Alito Channels John Lennon
John Lennon, singing
Conservative Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. probably wouldn’t see eye-to-eye with late Beatle John Lennon on too many issues, but that didn’t stop him making a lengthy reference to one of the musician’s songs in a decision issued today.
In a ruling that allows a town in Utah to decide what public monuments – including religious ones – it wants to put in its park, Alito cited the memorial to Lennon in New York’s Central Park. It includes a mosaic spelling out the word “Imagine.”
“Some observers may ‘imagine’ the musical contributions that John Lennon would have made if he had not been killed,” Alito wrote. “Others may think of the lyrics of the Lennon song that obviously inspired the mosaic and may “imagine” a world without religion, countries, possessions, greed or hunger.”
Alito then helpfully included the entire lyrics to the song in a footnote.
Anyway, the point he was getting at is that monuments can be interpreted by different people in many ways. That doesn’t mean that the government endorses every interpretation when it allows a monument to be erected, the justice added.
Perhaps it will be more of a challenge to reference “I Am The Walrus” next time. Goo-goo-ga-joob.
Lawrence Hurley 