Exploring the Culture of Gun Violence in America: Bowling for Columbine Investigates

Abstract

Bowling for Columbine Bowling for Columbine is a documentary film done in 2002 which won the Academy Award for best documentary. The documentary was written by Michael Moore, who also produced, directed, and did the narration. Bowling for Columbine talks about the possible causes of gun violence in the United States of America. The narration focuses on happenings that took place in Columbine High School in 1999. The documentary focuses on the circumstances under which the said massacre took place, considering public opinions and the assumptions relating to the gun control regulations in the United States of America. The narrator further suggested that the shootings are a larger part of the American culture that is usually enveloped with fear and a need to own guns for protection and a false sense of security. Further, Moore argues that the American culture is very insecure that most likely they happen violently when things happen. Several other people are interviewed in the documentary. Among them includes the Columbine shooting survivors, some members of the Michigan militia, the K-mart officials of whom some sold the bullets, and the president of the National Rifle Association. Moore did all these interviews were done in trying to answer one question; why is the crime rate, especially crimes associated with firearms, substantially higher than those of other nations? Gun control is a legal measure that is usually intended to prevent guns' possession and use, mainly firearms. In most the developed countries, gun control is generally strict and firm, typically uncontroversial. It is not unusual to find fraught political issues surrounding gun control in other nations citing that guns are necessary for safety against dangerous infringement of personal liberty. America falls under this category whereby America leads to the controversy surrounding gun possession regardless of having well constitutionally protected gun possession regulations. Unfortunately, murders committed with guns are widespread, and America leads in the highest number of homicides by firearms among the developed countries. For this reason, Moore tries to evaluate why the American people result in violence and have made violence their culture. In Bowling for Columbine, the documentary opens with the statement that 'it was another typical morning…the president bombed another country… and two boys went bowling in the morning'. The documentary's opening focuses on why it is that people have mindsets that something terrible is bound to happen, and they need to have themselves armed around the clock? To get the answers, Moore has used rhetorical fiction, in which one question leads to the next, and the solutions make the film amazingly complex. The film tends to educate so many people and give insights into what happens in America as far as gun ownership is concerned. The film provides exciting revelations about gun ownership in that it is possible to 'open a bank account to get a free gun' in Colorado. Therefore, bowling for Columbine is not only entertaining but also very educative. The film's interviews were quite strange, but the most important thing was that they were very revealing. The narrator, Moore, managed to make good connections between Lockheed Martin, the world's most excellent weapons manufacturer in [City, State], and the Columbine shootings. As far as Gun control is concerned, it was therefore in good faith that the shootings occurred considering that they happened near Lockheed Martin’s. Upon watching the movie, one cannot fail to connect the story of the six-year-old boy who shot a six-year-old girl. The happenings took place near the boy’s depressed hometown of [City, State]. The connection to this is the welfare to work program that forced the boy’s mother to work and leave her children unattended, which portrays what racism could be in the United States of America. In a democratic and liberal country, people still loathe the blacks and praise racism. The truth is that the film has educated its viewers that some habits are passed from one generation to another. Kids are usually very observant of their seniors and extend what they learn from their parents and their communities to others. This translates to violence and other vices like feeding patterns and habits, and virtues too. Sowed negativity in children usually reaps negativity in behaviors and attitudes. Therefore, the film's primary purpose is to expose the United States' preoccupation with guns and scare tactics whereby fear is the main drive for owning guns. Unfortunately, the film highlighted loopholes to gun ownership whereby kids bought bullets and...