Bowling for Colombine Essay

Submitted By emardr
Words: 839
Pages: 4

Bowling For Columbine

1. Moore has many 'Big Ideas' in this documentary but in the end they all boil down to one main idea, "why is America so violent?" I think this idea comes from his research that he has done on the difference in violence between Canada and America. He draws many conclusions to this question such as culture, music, media, and mental illness, and shows it in many different ways and examples such as interviewing Marilyn Manson, and comparing American and Canadian news. In my opinion, I think Moore sounds more like a sociologist. I believe this because he makes many refrences to the culture that people are being surrounded by, or in a bigger picture, America in general.
2. I find Michael Moore's idea about the television and the violence shown on television and in the media to be the most convincing. In my opinion it had the most 'evidence' and it was the most believable. Looking at the difference between the media in Canada and America it becomes clear that there is a unclouded difference in what is being shown and talked about. America shows bad things that have happened and things to scare people, whereas Canadian media shows mostly the issues about the world/country.

3. I believe the Marilyn Manson interview had the most impact in the movie. I believe this because it shows how the supposed 'cause' of this shooting, and a person who on a first impression you would think is a hateful person really cares about the thoughts and feelings of the people living in Littleton, Colorado. When asked what he would say to the people who have been affected by the shooting he answered "listen, because that's what nobody else has done." Manson shows Michael Moore that he does not believe that he is the cause of the shooting without saying it and he even says that he understands why people blame him. He suprises everybody by being simpathetic and understanding towards the people affected unlike other people that Moore interviewed.

4. I do not believe that the stores should be blamed very much for the tragedy. I believe that selling the ammunition to people under 25 is not right but on the other hand they sell to millions of people and most of them do not end up in somebody being killed. Although many people want to blame the stores I do not believe that they should be blamed because they did not sell the bullets with then intent of or the knowledge that the boys were going to go out and do what they did.

5. The signifigance of the title of this documentary "Bowling for Colombine" is mainly because of the fact that Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold went bowling the morning of the shooting. Ironiclly, the other students that were in their bowling class said that the boys didn't really participate in the class and "chucked the balls down the lanes"
6. I believe that Moore is trying to make the point that he believes that the main reason for situations and incidents like this. Lockheed Martin is making and distributing heavy dubty arms that should not be available to the public. Moore believes this and he wants to get his idea across to everybody and raise awareness