Michael Moore's examination of gun violence and American culture in Bowling for Columbine

BOWLING for COLUMBINE and GUN CONTROL ISSUES in the U.S.

In his 2002 movie Bowling for Columbine, Michael Moore examines the issues of gun ownership and violence in the United States. The movie's title is a reference to the 1999 shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado by two students heavily armed with firearms. Initially, Moore considers the prevalence of gun ownership as a causal factor in the massacre and as the reason for the high rate of gun violence in the U.S. Moore does illustrate the fanaticism of the National Rifle Association and its thousands of supporters. Eventually, however, he concludes that violence in the U.S. is more the result of a culture of aggression and violence than simply the result of access to firearms. Moore suggest as much through imagery of U.S. foreign policy in action.

Opinion of Issues

The National Rifle Association

Moore actually visits the home of the late President of the National Rifle Association (NRA) unannounced to challenge the former actor on the issue of responsibility for gun violence. When confronted by Moore's argument that the widespread availability of firearms in the U.S., Heston replies that Moore should refer his questions to the Framers of the U.S. Constitution.

That suggestion is based on the familiar position of the powerful NRA political lobby (and many others) supporting the belief that the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution specifically guarantees the "right to bear arms." In reality, the issue is much less clear because many legal scholars (including the members of the U.S. Supreme Court to date) argue that the Second Amendment merely authorizes the individual states to maintain armed state militias (Dershowitz, 2002).

In my opinion, the more restrictive interpretation may make more sense, mainly because the Constitution was drafted at a time when states' rights and federal rights were a principal concern. It is also unreasonable to believe that the Framers could ever have envisioned the types of modern firearms that would be available two centuries after their era.

New Jersey State Gun Laws

In New Jersey, there are strict laws regulating the purchase and authorized ownership of firearms (Zarych, 2009). in-state purchasers must first obtain a purchaser identification card/permit. Generally, eligibility for the permit includes providing authorities extensive amounts of personal information. There are also various state statutes that preclude gun ownership to a wide range of individuals based on past instances of criminal conduct including many that do not involve the prior use of any weapons. Previously, individual permits were required for each purchase but the state did not restrict how many guns could be purchased lawfully. Since August 2009, state law now prohibits the purchase of more than one gun in any 30-day period and prosecutes violations as a felony subject to a $10,000 fine and incarceration (Zarych, 2009).