Bono and The Edge joined Yoko Ono yesterday for the inaugural New York John Lennon Day, which marks the 40th anniversary of the Beatle getting his US Green Card.
A brilliant gallery of shots can be found at [link]imaginepeace.com/archives/21396[/link]
"They let him, stay and he is still here, Yoko, he is still here!" said Bono
at the unveiling of a Yellow Submarine tapestry on Ellis Island. "I am resisting the temptation but only barely to claim John Lennon as one more Irish immigrant to an island that's crawling with Irish immigrants... but I'm going to actually. Let's claim him. In fact, let's claim all the Beatles not as immigrants but as Irish."
He also noted that, "In the mid-’70s, John told people that New York taxi drivers asked him two questions most frequently; 'When are The Beatles getting back together? And what’s the latest in your immigration case?'"
Yoko, who's helped Amnesty International raise $5 million by giving them the rights to record cover versions of his post-Fab Four songs, replied: "I remember how proud and happy he was to be able to stay in the US. I'm sure John would have felt great to have a New York day. He was really, really concerned about what's happening in the world, and he knew that what we do in America is really going to affect the whole world. I just wish John was with us. Please be kind, be peaceful and be loving."