LYNN, Mass. (AP) – The principal of Lynn English High School stopped a teacher from showing the Oscar-winning documentary “Bowling for Columbine,” saying it was inappropriate because it contains anti-war messages.
English teacher Jeremy McKeen showed 17- and 18-year-old students the movie, which was directed and produced by Michael Moore and released well before the war in Iraq began. The movie has a strong anti-gun and anti-violence theme. While accepting this year’s Oscar for Best Documentary, Moore expressed his disdain for President Bush and the war with Iraq.
Principal Andrew Fila said the documentary sent the wrong message while troops are fighting overseas.
“I just pulled it,” Fila told The Daily Item of Lynn on Friday. “This is not the time or the place to be showing something like that. The producer is also an anti-war person as well. Maybe if the time and date were different, it would have been OK.”
English department head Jane Balesta said McKeen began showing the movie to open up dialogue among his students. Balesta said she watched the movie and thought it was “wonderful” and students would learn from it.
“It does have anti-violence and anti-war messages but he was using it to open up the minds of his senior students,” she said. “He stopped the movie and talked about it. I don’t know where the problem is. We are a school. This is a place where ideas are exchanged, right?”
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