Eleven thousand, two hundred and seventeen Americans died last year as a result from guns. Michael Moore explains how high of a number this is compared to other countries around the world and asks the question, why? To capture his audience's attention he frames the documentary around gun violence. However, if you look at the big picture of the film, Moore's thesis isn't gun violence, its education and poverty in the United States. Some surrounding aspects are our government, fears of Americans because of our media, and our needed feelings of control. .
On April 20, 1999, two high school students in Littleton, Colorado changed the way my generation live our lives. No longer could you mention the word "bomb", clip your finger nails in school, or wave a chicken tender at a teacher or fellow student. The reason being our country was paranoid with fear. Ironically on that same tragic morning, United States Military Forces dropped move bombs over Kosovo than on any other one day strike in the war. Maryland Manson intelligently remarks, "Why not blame the president?" The media choose to overlook or push this particular story in the background because it would not receive the amount of attention as the two white psycho killers from Columbine High. Our society is educated to thirst knowledge of wrong doings and notable entertainment, not political issues nor economic problems. .
When confronted with the question, "Why all the violence in the states?" Americans quickly respond blaming heavy metal gothic music, violent video games and films. All are easy excuses to point a finger, still Americans honest answer is fear. To alleviate fear individuals possess guns, except in reality more guns equal a greater amount of fear. The gothic music capital of the world is Germany, all our violent video games originate from Japan, and Europeans watch the same gory horror flicks we see, yet these countries combined to embody only 5% of the deaths caused by guns that happened here in America.