Yearlong Song Challenge, Day 122: Joe

Prompt: "You have some fucking BALLS for picking this song for this particular reason"

Selected by Joe

"May Your Dreams Come True"

John Hinckley

Redemption, 2023

This is a true story: I have sent numerous emails to John Hinckley, and have received no reply. And if I'm being honest, if I don't receive a reply soon, then I'm going to have to do something extreme in order to impress him.

Even more extreme than embed one of his songs on this blog. No, I'm talking about something really drastic. Any suggestions?

I like the idea of a guy who once upon a time tried to kill Regan is now a guy on Twitter who makes pretty okay folk music. It really puts the thumb down on the idea of our penal system being designed to reform instead of to punish. If we're really going to use the "reform" angle as an excuse for overpopulating prisons, then we're also gonna have to be okay with the idea of the dude who tried to murder a sitting U.S. President to impress Jodie Foster being certifiably reformed and legally allowed to release music on his YouTube channel.

I don't really understand why this guy's concerts were cancelled a few years ago. If we're taking the concert promoters at their word, and that they were cancelled to "protect vulnerable populations," then who exactly are those vulnerable populations? It was never clarified. I feel like ultimately they are referring to conservative snowflakes who are so upset at the idea of the guy who tried to kill their precious trickle-down dude that they feel like they have no choice but to call in threats of violence? Is this who they are talking about? Because Hinckley was choosing to be present, and so were the audience members, and if you felt like they needed protection, you'd just beef up security instead of taking away their artistic freedom, right?

Is it so hard to imagine that someone might make a (rather egregious) mistake due to mental illness and then be rehabilitated after 40 years of therapy? I consider it easy to imagine. And it's pretty rich to hear a Regan-loving motherfucker talk shit on this, since that same type of motherfucker is going to be the motherfucker who bitches and moans about people getting "cancelled." No matter how heinous the crime, there is always a way to come back. May the hurdles of redemption match the heinousness of the crime, sure, no doubt. But I think that four decades and consistent regret and reparation and no judicial fears of regression are all more than enough in combination to say that John Hinckley has earned redemption. If that redemption looks like writing some simple-to-a-fault folk songs and painting some amateur portraits of his cat, then all the better.

And honestly, if he's spending all his time writing love songs and painting his cat, then I don't see why he wouldn't have a couple spare minutes to write for Puke on Your Birthday. I'm not asking him to write a goddamn blog post. Just a few words. I just wanted him to pick an album for Record Club or something, ya know? And it's not like I'm stalking. He freely provided his email address on his Twitter account. I sent personal and well-written emails to him at that email address. I was respectful in content and in tone. I don't understand why he continues to ignore me. I don't get it! It frustrates me! I need to do something to make him notice me! Goddamn it! Fuck!

So I will keep writing, in the hopes that he eventually notices me. In addition to choosing this song today to get his attention, I have also written a poem for him, which I will now insert below.

I desire

I desire

I pledge allegiance to the thought

That your blogging is all that matters

And your gestures have the power

To bring the whole world to its knees

Don't let me torment you

Don't let me bring you down

Don't ever let me hurt you

Don't let me fail because

I desire your attention

I desire your perfect blog

I desire nothing more than this

To give you happiness

Could become a lifetime goal

A smile I might bring you

Is more important than world peace

Don't let me torment you

Don't let me bring you down

Don't ever let me hurt you

Don't let me fail because

I desire your attention

I desire your perfect love

I desire nothing more
Except maybe help with our music club or whatever

I pledge allegiance to the fact

That you're wise to walk away

For nothing is more dangerous

Than desire when it's wrong

Don't let me torment you

Don't let me bring you down

Don't ever let me hurt you

Don't let me fail because

I desire your attention

I desire your perfect blog

I desire nothing more

I desire your attention

I desire your perfect blog

I desire nothing more or less

I desire

I desire

I desire

I desire

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