I’m not Bill O’Reilly, I’m not the type of guy who gets upset with music, yet a new song is pissing people off, and not just Bill O’Reilly

Emmure are at the centre of a furious backlash after revealing a song on their sixth album was called Bring A Gun To School.

The lyrics to the opening number on Eternal Enemies haven’t been revealed, so it’s not known how the band have addressed the controversial issue of school shootings.

But the title alone has led former guitarist Ben Lionetti to slam his ex-bandmates, and in particular frontman Frankie Palmeri – and he’s threatened to sue them for damaging his reputation and for unpaid earnings.

Lionetti says: “I’m a little let down that the members would let that piece of garbage call a song ‘Bring A Gun To School,’ not to mention their management.

“I find it disgusting and pathetic. I don’t care if it’s just a title – to a young boy or girl who doesn’t know the difference, it’s poison.

“They just see dollar signs – and you kids keep buying it. So sad. At least now I’ll have no regrets when I slam them, their management and Victory Records with lawsuits from now until the end of time. Whether I win or not, my mission is now to take what is rightfully mine.”

In response to the publicity surrounding the song, Victory removed the name from the album’s pre-order page and replaced it with “(Untitled)”.

Opinion over school shootings is strongly divided in the US. After the most recent spate of murders the pro-gun lobby has argued that armed guards should patrol educational establishments, and even that teachers should carry weapons, while the anti-gun side has called for tighter restrictions on who is given access to guns.

Emmure have previously caused controversy when Palmeri designed a shirt bearing the slogan “Shoot First Ask Questions Last” in connection to the 1999 Columbine massacre, in which 13 people were killed and 27 wounded by students Eric Harris and Dylan Kiebold, who then committed suicide.
Source: http://www.teamrockradio.com/news/emmure-in-bring-a-gun-to-school-backlash

What a bunch of nonsense, IT’S JUST A SONG, PEOPLE! Does a young boy not know the difference? Of course he does! I listen to some of  Marylin Manson’s songs, do you see me worshiping Satan? I loved Superman as a kid, did you see me jumping off buildings? Children can and do learn to separate fantasy from reality. Consider this, you’re 8-years-old, you see a wonderful commercial for a brand new toy, then you buy it and find out it’s not as cool and you thought it would be. What happens then? You become more skeptical of the next toy commercial, you learn to control your impulse to buy things, you become more selective.

Mass shootings are the acts of sick individual, it’s normal to have a dark fantasy, it’s abnormal to carry it out. It’s normal to be obsessed with a celebrity, it’s abnormal to become her stalker.