October 2009 (UTC)[reply]

That suggests that Oswald did kill Kennedy at all...! No, you're right, there seems little chance (I've looked) of finding a decent source to suggest he would have used another way of killing Lennon. He was even lead quote Catcher in the Rye himself, saying the lead character did" have a violent thought of shooting someone, of emptying a revolver into this fellow's stomach, someone that had done him wrong". The Rambling Man (talk) 13:48, 13 October 2009 (UTC)[reply]
It's true - there's insufficient "grassy knoll" mentions on the JFK page. But I'm happy with that text: I'll add that, along with the Guardian source - unless anyone has any further objections? Uncle Jerk (talk) 13:51, 13 October 2009 (UTC)[reply]
It's also quite amusing that Mark Chapman's page is twice the size of JFK's one! That might have to be my next target to expand: I reckon JFK probably did a bit more than MDC... Uncle Jerk (talk) 13:53, 13 October 2009 (UTC)[reply]
That's the joy of Simple English Wikipedia. Plenty of big topics to expand. The Rambling Man (talk) 13:55, 13 October 2009 (UTC)[reply]