it doesn't matter how many of those homicides were comitted with firearms.
In comparing two separate societies, it does matter if you're debating how the availability of guns affects the homicide rate. Since the U.S. has more guns per capita than Canada and Canada has a similar homicide rate, can one conclude that our societies are similarly prone to violence and a person who wants to murder someone won't be stifled because a gun isn't handy? Could be! If so, it would be another argument against the gun-grabbers! I know that the families of the 3,000+ victims of 9/11 probably wish the terrorists had used guns. Two big buildings, four planes and about 2,900 people would still exist today! OK, that's a stretch but...
I'm not sure you can prove that the reporting of graphic violence doesn't result in increased violence. What other factors influenced the decrease in violence during the period when reporting of violence increased? Maybe a lot of states passed CCW! It's been proven that crime acutally goes down in places where citizens can legally carry. When they grabbed the guns in Australia, violent crime SURGED!
Moore separated our news from our TV shows/movies because he was trying to say that AMERICAN news contributed to our violent tendencies. Since Canadiens have the same video games, TV shows and movies that we do, Moore was saying the only difference was that a MUCH higher percentage of our nightly news centers on the reporting of graphic violence. I think he even compared the divorce rates of the two countries to rule out kids being "neglected" by one parent upbringing. Certainly, he did NOT prove this point satisfactorily.
I think there is way too much violence on TV and other forms of entertainment and I do believe it contributes to violence in our society. Moore's claim that our nightly news makes us murderers is certainly unscientific. I DO know that I tend to drive faster after I've seen a James Bond film!
It's a good debate and I've learned a lot. If I sound like I'm defending Michael Moore, I think it's time for me to go to bed
Despite what you may think of Moore, he usually has a method of blending cynicism/sarcasm with 1/2 baked truths to make his side of the argument APPEAR to be infallible. He CERTAINLY did NOT do that in Columbine and, as a gun owner, I am SO glad he didn't.
Thanks,
jAK-47