One of the reasons I joke about things like beating people with a shillelagh is because it comes so naturally to the human animal. We do harbor aggression and we will kill what we don't eat. Sometimes I think that violence in films or comedy is the best indicator of where we are at. Sam Peckinpah had the right idea. 

Of course, Republicans in the US, including the moron Donny Trump Jr., have immediately started saying that the school shooter could have killed 19 kids and two adults if he walked into the school and beat those people to death with a bat. Yes, it is quite possible he has read and took to heart my shillelagh comments. 

Donald Trump, the former president, read off the names of the dead kids at the big NRA gathering the other day with some sort of big bell sound ringing out between each name and then in one of the more surreal moments we've recently had, he danced his way off the stage. 

I know that sounds like I am making it up, but no, it is as real as a bunch of dead kids lying in an American school. The reality is, Donald Trump and Donny Jr. as horrible as they are, remain favorites of the Republican party to run for president of this country...in an election that they are attempting to rig, by not actually counting the votes of the people. 

We live now in a liar's paradise. A massive chunk of our population now prefers lies they enjoy hearing over the truth. So, 21 dead in a mass shooting, no problem, just say the guy just happened to use a gun but he could have done the same thing with a bat. 

You then ask 'When was the last time someone walked into a school and in a matter of minutes beat to death 21 people with a bat? Or walked into any place and beat 21 people to death with a bat?"

Waiting...

OK, so the answer is never. This is because it never happens. It is a lot of work to beat a single person to death, never mind 21 people who are screaming and running away from you. Olympic athletes could get nowhere close to that. 

The best Irish stick fighter in the entire world could not do that.  

So, the liars will say the solution is MORE guns. They say this idiotic nonsense about a "good guy" with a gun will stop a "bad guy" with a gun. This is basically, a giant lie. The fact is we have millions and millions of guns out there on our streets. With all these guns out there, and guns readily available in at least 30 states with absolutely nothing to prevent you from carrying one, concealed legally, well how much gun violence is stopped by all these great gun owners with guns? The supposed "good guys" with their guns?

It must be huge right? Because every Republican politician out there wants more people to carry a gun with them everywhere they go and they keep saying more guns is there answer. So, it must be at least 75% of gun violence is ended by a good guy with a gun...nope, not 75%. 

50% then? Nope.

But we have millions and millions of guns out there now in the hands of good gun owners....how can this be?

25%? No.

15%? No, still wrong.

10%? It has to be at least 10% of gun related violence is being stopped by all the good guys with guns? No, that would be wrong.

The correct number is 3%. 

So, what will happen if you put even more guns out there on our streets? Sold legally to supposed "good" gun owners? More people will die from gun violence. That's the cold hard truth. 

And Republicans and the NRA love this. They love dead kids because the more kids murdered by guns, the more guns get sold, and the more people vote for Republicans that will not do anything to change gun laws. 

Dead children are fantastic for Republican politicians and gun owners. They can't wait for the next slaughter because there is money to be made and the votes, which they hope to soon no longer have to count, will pour in. 

A friend of mine wrote this song about our situation that is far more eloquent than anything I have to say, enjoy....