Writing here in Liverpool, the US can sometimes feel very far away, and sometimes just round the corner. Certainly last week, on December 8th, Liverpool and New York seemed very close together as we remembered the death - and life, of John Lennon, which was an incredible 25 years ago,
As fans and mourners gathered at the crime scene in New York, and crowds gathered in Liverpool to remember their fallen hero, it was easy to feel united, even if just for a few moments. John Lennon was an ordinary man, and in the scheme of things his death are no more valid than those of any other victim of crime. Certainly, anyone with a career in criminal justice has a duty to give every victim the same treatment.
However this crime scene has become a shrine to an ordinary Liverpool lad who was born with a phenomenal musical talent, and who represented both how much ordinary people can achieve, and how they can also try to use their voice for good. True, he was no saint, but he was an inspiration.
I am certainly proud that he came from Liverpool, but as we remember this extraordinary victim of a sadly very ordinary, senseless crime, we should remember all victims and the work of the ordinary people with a career in criminal justice who try to make a difference.
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