A Fruitless Discussion

Can we sit down together and talk
About the thing that has us all in shock.
I think that something must be done
About the situation with the guns.
All this violence, all this death
All these innocents and their final breath.
I have to believe that this was not the intent,
This can't be what the founding fathers meant.
All this tragedy, this harm
Was what they meant to "bear arms?"

Oh here we go ahead, dear Lord

This argument makes me so bored.

Every time someone gets nicked

The whole issue gets politicked.

I'm an American, you Commie pink

I can't believe that you think

You'll ever take my guns away.

You will die that very day.

I need my guns to protect what's mine

And hunt the ducks and deer so fine.

I understand, I really do

I don't want to take them away from you.

I just want to ask, between you and me

When was the last time that you did see

A hundred deer storm from their den

So you needed bullets that never end?

Those founding fathers couldn't know

How damaging these guns could grow.

I don't care what you try to say

You're trying to take my guns away.

Guns don't kill people, people do

That's a maxim that is always true.

They also use poison and use knives

Do we ban those to save some lives?

If I really want someone to die

I don't need a gun to kill that guy.

That may be true, but let me be clear

We have a situation here.

There are too many shooting sprees

To even count, unless more than three

Lives are taken in the event.

Even you have to consent

Things have gotten quite out of hand

Some types of weapons must be banned.

I will not agree, you can't make me

Now go away, go hug a tree.

I've had enough of this dumb talk

Excuse me now, I'm going to walk.

Columbine!

Oh here we go...

I'll start with it; it's not the first

But it was certainly one of the worst.

Back in Nineteen Ninety Nine

It's kind of where we draw the line

When this type of thing became much more

When it could happen right next door

Sixty shootings in the three decades before

In the next two decades, almost three hundred more

Blame Marilyn Manson for those two

And the Matrix also added too.

See, these things have always been around.

They were just kept more underground.

They didn't have the internet

To get the people all upset.

We've done this one, don't waste my time

I won't discuss Columbine

If that was the one and only school

Where this happened, I'd accept your rule.

But there were more, and offices

And churches and even parties, yes.

They weren't all affected by movies

Or crazy music. Can't you see?

These were expected, in this land.

Not everyone has nice things planned.

You've got some people filled with hate

And others who got spurned on a date.

They stole the guns or found them hid

The guns didn't do it - the people did.

Virginia Tech in Two Thousand Seven

Youngstown State in Two Oh Eleven

And Illinois, and Arkansas

And Alabama - they all saw

College students on their campus

They shouldn't have to deal with this.

Universities? That's your plan?

The most liberal bastions in the land?

They are out of control at every rate

And have been - remember Kent State?

That was back in sixty six

Colleges can't be thrown in this mix.

Aurora's movie theatre

That guy was crazy, I'm quite sure

Arizona's congresswoman then?

That doesn't count - 'twas a politician.

In DC at the Navy Yard?

Within our own military guard?

And twice at the Army's Foot Hood.

You cannot tell me this is good.

The military is what you show?

You can't use them, don't you know.

They're trained to kill everyone

And you will NEVER get their guns.

Sandy Hook Elementary

Try to explain that one to me

Little kids.  That's just wrong

You can't keep your stance for long

Never happened, don't you see?

It was a media conspiracy.

There is no proof, go check online.

You must be out of your mind.

The Charleston church is another one

Some maniac who has a gun

Or what about in Ferguson? 

Minnesota? What can be done?

 I knew you'd try to throw in race.

Which is the answer in each place.

That part of our society

Speaks only violence, can't YOU see?

They live like thugs, they get lazy

Right and wrong gets quite hazy.

It is the culture that needs the flack.

It is expected - I mean, they're black.

How about San Bernandino?

Muslims.  You know how they go.

What about the one in Orlando?

Gay people.  If someone has to go...

What about Las Vegas then?
I doubt even you can begin

To justify what happened there.

I'm sure that by now you're aware.

The details still are coming in,

But what we've heard is very grim.

Over five hundred hurt as they tried to hide

Nearly sixty people have now died.

The guns were purchased legally

The plan was carried out easily.

How can you possibly try to say

That all of this is still okay?

It was so tragic, I agree

You won't find arguments from me.

The guy was evil, what can I say?

His dad a criminal back in the day.

But it was hidden deep inside

From even his family he could hide.

So how were we supposed to know

Just when this nutter was gonna blow?

Even with some stricter laws

Nothing about him gave us pause.

So, no, we shouldn't limit guns.

We'll talk again with the next one.

Data on history of mass shootings in America were obtained through

Stanford Mass Shootings in America, courtesy of the Stanford Geospatial Center and Stanford Libraries