Thoughts On "Bowling For Columbine"

Ben Campbell...I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news; but the recent steady increase in violent gun use in the UK you mention has been shown to have started; and be correlated to the new stricter gun laws in the UK. The crooks in your country can now use there guns more freely, because the honest citizen has been disarmed. Sad but true.

Also note that the strictness of a country's gun laws is inversely correlated to the freedoms its citizens have. Countries that totally ban all gun ownership are the worst (Cuba, North Korea, etc, etc...)

Thanks to all for the thoughtful responses. I started this post because I think "Bowling for Columbine" is an interesting and worthwhile film for everybody in the U.S. to see. What is so refreshing about the movie is that it actually dares to address a serious social issue. So few films today even try.

All I can tell you, Lugnut, is that most people I know, i.e., professionals who live in Northwest or the suburbs, would be *extremely* uncomfortable carrying a weapon. Most of them just don't come from a gun-oriented background. I, myself, have far too severe a temper to carry a gun. I can almost guarantee that if someone pushed me too far at the wrong time, I'd pull out the piece. I believe, and most people I know (those with whom I've had this discussion), is to just stay away from known "trouble areas", and try to keep yourself in as safe a situation as you can. Does that make us ultimately safe? Of course not. Could we still be shot in the most posh store in Georgetown? Absolutely.

But in Washington, I really think most of us feel far more threatened by weapons other than guns. If polled, most people (including me), would probably say that they would die a violent death at the hands of (in order of likelihood):

(1) Terrorist attack
(2) Bomb
(3) Gun

That's just life in Washington. We don't talk about it much, but we all (and I mean ALL) secertly believe that we could die by either of the first two means at any time, especially (1). It genuinely doesn't occur to us to worry about (3).

Sugarbrie,
From reading some of these replies you could get the impression that some are proud of the gun culture in the USA.
Imho it's tragic and a massive mistake to consider it part of American freedom and I'm sorry but your argument doesn't hold water for me.
As I stated earlier I believe the situation in America is complex and now it may be close to impossible to solve.
As for the UK gun crime is on the rise but it is mostly contained within underwold assinations and yes we've been having armed robberies and gun related murder since after the war.
It's a mistake imho to consider the tightening of gun laws related to this increase as the percentage of UK citizens who wish to own guns is minimal to say the least-I would think these laws are aimed at the criminal element.
I can assure you the criminals of Britain are not running riot with guns because Joe Public hasn't got a shotgun under his bed.
Of course any increase in gun related crime is worrying to say the least.
You can use Cuba,N.Korea if you like to highlight why American freedom works but you may wonder why the whole of western Europe doesn't have the problems America has.
I think you'll find we have the same freedom Americans have.
I have never stated anywhere in my threads a pro-gun control stance but I'm afraid your idea's concerning the UK are pretty out of touch.

Does anyone remember the early scene in the movie 2001 when the ape discovers he can use a tool to kill? He's overjoyed. It then skips our intervening evolution and goes straight to the orbiting space station.

Our society will remain violent so long as the people consider violence a form of acceptable behavior. Pre-meditated killers have a knack for rationalizing their crimes. From gangland revenge to national policy - "he deserved it" - lets the bullets fly.

For some instant karma, check out Jimi Hendrix's song Machine Gun.