Mail Call; Remembering John

Readers mourned the loss, after 25 years, of John Lennon. One called him a "genius" and another said, "His voice echoes through generations." Others defended Paul McCartney against Yoko Ono's criticisms. Argued one, "Paul is not only the greater artist, he is the greater man."

Lennon's Legacy I want to congratulate Jeff Giles on his fair and balanced depiction of John Lennon and his legacy ("Lennon Lives," Nov. 28). It was refreshing to see an author resist the temptation to repeat the myths that we have heard for the past 25 years and set the record straight: that John Lennon is--and will forever be--remembered first and foremost as the leader of the Beatles, not for his solo career. The typical Lennon fan is aging fast, but there will always be new generations who discover the Beatles. John Lennon may have been tired of his Beatles past and Yoko Ono may talk joylessly about it, but as the record sales show, it is this part of his career that still matters most to people.

Doris Obst,Nuremberg, Germany

I was delighted to read the wonderful article about John Lennon because in my youth the Beatles were my dream. I was once visiting Paris when the Beatles held a concert there. People were excited in a way I've never seen before. Of the Beatles, John Lennon was the best, so it is a little surprising that as a solo composer he was not so successful. It is a pity he died so young.

Jozsef Majevszk, Szigetszentmiklos, Hungary

I remember to this day the hollowed-out feeling I had the day when John Lennon was killed. No one who has listened to the lyrics of "Imagine" would question his genius. But it seems that John can never be remembered without the tireless question being asked: "Who was greater, John or Paul?" We will never know if John, like Paul, would have continued to create music that speaks to our soul. But what we do know is that both were able, through their music, to connect us to that spark of divinity that tells us we are not alone. The price that artists of this caliber pay can be high--they can lose their lives. John's extreme sensitivity made him self-destructive. Paul's gave him the courage to live the life of a good man. He cherished his wife Linda until the day she died. And he provided a home life away from the spotlight for his children, which resulted in all of them being able to reach their own potential. He continues to give his all to his fans during his transcending concerts, and he uses his fame to promote the causes he believes in. To me, Paul is not only the greater artist, he is the greater man.

Gail Cawsey, Fawnskin, California

Why is it that so few people seem to be able to praise John Lennon without knocking Paul McCartney? Jeff Giles chides McCartney for "behaving like a child" and says that he "reliably takes the bait and flinches" whenever Yoko Ono says something to the effect of McCartney's being the Salieri to Lennon's Mozart. Yet there is no condemnation of Ono's statements as being crass, mean-spirited and just plain wrong. Since Lennon's tragic death, it has become all too common for people to deify him and his music at the expense of McCartney, who was every bit as vital to the success of the Beatles as John Lennon. It's a shame that an entire generation will grow up ignorant of that because of Ono's longstanding grudge against McCartney and the media's all too easily accepting it as fact.

Jim Schmaltz, St. Louis, Missouri

John Lennon felt obligated to load some of his songs with strong messages against injustice in this world. His voice has reached millions of ears, and it echoes through generations. He didn't mind mixing art with politics as long as it benefited the world. Now every time I hear a new song from another new singer, I feel that the singer doesn't give a damn about what happens in the real world. A song that reaches millions of people should touch on current world issues, at least occasionally, not just entertain personal emotional indulgences all the time.

Saptono Istiawan, Jakarta, Indonesia

As a 15-year-old who recently discovered the Beatles, I want to thank NEWSWEEK for providing me with a chance to read about one of the talented four. I learned more about John Lennon's life, the good and the bad, and got to see other people's opinions of him. The article was a well-deserved tribute to a musical genius. Thank you for keeping Lennon's legacy alive.

Katy Hagan, Hatboro, Pennsylvania

Fareed Zakaria argues that recent riots in France were due to social inequality, mostly having to do with unemployment ("Europe Needs a New Identity," Nov. 21). As a frequent visitor to Europe, I reckon this is true. Yet Zakaria is equally adamant that the economic stagnation of Europe is due to a lack of workers, and that only an increase of immigration would help solve the problem. When as many as 30 percent (sometimes up to 40 percent) of Europe's ethnic immigrants cannot find jobs, it defies common sense to have new diasporas. Your subsequent article "It's About Jobs" perpetuates this notion. I believe it is the general lackadaisical attitude toward work that is causing Europe's economy to languish, not the shortage of immigrants.

Venze Chern, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

Fareed Zakaria notes that "the centers of [European] society remain tightly knit, insular and largely homogeneous." This is only to be expected from cultures that have been "largely homogeneous" for the last 1,000-plus years. He doesn't see any problems with other countries, notably Japan, to which this applies even more than it does Europe. He also says, "Europeans claim to have given up their old national identities." But ask any German, Swede or Slovak where they are from and they will not say Europe, but Germany, Sweden or Slovakia. This is not like expecting an American to say he is a Nebraskan first and an American second. Two hundred years ago there was no place called Nebraska. The culture of certain European countries dates back over a millennium--that can't be erased in a decade by some treaty enacted by bureaucrats in Brussels. Zakaria also contends that "the only real solution" to a lack of workers in Europe is "some increased immigration." European countries are reeling from massive unemployment due to restrictive labor laws coupled with punishing payroll taxes, leading to excruciatingly high levels of unemployment. Inviting more workers in, especially if they are undereducated, is asking for trouble. Europe has enough of that.

Marc Emory, Ratingen, Germany