Michael Moore

"Taking an aim back at America"

Bowling For Columbine is a well-directed documentary that informs people about gun violence in America. Michael Moore is successful in showing that America has been going through many gun tragedies; and portrays the sense that America's problems are out of control. He conveys this through informative facts, images, and comparisons.

Throughout the film Michael Moore throws many cold facts on the screen that makes it obvious that the strong nation of America is unruly. One of the facts that stand out the most is the number of deaths caused by guns in America per year. In comparison to the other countries, America has an outstanding of 11,127 gun related deaths a year. This is ten times more than all the countries together that are mentioned in the documentary. With this extreme comparison it shows that there is something in America that is making people turn on their fellow man and shoot them in the head. On April 19, 1999 two boys Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, went to school and killed 12 students and one teacher. Michael Moore does not really need to go further than just stating these few words to show how incredibly devastating this day was. How have the social standards reduced themselves to a world where two high school students feel that they have the right to bring firearms to school and open fire? One is reminded of an old saying, "like father like son." The American government can be seen as the father to all the citizens in America. Michael Moore took time in his documentary to show a bit of America's violent history, and its violent present. A perfect example is that just before Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold shot up the school, America was dropping bombs on Kosovo. In addition, it was the most bombs dropped in that war. If the father, the almighty American government cannot keep its composure, why does it expect its children the citizens to be able to keep theirs? The development of an image of what the nation of America truly looks like.

Michael Moore tries to prove his point by showing images that are very intense. The most intense image in my mind is the picture of a deformed child who has experienced the wrath of Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols after bombing the federal government building in Oklahoma City. It can be concluded that Timothy and Terry did not have the intention of hurting children; rather they were after the federal government. This is the problem in our society; Timothy and Terry were willing to sacrifice the souls of young children for their own cause, portraying a lot about their wild violent minds. Moreover the picture of the destroyed building in which 168 people died, shows so much recklessness. The fact that two men were able to organize a mass destruction portrays the undisciplined mindset that they are in at the time of the crime, such acts of violence lays the ground work for the film showing how America is basically repeating the past. Now that an image of America is finally developed, Moore goes on to look at how America compares to other countries.

Michael Moore compares American society to many other different countries. The comparison that stands out the most is the one between American society and Canadian society. Moore compares what comes on