Monday, April 29, 2013

Runaway Jury

The film, "Runaway Jury" has been playing on TV this week. I've always liked the film and enjoy the play between the characters, especially the scene with both Hackman and Hoffman. They were college roommates but in all the years this was the first time they appeared in a scene together. But now, I have a problem. This is a very anti-gun statement. What is worse, is the arguments made are formed in a way that the viewer can only have one logical moral conclusion: guns cause destruction, and gun manufacturers are evil. In the microcosm of the world of this film, that is correct, but that is unfair because this film is presented as truthful. Let me point out the problems in the storyline. First, as I said, there is a consortium of gun manufacturers and they are all evil, greedy people who knowingly practice bad business to make more money and the people of society be damned. I don't believe this is true. The manufacturers of guns do not engage as a whole in practices which violate many, many laws including collusion and monopolistic ideals. In the case of a business that did this, they would have been brought down by, I think, the Justice Department long ago. In this fictitious world, it seems the only forces at work to stop this evil is citizens suing in court. Second, all the usual arguments are made that the mass killings that precipitates the lawsuit and previous trials, is all to be blamed on the manufacture of guns and evil practices that allow them to fall into unworthy hands. No homage paid to the problems of mental health, or the realities of the large amount of laws that exist to stop and punish such behavior. The NRA is nowhere to be found, and I'm sure they would be around to condemn the practices of these gun companies, and try to make a sober case for gun ownership which is largely peaceful and honest. A third point is that the gun company CEOs are southern and it is implied church going conservatives. I have to constantly remind myself despite the left's rewriting of history, that the south was largely Democratic until the last 40 years or so. Fourth, and finally, the argument is never made concerning the 2nd amendment and the people's rights to bear arms. Yes, the companies were engaging in behavior that put guns on the black market, but the subject should have been brought up. In conclusion, the entire premise of the film I to demonize guns and gun manufacturers and leave the viewer with a sense that a great injustice is being done in our country.