Bowling for Columbine

After watching a documentary “ Bowling for Columbine” by Michael Moore. This documentary was only opened in limited number of theatres, and there are even some states where it’s not being showed at all. Bowling for Columbine examined the American culture, and one of the biggest question that kept coming up was ‘Why he United states has 12,127 murder per year while every other major western country, from Canada to Japan to Great Britain, have gun killing in the low hundreds or less. In fact, each has a murder rate less than 1/10 that of the U.S. the film, for example, points out how Canada has almost the same number of guns per capita, 7 million guns for 10 million families, and that people in all of the western countries have access to the same violent games, movies and pornography that Americans do. Some countries have more of it than America. So why is there such a dramatically higher level of gun violence here?
Moore makes sure to look at all levels of American society for the answers. He tried on confronting different people and giving their point of view of the situation, with the pressure of the camera. Specializes in confronting corporate PR hacks, and trying to pressure them on camera, was a great method to use. But one thing that surprised me not only does Moore not settle for blaming working people, and often given flimsy reason for the high levels of gun violence in America-violent movies and video games, Marilyn Manson, etc. He also appropriately points to the racism that is integral to much of the paranoia about crime, the blatant opportunism of the media and the violence of U.S. foreign policy.
Marilyn Manson who suggests that the media, corporate America and current government policy work together to maintain a continual cycle of what Manson describes as “fear and consumption”. Americans have learned to fear “the other”- black and minorities, their neighbours, killer bees from Africa, and of course Arabs. Murder and other crimes are significantly dropping, yet guns, security devices and gated community purchases have been significantly rising, and media coverage of violent crimes has risen 600% during a time when the actual levels of these crimes have dropped 20%. The film makes the case that by being bombarded with advertising that plays on peoples’ fears and personal insecurities; Americans are induced to consume to feel better.
Bowling for Columbine is definitely entertaining and thought provoking, and stone-cold silence during the tragic and horrifying sequences, such as the viewing of the security camera takes during Columbine High School Massacre.

Bowling for Columbine By Michael Moore