BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE

[maikuu]

[omarnafisi]

In response to question B:

Honestly, nothing really shocked me in this movie due to my already vast knowledge of American culture, having lived in America for 3 years and the fact that you can't escape American news. (Basically everyone knows about America, but Americans don't know about the world, no offense.) That being said I also am not from here so when they showed all the things America has done to the world, there were a lot of things I had already known about. Kuwait was in there, if you recall, when they mentioned the Iraqi invasion right after the bit about selling weapons to Iran to attack Iraq vice versa.
The one thing that shocked me was when the president of the NRA went to Denver after the Columbine incident. The audacity to go there and have a pro-gun seminar after such an event happened is just outright disgusting.

It was very insightful though. And again, right choice of movie, Michael.

- Omar Alnafisi

Teacher's Note: This contributer is so correct about Americans and our ignorance about the world (IMHO). I'm reminded of the time when I was living in Italy. I was able to see the world from a whole different perspective. When I returned to the U.S. it was easy to notice how my American friends were somewhat myopic in their view of the world. On the other side of the coin, I also noticed how my Italian friends would have rather general impressions of Americans as well. I would guess that this author has greatly expanded his view of America after having lived here so long.

All of this makes a good case for visiting other countries when you are young. I wish more Americans would do so. Oh me -- Oh my. Thanks for posting.

--mike http://www.MoviesGrowEnglish.com

[Jessie0107]

Hello~

Since i know very little about american culture especially if it's not about parties or binge drinking.
Really, when i think about american culture i think of so much freedom to do anything. However, i didn't think about what consequences were [are] brought by that freedom because i have only heard positive effects of that freedom from people around the world.

For example, we might say Americans are so smart because they are taught with [about] so much freedom in their classes.
I did think that so much freedom can bring side effects such as freedom of possessing guns might bring so much accidents involving guns. However, i couldn't realize those side effects so realistically because like all the peoples do, they want the foreigners to see only the good side of it [their culture].

However, this movie has shown really easily a real american culture and how people live in it and how americans live with it .
I hope i can do things like the moviemaker did in my country such as explicitly showing the real concern of the time or
bluntly or sarcastically criticizing the government.

Anyway, thank you for showing this movie, michael

Teacher's notes: Some interesting points are raised in this thought piece. Allow me to point out that as we are taught freedom, we also learn the importance of responsibility (consequences). When Americans don't heed this side of the equation, they often end up in a bad place. International students, please make note of this.

In America, while we are encouraged to criticize our government, there are strict limits which society and law dictate. I think Michael Moore knows this very well. I'm glad he can make Bowling for Columbine and show us his point of view while entertaining us at the same time. Thanks for an insightful post. BTW, what country are you from?

--mike http://www.MoviesGrowEnglish.com

[fal1986]

Hello everyone,
I have to say that I agree with my friends who posted above, and I believe its true Americans little do they know about what is really happening in the world and that is due to the vast control on the American media especially news chanels such as FOX and CNBC. I was shocked when I heared that the ALJAZEERA english chanel is band from broadcasting in the U.S. But why? isn't it the country of freedom of expression?
I feel that somehow the American government doesn't want the American people to know what is really going on in the world especially the palestinian-isrealy conflict.I ask my self sometimes why is the U.S is in the isrealy side all the time? what is the interest of the U.S which is a country that was founded on separating politics from religion in defending isreal which was founded on judaiasm only?
As for the gun issue, I do not know why most Americans are obsessed on purchasing guns,don't they feel safe and secure? I mean they have a capable government which can provide security no matter how big the country is. I think that gun purshase should be licenced based on the expertise of the owner, and it shall be used only for hunting with providing safety messures.
Fahad.

Teacher's Note: I didn't know that AlJazeera was banned in the U.S. I see there is an available web site at http://www.aljazeera.com. I don't think they have a TV station here, but I'm not sure. I have heard Al Jazeera on NPR. CNN often copies Al Jazeera's news reports. I'd guess most Americans would prefer an American news report.

This author brings up some tough questions about America and the Middle East. Are most Americans obsessed with guns? Here is a website from the Brookings Institute with some shocking statistics: http://www.brookings.edu/research/opini ... a-kaufmann

As a teacher who is supposed to know something about something, I would simply ask people to listen to two John Lennon songs: "Give Peace a Chance" and "Imagine." If he were alive today, I wonder what John would say?? Thanks for sharing your ideas.
--mike http://www.MoviesGrowEnglish.com

[manalhamithi]

Hi,
In the beginning I want to say thank you Michael Moore for this documentary, and thank you Mike for showing us this movie. Personally in general I enjoy the documentary movies. “Bowling for Columbine” was fantastic. This movie describes the American psychological culture. This movie shows the realistic that the American culture built on fear and insecure and this is continue since that time up to now; also it shows how the government and the media encourages that feeling. Behind that movie we can see the fact that how they exploit the insecure feeling of their population to act against the others???????/ .

Moreover , it’s confirm my opinion about the meaning of "feeling with satisfaction security", which I think that the security is not based on army numbers, different types of weapon, levels of civilization, and levels of freedom. For instance, the people in my region were exposing to different types of violence, but they have safety in their souls more than the Americans do.

Anyhow, the NRA president was very annoying; he didn’t respect the Columbine victims and their families which are disgusting .

thank you,

Teacher's Note: Wow! Bowling for Columbine is really bringing out some strong feelings. This author raises IMHO an excellent point about how many Americans don't seem to feel secure on the inside. I agree that it has a lot to do with the syndrome of "news as entertainment". If the daily news is about people getting shot, how secure does that make me feel? Thus, I have striven to be informed, not entertained by the news. It makes a difference.

This topic is so interesting and complex that we could all write a book about it. I don't think America is as awful as the impression one might get from Bowling for Columbine. Actually, it's a pretty nice place. But if someone coming to America is expecting the perfect "home of the brave; land of the free" it might be a disappointment. In my everyday experience, most of the folks I meet are kind, friendly, and reasonably happy. I hope you have the good fortune to experience America (with its many imperfections) for yourself and draw your own conclusions. Thanks so much for posting your honesty.
--mike http://www.MoviesGrowEnglish.com

[Piedad San Martin]

Overall it was not a documentary that has surprised me. The ideas presented are very interesting, but are very close to what I previously knew of this subject in the United States. Of course it is a sensitive issue, which keeps you connected during the whole movie. Even though culturally was not surprising, there are two things that attract my attention. The first one is the notion people have of the U.S. interventions in other countries through the years. Chile was one of the examples presented in the movie. I was surprised by the fact that an American talks on that subject. I always thought that was something only Chileans commented. The second issue that caught my attention was the visit of the president of the NRA to Denver. It seems ridiculous that no one in the organization has been able to think that what they were doing was a mockery to the victims of Columbine. Is always going to be surprising, when you find a very large group of people that are not able to think rationally in any situation.
I really liked the documentary. I found it very interesting and important topic.

Teacher's Note: Actually there has been a lot of discussion here about what happened in Chile with Salvador Allende and Augusto Pinochet. I think at the time, during the "Cold War," the U.S. government was concerned that Allende was a Communist (or something like that). But many here felt our government was meddling in something that was none of our business and worse, as Michael Moore points out in Bowling for Columbine. Please see Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augusto_Pinochet & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvador_Allende .
Big thanks for posting. Glad you liked this documentary.

--mike http://www.MoviesGrowEnglish.com

[mezo5]

[feng.lai]

How is Michael Moore able to control the argument in this documentary format?

first of all, Micheal Moore want[s] to show the impact of violence on the young people in Americans. through his film, he gived [gave] several example to show the gun in America costed lots of problems and the lack of control guns that actually made too many people dead. in this respect, the beginning is such a good point. It shows a bank in Michigan which would give customers a free gun when people open a new account. in other words, it is so easy to get a gun in America, and he also shows the violent behavior of Americans. he point out that banks are wrong because weapon can not be given without a strict control. He mentioned an important problem of gun control in the end. Gun can't make American people feel safety. it just created more criminals.

Teacher's Note: These are all great examples of Michael Moore controlling the argument, but what is he actually doing to specifically control the argument? I think this is an important point to this and most any other documentary. Thanks for posting.

--mike www.MoviesGrowEnglish.

[mingyeong]

This movie was more likely to show how ironic the American society is. People keep at least one gun in their houses but the number of people who die when they were cleaning the gun or are shot cuz they didnt get used to using those guns makes me think "why they gotta keep buying guns?" Especially, when I heard the edited reports that were recorded in the Columbine school was so realistic(of course it was real) that the irony this director might have wanted to point out was coming clearer to me. I actually couldnt get all the words that people in this movie said to show the situations. But the arrangements of interviews and the short introductions of each important person were the effective and good method of taking watchers' attention into the film. Plus, when the head of the pro-gun organization(?) visited the town of school Columbine and threw his address in front of tons of people, I felt sth furious in my mind. How could he do that? Is he sane? or I'm afraid if I comprehended right or not. Anyway, it was really meaningful hour to watch it. Thanx

Teacher's Note: Indeed. IMHO, this author is asking the right questions. Now if we can just locate the right answers. I'm glad Bowling for Columbine has created such a meaningful effect. Thanks for posting.
--mike www.MoviesGrowEnglish.

[Claire]

I think “Bowling For Columbine” is really a great teaching material for the populace and the government all over the world.
In my country, it is illegal for a man to keep a gun. Besides, we think guns are very dangerous weapons and it is weird that people bring guns with them wherever they go.
Therefore, I was stunned when I saw people could buy a gun so easily in this documentary, not to mention when I knew someone used guns to kill other people, even they didn’t know each other.
The abuse of guns can be a serious problem in freedom countries. However, it is obvious that it is more important for a man to live without threat than to buy anything without prohibition.

Claire

Teacher's Note: It is interesting that this post among others notices the content of Bowling for Columbine in contrast to the laws and attitudes towards gun in her country. I appreciate this contribution to the discussion.

--mike www.MoviesGrowEnglish.