Open e-mail to Michael Moore
To: mike@michaelmoore.com
From: Rich Thomas
Subject: Bowling for Columbine
I have just returned home after watching Bowling for Columbine. First of all I would like to say that you should win the Oscar for that movie. It is amazing to see a two hour commentary that holds together so well. Too often in the American media we listen to people say what happen with out trying to figure out what it meant.
As of your question, "why do Americans kill each other more often than people in any other democratic nation?" I think it is because we are free to do so. Mainstream America had decided that freedom means every man for himself. We have decided that everything is a zero sum game. Everyone is ready to take what we have. They only people we can depend on is ourselves.
There are a couple people in your movie that echo that idea. I can think of two off the top or my head, the woman with the daughter at the start of the movie and the guy at the end who says that there might be a gun in the camera.
This definition of freedom leads to things like welfare reform and our current health care system. We are free to fail as much as we want. I am sad to say that I do not have a better answer then this.
I am also interested that you can make this movie without looking into the culture rage in America. I feel that in my lifetime, that culture has been growing. I think that has something to do with why we kill each other.
I would love to know what ideas you know you kept out of this movie.
Respectively
Rich Thomas
