> I loved the bit in Bowling for Columbine about how Canadians
> have as many guns as Americans, and don't blow each other
> away like we do.
Of all the criticisms of Michael Moore I've read, none have touched on this: he encountered real questions about The Gun Issue and contradictions of Common Knowledge but instead of exploring them more, he sort of shrugs and says: huh, weird.
The key word in Doug's quip above is "we" -- Doug is not part of the "violent crime class" in the US, and neither are a) most people and b) most gun owners. It's a serious mistake to say "we" in that situation in the same way that it's a mistake to say "we" when referring to foreign policy initiatives (please stop saying "We killed some more civilians in Iraq today").
Moore had ample opportunity to make that point in his movie, but it's Just Not Funny Enough. Far better to poke fun at the idea of getting a bolt-action rifle for opening a bank account (nevermind that bolt-action rifles aren't used in violent crime anymore than a Prius is used to win NASCAR races). Now THAT'S FUNNY!
Bleah.
/jordan