Men with Guns

Men with Guns

It was in 1998 that I got to see Men with Guns, thanks to a pair of tickets I received from KPFK, in a nice an comfy theater in Sunset Boulevard. It is one thing to see a movie filled with men and women with guns living and dying through a bloody civil war (an obvious reference to Guatemala, of course) and then to get in to your air-conditioned car and drive to the ‘safety’ of your home near the beach. Fast forward to the future or the present, whatever you want to call it. Another thing is to walk a few blocks to see a show with horses and cowboys and be shocked by meeting Real Men with Guns. By the way, these two individuals were not, sadly, the only people with guns.

What is the deal? Why take all the gun power to a family show about horses? The reality of this country makes artistic manifestations pale in comparison. Can art shock us anymore? I believe that the Guatemalan government should buy a few thousand copies of Bowling for Columbine and broadcast it and show it for free around the country. Also, stronger legislation prohibiting guns on the streets is required. Guatemala needs less guns; the world needs less guns.

© 2006 – 2013, Rudy Giron. All rights reserved.

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