Not The Onion, But Totally Ridiculous

This is just too odd (sad?) to not share. So John Hinckley Jr. - the guy who tried to kill President Ronald Reagan - is working on a music career. Hinckley is playing a concert July 8 in Brooklyn, NY. Apparently the show is sold out. Now, maybe folks are just going out of gross curiosity, but really?

Hinckley covers songs by artists like Elvis and does originals too. He was released from prison in 2016. He should still be in prison, but that's just my cold, dark heart talking.

John Hinckley Jr., who attempted to assassinate then-President Ronald Reagan in 1981, is trying his luck at a music career after being released from over three decades of confinement in psychiatric care, booking his first gig this summer in Bushwick. https://t.co/nf3Rs9jWSw

— Brooklyn Paper (@brooklynpaper) April 11, 2022

Brooklyn's Market Hotel defends John Hinckley Jr. booking https://t.co/Ug4ZUgvmrY pic.twitter.com/RMJqD0g6o1

— Stereogum (@stereogum) April 11, 2022

Comments

[Him]

I think this one is a bit tough to gauge. He served time for psych issues. He was released after a thorough review.

So what does the guy that tried to impress Foster do with his life? Hmm. Difficult one. Work at Subway? Drive for Uber? Crawl in a hole? I mean, he makes a bit of a living (how much?) off his notoriety. And, clearly, a venue and some fans(?) want to book and see this. Me? Not so much.

But what happens when you have served your time? Are you expected to disappear? At the same time, again, how are you going to integrate back into society on some level? I dunno. I guess if making music brings him joy and others want to support it, who am I to complain?

The justice system is often not fair, nor blind. And once you are free, society at large often doesn't abide by what that same system decides. So, in a certain sense, I feel for Hinckley. And that in no way mitigates against what he did (as his is a clear case of doing what he did, being judged incompetent, being denied parole several times, etc.).. However, he did his time. So now what?

Let me put it this way: I feel better about people going to see him perform than I do about people buying JWG's clown art.