Columbine High School Massacre and Moore Essay

Submitted By shaydowling
Words: 1473
Pages: 6
Open Document
Bowling For Columbine Essay – Shay Dowling

Michael Moore’s documentary Bowling for Columbine has at its core the horrendous events that occurred at Columbine High School in 1999 when two students killed and injured both peers and a staff member on campus. However, Moore uses this tragedy as a starting point to explore the United States’ history and culture of violence and other important social issues such as gun control. Moore delivers definite statements about this issue and manipulates aspects such as film language and selection of detail to position viewers to accept his social commentary.

One issue Moore chooses to focus on is gun related crime and violence / gun control and ownership laws in the United States. A number of aspects within the documentary relate to this issue, an early scene depicts how Moore discovered a bank in Michigan that would give customers a free hunting rifle when they open a new bank account. Moore goes into the bank, fills out the paper work, and receives the gun without any major expectations or tests. Moore then interviews the local militia, they believe that it is the responsibility of an American citizen to own a gun and protect them selves. After that, he interviews a man named James Nichols, and shows that he isn’t mentally stable. Towards the end of the interview Nichols shows Moore a loaded gun that he sleeps with under his pillow, he then puts the cocked gun to his temple, Moore tells him not to, and Nichols just laughs and says “Its loaded, its safe”. This shows how lenient laws are concerning guns, and how easily it is for any American to obtain a gun. Michael Moore sees this issue in relation to gun laws, as unacceptable and irresponsible. Moore makes the point that James Nichols is not the only person like him who has easy and legal access to a deadly firearm.

At the centre of the documentary, Moore tells the story of the horrific events that occurred at Columbine high school on the 20th of April 1999. Two senior students embarked on a shooting spree in which a total of 12 students and one teacher were murdered. They also injured 21 other students directly, with 3 further people being injured while attempting to escape the school. The pair then committed suicide. In this scene it shows the school camera footage of the shooting, while 911 calls are playing over the top. This horrific scene shocks the viewer and positions them to feel sympathy towards the victims of the shooting, and shows them how bad gun violence really is. The shooting sparked debate over gun control laws, the availability of firearms within the United States and gun violence involving youths. Moore makes the point that if guns/ammunition were not so easily obtained by youth, this shooting most likely would have never occurred.

Towards the end, Moore takes two Columbine victims, Mark and Richard to Kmart headquarters in Troy, Michigan, to claim a refund on the bullets still in their bodies. After a number of attempts to evade the issue, Moore and the victims then go to the nearest Kmart store, purchase all of their ammunition, and return the next day with several members of the media. Moore is extremely effective in using the media to get his point across, to the point of shaming this large corporation into submission. A Kmart spokesperson then says that the firm will change its policy and will no longer be selling handgun ammunition in 90 days. Moore shows the viewers that us citizens can make a difference, we are not helpless against corporations’ and the government, we can make a change in the world.

Moore makes the point that laws in the U.S are way to lenient on gun control. Children and any adult without justification can purchase guns and they all stand behind the fact that the U.S's second amendment gives them the right to arms.
Moore's following point is that as a result of the lenient gun laws what you're left with is a nation of millions of gun owners who have access to deadly
Show More

Related Documents: Columbine High School Massacre and Moore Essay

Bowling For Columbine High School Shootings

going through bad and good moment. The Columbine High school shooting is the most tragic event in American history that no one could ever forget. the shooting brought a big trauma for students and teachers.Michael Moore's " Bowling for Columbine," a documentary which alternately humorous and horrifying about the united states. Through this movie Moore attempt to show how the availble of guns leads to many civilians dead whether in school or other places. Moore a member of the National Rifle Asocciation…

Words 205 - Pages 1

Bowling For Columbine Film Analysis

Michael Moore - armed with only a camera and a strong sense of social justice - sets out on a quest to find the truth about whether or not America has a violent soul. The world renowned documentary director presents “Bowling for Columbine”, a film based upon years of controversy and debate regarding the state of firearm ownership in the United States to entertain and position the viewers to consider what the American way really means. A documentary that is both hysterical and heartbreaking in places…

Words 714 - Pages 3

Bowling For Columbine Gun Violence

Bowling for Columbine, published in 2002 by filmmaker Michael Moore, was a documentary that delved into the events of the 1999 school shooting, as well as the broader topic of gun violence in America. To start, the Columbine High School massacre was a school shooting that took place at Columbine, High School in Colorado, USA. The actions of the perpetrators, twelfth grade students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, took the lives of twelve students, and one teacher and injured twenty-four people. Sociology…

Words 378 - Pages 2

Elephant essay

Elephant vs Bowling for Columbine Essay On April 20, 1999 at Columbine High School in the State of Colorado, two senior students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered twelve students and one teacher. They injured a total of 24 additional students and then committed suicide. In response to the event, a narrative film and a documentary were created that both had their say on what happened on that on that day. These are ‘Bowling for Columbine’ by Michael Moore and ‘Elephant’ by Gus Van Sant. In the…

Words 1134 - Pages 5

Columbine High School: Reforming A Flawed Society

if building more and more weapons to conquer this new fear is truly the only salvation. On April 20, 1999, one of the worst mass school shootings occurred at Columbine High School, which is in the small suburban neighbourhood of Littleton, Colorado. As the nation mourns for the loss of twelve students and a teacher, they search for an explanation to how two high school…

Words 790 - Pages 4

Bowling For Columbine Rhetorical Analysis

In Bowling for Columbine. Michael Moore goes around Littleton, Colorado to find people’s perspective on the gun law and gun violence so that he can break it down into a reason why it’s necessary to even have a gun especially because of the terrible enormity in Columbine High School. In Columbine, two boys, Eric and Dylan shot thirteen people at their school. It’s just hard to understand the reason why it’s a necessity to own a gun and have it all time even despite all the securities we have such…

Words 840 - Pages 4

Susama Bin Laden Summary

first movie of this genre that was able to bring that much money in the profits. It became an instant hit and was part of several list of the best reviewed films of that year. Sets out to explore the reason(s) behind the massacre of 12 students and a teacher at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999. He documents how two students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, easily acquired four pieces of firearms, despite of having a history of arrests, juvenile detention, counseling sessions, and drug dependencies…

Words 582 - Pages 3

Bowling For Columbine Analysis

English Independent Study Unit Original Source: Pennsylvania school stabbing suspect doesn’t fit the mold What would cause a sixteen year old boy to go on a stabbing rampage? No one knows. On April 9, 2014, Alex Hribal a student at the Murrysville, Pa., high school snapped, causing him to stab twenty of his classmate and a security guard before he was tackled by the vice principle of his school. Some speculated that it was bullying that caused him to snap and commit the crime. Many students when…

Words 1232 - Pages 5

Guns: a Source of Protection or a Killing Mechanism? Essay

for Columbine, filmmaker Michael Moore shows the simplicity of obtaining a gun by responding to a bank ad whose selling point was offering guns to those who open a bank account. With a simple background check, Moore walked out of the bank with his brand new bank account and of course: his gun. The lack of effort with which Moore needed to get his gun is a single cause of one of the most devastating school massacres in United States history. Two high school seniors of Columbine High School orchestrated…

Words 2356 - Pages 10