On More 4 tonight at 10pm
What makes people kill? It’s a question that can’t be answered easily. Over in the US, high school massacres seem to happen with almost sickening regularity while here in the UK, knife crimes are being reported on a weekly basis. People have been debating the causes for such crimes for years. Who is to blame? Is it parents, society, violent video games, violent films, violent music, the availability of murder weapons, or is it the way incidents are reported by the media? I’ve just started reading We Need to Talk About Kevin, by Lionel Shriver, which tells the fictional story of a mother whose son massacres a series of people at the age of 15. It examines this fascinating question of culpability, and it has inspired me to re-visit this Michael Moore documentary tonight. In this film, Michael Moore investigates America’s gun culture, and in particular how far the availability of fire-arms might have contributed to the Columbine High School massacre in 1999. It’s real food for thought. When I first saw it, I was inclined to agree with his argument, but now I’m not so sure. It’s a topic that I can see myself debating for many years to come.
