Larry Elder’s Michael and Me

Unsurprisingly, Moore is MIA

By Alexander Marlow
From the October 2005 Print Edition

As conservatives, we have a wealth of criticism for director and author Michael Moore. Whether we dislike his lack of integrity, his cowardice, or his markedly inferior diet, it is ingrained in our personalities to despise him. However, just telling friends that he is a “liar” is not going to curb his expansive (pun fully intended) influence. One man decided to combat Moore’s Oscar-winning film “Bowling for Columbine” with his own film, titled “Michael & Me.” That man is Larry Elder.

Known as the “Sage from South Central,” Elder is a nationally syndicated radio talk show host and columnist, former television host, best-selling author, and now filmmaker. He is a self-proclaimed “Republitarian,” a word that epitomizes his political views as a registered Republican with libertarian tendencies.

The film’s name, “Michael & Me,” is a sarcastic reference to Michael Moore’s 1989 film “Roger & Me,” in which Moore futilely tries to persuade General Motors Chairman Roger B. Smith to travel to Flint, Michigan, to see the damage a local factory closing has had on its former employees. Ironically, Moore is now the one who is MIA when it comes to hardball interviews; Elder has been trying to get Moore on his radio program for three years with no success.

The Sage teamed up with Maiden Voyage Productions to make this documentary, his first full-length feature. I asked Elder why he made the film, to which he responded, “Because of ‘Bowling for Columbine,’ Michael Moore, the growing number of gun-control laws, and to try to explain to Americans how many times Americans use guns to defend themselves each year.”

Thanks to “Bowling for Columbine,” we all know that 11,000 people die from gun violence every year; and thanks to Larry Elder, we now know how many times guns are used in defense each year. According James Q. Wilson, Ph.D. of public policy at UCLA, “We know from Census Bureau surveys that something beyond 100,000 uses of guns for self defense occur every year [in America]. We know from smaller surveys of a commercial nature the number may be as high as two and a half or three million.”

Since Moore would not give Elder an interview, Elder created a riotous animated mock interview that appears toward the end of the movie. Leslie Siegel, Elder’s radio producer, is the voice of the cartoon Michael Moore, who is ultimately dragged off a television set wielding a pistol and reciting his infamous Academy Award acceptance speech about our “fictitious president.” Elder also begs some provocative questions in the scene, such as: “In England they have outlawed handguns, yet the English murder rate is growing and the English violent crime rate (assaults, car thefts, hot burglaries) now exceeds ours — how do you explain that?”

Elder presents several other compelling arguments and statistics. For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 50 children under the age of ten were killed with a firearm in the year 2000, independent of whether or not the gun was licensed. This is juxtaposed to 115 children under five who drowned in a toilet, bucket, or bathtub that same year. Yet Congress has only seen minimal anti-toilet legislation.

Another statistic cited by Elder is that crime rates have dropped in more than 30 of the 36 states that allow people to carry a gun after a background check.

The Sage also dispels the hilarious myth that celebrities do not use guns. Anti-gun activist Rosie O’Donnell once said, “If you do own a gun I think you should go to prison.” This statement must not apply to the armed security guards who escort her children.

However, the question remains, if gun ownership can save lives, why do so many people favor gun-control legislation? Unsurprisingly, the answer lies in the media. In 2001, the New York Times reported on 104 crimes committed with guns, as opposed to a single story on defensive gun use. In the same year, ABC, CBS, and NBC morning and evening news shows combined included 190,000 words on gun crimes, as opposed to 580 on defensive gun use — again, one story. For those of you keeping score at home, gun crimes received more than 327 times the coverage of defensive arms use.

This film is a must-see for those who desire a balanced look at American politics. It is interview-based, which can get repetitive at times, but it also serves to cement the important points. The film induces both sadness and anger, but it can be exceedingly funny as well. I recommend this film to anyone who is curious about the other side of the debate on the Second Amendment and gun control. To quote attorney Stephen J. Halbrook, Ph.D., “If you don’t have a right to preserve your own life, the other rights seem somewhat insignificant.”

“Michael & Me” can be found at amazon.com, bn.com (Barnes and Noble), and borders.com for $14.99. Check out larryelder.com for information on his books, radio show, and upcoming CNN television show.

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