Controversial movie director says gun laws in the US are too permissive

Nov 7, 2013 12:02 GMT  ·  By
Michael Moore says shootings in the US are so frequent because “guns don’t kill people, Americans kill people”
   Michael Moore says shootings in the US are so frequent because “guns don’t kill people, Americans kill people”

Earlier this week, one man opened fire at the Los Angeles International Airport, killing one and injuring several but, if you ask controversial movie director Michael Moore – which TMZ did – it’s not people who kill people: it’s just the American way.

Paparazzi from the aforementioned celebrity e-zine caught up with Moore right as he was getting ready to leave LAX, the scene of the latest shooting and, of course, the topic came up for discussion.

You can see Moore’s answer in the video embedded below but chances are that, if you know Moore at all, you know better than to be surprised by what he’s saying. He’s never made a secret of his belief that stricter gun laws would lead to fewer such incidents.

He tries to make the same point in this impromptu interview, explaining how America is the only country where this type of incidents occur so frequently. The difference between America and the other countries is that, over there, there is a stricter set of conditions to be met before being able to purchase a gun.

As you might imagine, his words did not fail to cause waves online, with many saying that, while Moore is entitled to his opinions, stripping Americans of their “right to bear arms” is unconstitutional.

“Nothing changes... it's the country we live in. Legally purchased gun, bullets,” Moore says, trying to offer his own explanation for the most recent shooting.

“There's a reason why this doesn't happen in Canada, in Ireland, in France... they have the occasional craziness, but it's not on a weekly or monthly basis. They have mentally ill people in those countries too. In Canada hunting is a bigger sport than hockey. There's a lot of guns in Canada, but why don't they kill each other?” Moore rhetorically asks.

Why us, why America, he continues. As the paparazzo goes out of his way to avoid providing him with an answer, the director takes it upon himself to offer it.

“I think the NRA they got it half-right when they say ‘Guns don't kill people, people kill people.’ I change it to ‘Guns don't kill people, Americans kill people’,” he says.