Thursday, February 07, 2013

Documentary - Guns, Culture, and Crime in the US


The debate about control in this country feels almost entirely irrational to me. No one is proposing the banning of all guns, but that is how the NRA types seems to respond. Banning assault rifles seems like common sense and imposing background checks and waiting periods also seem like common sense. For example, if you think you need a gun right now, we should have a right to delay that purchase. What possible reason can there be for needing a gun right this minute, other than a desire to use it impulsively?

Anyway, I like guns and I enjoy target shooting, but I am completely on board with making guns a little harder to obtain. This documentary comes from Top Documentary Films.

Guns, Culture, and Crime in the US




We look at why the debate over gun control is so polarized and travel to West Virginia – a place where shooting guns is a sport that has been passed down over generations – to find out what fuels the love for guns in this country.

Are American people as divided as their politicians? The Newtown shooting, which left 20 school children and six teachers dead, has dragged the issue of gun control back into the national agenda.

For the first time in years, US politicians are discussing serious gun control measures. But millions of people in the country’s inner cities live with the threat of gun violence on a daily basis.

In Baltimore, one of the most dangerous cities in the US, the police have re-framed their ‘war on drugs’ as a ‘war on guns’. We travel to Baltimore to meet those trying to stop gun crime and others who say owning a gun is sometimes a matter of survival.

Watch the full documentary now - (playlist - 56 min)

1 comment:

Crude said...

No one is proposing the banning of all guns, but that is how the NRA types seems to respond.

Because they strongly suspect, with considerable evidence, that that is the goal, even if it's impractical at this moment.

What possible reason can there be for needing a gun right this minute, other than a desire to use it impulsively?

A death threat. A sudden fear for one's personal safety.

And who do I have to justify myself to if I'm a law-abiding citizen?