Gun Violence Continues, By the Way

(I’m working on the music.)

So here we are again

Tears streaming down our cheeks

Another night towns are torn apart

Another day of bloodstained streets

No, I don’t want to hear those hollow wishes

No matter how well intentioned

I don’t want to hear those urgent prayers

‘Cause these won’t bring back the dead or ease a nation

Because it’s the guns, stupid,

It’s the guns, stupid, I say

It’s the guns, stupid,

It’s the guns, stupid, and by the way…

There are those who argue

That mental health is the cause

But mental issues consume every nation

Though only here the carnage flares

‘Cause, it’s the guns, stupid,

It’s the guns, stupid, I say

It’s the guns, stupid,

It’s the guns, stupid, and by the way…

No, NRA, don’t tell me that

“To stop a bad guy with a gun,

It takes a good guy with a gun.”

Hey, NRA, I shout to you that

To stop a bad guy with a gun,

It takes a good voter with a ballot

‘Cause it’s the guns, stupid,

It’s the guns, stupid, I say

It’s the guns, stupid,

It’s the guns, stupid, and by the way…

Some say we need better security in schools

Lock them tight and install detectors

Arm teachers and train them well

Hire more guards and social workers

But can more guns relieve the danger?

It hasn’t worked in the past

More guns just mean more possibilities

That even more lives will be lost

Don’t ever tell me “now’s not the time to talk politics”

Don’t ever tell me to shut my mouth

Don’t ever tell me I don’t know about weapons

For when we’re quiet, the violence mounts

‘Cause it’s the guns, stupid,

It’s the guns, stupid, I say

It’s the guns, stupid,

It’s the guns, stupid, and by the way…

Some blame the violence on fatherless homes

Some blame it on too few cops on the beat

Some blame it on video games

And some blame it on gangs on the streets

Maybe all these things contribute together

But all these problems exist worldwide

But we must grasp at least deep down

That only in the U.S. do these things collide

We are taught to silence the root problems

But in our hearts we all must know

Ultimately firearms will take down our great nation

So, we must give up the show

Lobbyists claim freedom and liberty to carry

But how free are we when we can’t go to a parade or a play

For freedom and liberty I define differently

As when traveling the streets and our lives aren’t taken away.

Because it’s the guns, stupid,

It’s the guns, stupid, I say

It’s the guns, stupid,

It’s the guns, stupid, and by the way…

Close the shutters and lock your doors,

And now, duck down and cover

Hope the violence will simply go away

So, don’t whisper or even mutter

Don’t trust your neighbors

Don’t go outside and keep alert

Don’t depend on your families and friends of friends

Don’t scream out or even blurt

So, just send prayers and best wishes

Don’t anyone act or forgive,

But this we must now ask ourselves

Is this any way to live?

But it’s the guns, stupid,

It’s the guns, stupid, I say

It’s the guns, stupid,

It’s the guns, stupid, and by the way

But when we look aside,

The violent cycle continues

And by the way

And by the way

—

This Post is republished on Medium.

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