Columbine film 'inspired' accused

Columbine film 'inspired' accused

news.bbc.co.uk

A teenager accused of plotting a Columbine school-style massacre said his interest in the killings was sparked by a Michael Moore documentary.

Matthew Swift, 18, began imitating killer Eric Harris - whom he believed was "misunderstood" - after watching the film Bowling for Columbine.

But he told Manchester Crown Court his massacre plot was just a "fantasy".

Mr Swift and his friend Ross McKnight, aged 16, deny conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to cause explosions.

Mr Swift, a former pupil at Audenshaw High School in Greater Manchester, and McKnight, who still attended, are

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Well there you go. Inspired by Columbine. This is your American gun culture and its effect on the rest the world. I remember a member here saying something along the lines of people are not influenced by movie. I was when I was younger I was a regular Rambo. Hunting knife strapped to my side in my own fantasy world I took on the Viet Cong. These guys took that world a step further. And children may have died.

I enjoy watching horror and the occasional action movie but I would forgo these films for the sake of the mindless idiots who don’t understand the difference between fiction and reality. Thank the gods these fools did not have easy access to guns!

Now I know it appears the movie was shown to them in school as an educational subject but nether the less it goes to show the power of film, and I would expect this movie mixed with pointless American Hollywood violence warped these young minds only confirming their inspiration and glorifying there misguided cause.

If i sound anti American let me assure you I am not. Its just occasionaly Americas idiocracy angers me deeply.

If only it had not been so easy for Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold to get thier hands on them guns.

news.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by kode


You don't sound anti-American. You just sound like you're blaming America.

Please don't blame America, or America's Gun culture. Contrary to popular European belief American's are not on every street corner having gun fights. (Yes, I've talked to people who honestly believed this.)

Millions of American gun owners DID NOT shoot someone today. With your opening statements you effectively lumped mentally ill and violent people with plenty of peaceful people who simply enjoy the rights that we believe in.

It's kind of like lumping violent alcoholics that cause car crashes with everyone that enjoys a couple drinks now and then.

But hey, if you want to use the fantasies of a mentally ill boy to prove your argument against the right to defend yourself, go right ahead. As long as you have that right, because you have no means to protect that right.

Originally posted by kode


Well there you go. Inspired by Columbine.
news.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

According to the article, he was inspired by the M. Moore film about Culumbine, not the Columbine incident itself. M. Moore is clearly the bad influence, not guns.

reply to post by kode


Americans love to kill one another. It's a national pasttime. We are really good at exporting it too. But I will always support our second amendment. It's good to know we can defend ourselves against homegrown tyranny.

reply to post by stevegmu


I have to concur. From what I understand, Michael Moore sympathized with these boys.

Maybe if he hadn't turn some very violent boys into kids that were mis-understood then people would not be fantasizing about being them.

Originally posted by Miraj
But hey, if you want to use the fantasies of a mentally ill boy to prove your argument against the right to defend yourself, go right ahead. As long as you have that right, because you have no means to protect that right.

But you would not have to worry about the right to defend yourself if you outlaw guns. It would only be a matter of time before guns were wiped clean of your society. In the uk criminals have guns, but far less of them have guns then American criminals do!

reply to post by concernedcitizan


Defend against home grown tyranny.

I don’t mean to be rude but even if you had a case of home grown tyranny you and a handful of Joes with guns aren’t going to bother them.

reply to post by kode


That's working out real well for you isn't it. Now only the crooks have weapons and you have to wait for the Coppers to show up to survive.
Always remember, when your life in on the line and the door is being kicked in by a knife wielding thug. The Cops are only a half hour away. Dial Faster or shoot faster. It's better to be judged by twelve than carried by six!
Zindo

reply to post by kode


It depends on how you define "A matter of time" Which for the amount of guns in America it would be at least 100 years to get rid of them completely.

When I say defend my rights. I don't refer to the men in plain clothes with ski masks. I refer to the men in military uniforms with ski masks.

If you want to see how things go when the population is disarmed, and the government wants to get rid of you? Go look at Russia's history. If you think that can never happen to you, then you're living in a bigger "Idiocracy" than I am.

Originally posted by kode
reply to post by concernedcitizan

 

Defend against home grown tyranny.

I don’t mean to be rude but even if you had a case of home grown tyranny you and a handful of Joes with guns aren’t going to bother them.

This is how our government was formed.

Really going to make that argument?

Originally posted by kode
But you would not have to worry about the right to defend yourself if you outlaw guns. It would only be a matter of time before guns were wiped clean of your society. In the uk criminals have guns, but far less of them have guns then American criminals do!

Do you have any idea how many firearms there are in the United States or how much ammunition is produced here yearly? There are probably at least 200 million guns, many legally unregistered and undocumented, as well as tens, if not hundreds of billions of rounds of ammunition out there. It would take decades to even make a dent.

That's assuming you can sell gun confiscation outside of the New England states and the West Coast. Good luck with that.

Originally posted by vor78

Originally posted by kode
But you would not have to worry about the right to defend yourself if you outlaw guns. It would only be a matter of time before guns were wiped clean of your society. In the uk criminals have guns, but far less of them have guns then American criminals do!

Do you have any idea how many firearms there are in the United States or how much ammunition is produced here yearly? There are probably at least 200 million guns, many legally unregistered and undocumented, as well as tens, if not hundreds of billions of rounds of ammunition out there. It would take decades to even make a dent.

That's assuming you can sell gun confiscation outside of the New England states and the West Coast. Good luck with that.

To be fair, it's really only California that is the one that's Anti Gun. However Oregon is poorly presented. It's pretty much just portland that is liberal, and even they haven't done much gun legislation.

Same with Washington. Just Seattle is liberal. Most of it is a very rural place, much like Oregon is.

I can't speak for New England states though.

Originally posted by vor78
[Do you have any idea how many firearms there are in the United States or how much ammunition is produced here yearly? There are probably at least 200 million guns, many legally unregistered and undocumented, as well as tens, if not hundreds of billions of rounds of ammunition out there. It would take decades to even make a dent.

Then you better get started!

Your country would be a far safer place without the guns, you just have loose that psychological dependence you have on them.

Originally posted by kode

Originally posted by Miraj
But hey, if you want to use the fantasies of a mentally ill boy to prove your argument against the right to defend yourself, go right ahead. As long as you have that right, because you have no means to protect that right.

But you would not have to worry about the right to defend yourself if you outlaw guns. It would only be a matter of time before guns were wiped clean of your society. In the uk criminals have guns, but far less of them have guns then American criminals do!

I think I'd rather get shot, than stabbed. Just how would all these guns be taken away? If there were no US manufacturers of guns, they would simply be smuggled in through the porous borders, along with the drugs and illegals. Actually, the coyotes would probably make the illegals carry in sacks of guns and drugs as they crossed. Then only the criminals would have guns- as is the case in England.

And its no use trying to blame poor ol Michael Moore. After all they where just children and I think he did a very good job portraying that.

Children.

With guns.

In a habitat where guns are not really a necessity.

Originally posted by kode
And its no use trying to blame poor ol Michael Moore. After all they where just children and I think he did a very good job portraying that.

Children.

With guns.

In a habitat where guns are not really a necessity.

Then outlaw children. I'm keeping my guns.

reply to post by stevegmu


Ha Ha

i know what your saying but it just feels to me like an excuse. Your country has no problem recalling say beef does it. Surley they could do the same with guns?

reply to post by kode


Most people would never voluntarily turn in their guns. To eliminate all the guns in America, the ATF would have to search every house, and there would still be guns people hid away. Guns aren't even that hard to make.
Cases like Columbine and the VA Tech killings are the exception, not the rule. Most gun murders are gang-banger on gang-banger, or are committed by criminals who never received fair sentences, and by fair, I mean locked up forever.

Originally posted by kode
But you would not have to worry about the right to defend yourself if you outlaw guns.

What a crock...seriously...
Ban guns, you'd just get stabbed, ban knives you'd be beaten with clubs, and if they outlawed clubs you'd be choked to death by some psychos bare hands.

I heard the UK developed a "stab proof knife." I'm smart enough to take care of myself, defend myself, think for myself, etc.

You need people to take care of you...when what you really need is a frontal lobotomy asap