Brianna Ferrara

July 28, 2016

Humanities
Civic Engagement Assignment
3 Minutes, Ten Bullets
With all that is going on in the world, and gun rights being a hot
topic, I decided to watch a documentary on this controversial issue. 3
Minutes, Ten Bullets is about a 17 year old boy, Jordan David, who
was shot and killed by a 47 year old man named Michael Dunn. This
documentary takes place in my hometown Jacksonville, Florida less
than a mile from my house. On November 23, 2012, Jordan Davis and
three of his friends were parked in front of the Gate gas station playing
loud music when one of the riders went inside to get gum. Michael
Dunn and his fianc parked next to them so she could go in to get a
bottle of wine. While waiting, Michael Dunn asked Davis and his friends
to turn down the music and at first they complied. However, Jordan
Davis told them to turn it back up because he didnt think they should
have to listen to him. Dunn and the teenagers exchanged a few words
and then Dunn claims that he saw Davis reaching for a gun. It was at
this point, he claims, that he decided to take out his pistol, aim, and
shoot ten bullets at their car. Jordan later died and Michael Dunn was
arrested for first degree. Dunn was inevitably found guilty and charged
with first and second-degree murder, which in my opinion he deserved.

Was Dunn just defending himself against what he thought was a

dangerous situation? Could it have been resolved if the kids just turned
down the music? Or should Dunn have just minded his own business?
I feel the need to share this story for a variety of reasons, one being
that it hit close to home, literally, and also because I feel like spreading
the word on the misuse of guns can at least reach one person. For this
project I invited over a group of friends and actually help my own
documentary screening. I did this because I not only wanted to
spread the message on this wonderful documentary, but I also wanted
to find out the opinions of all of my friends. Gun rights has been
something I have just recently become passionate about and I felt it
was my duty to bring my friends together to inform and discuss.
In the case of Michael Dunn and Jordan Davis, Dunn absolutely abused
his rights as a firearm owner. Dunns defense was the Florida stand
your ground law which means (1) the person reasonably believes
that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily
harm to himself or herself, or another or to prevent the imminent
commission of a forcible felony; or
(2) the person acts under and according to the circumstances set forth
in Section 776.013 (pertaining to the use of force in the context of a
home or vehicle invasion). ( HusseinandWebber.com) Dunn believed
he saw Davis with a gun or a led pipe and felt threatened, so he took
out his pistol and shot in their car 10 times. Before the events

described above took place Dunn was at his sons wedding, he

consumed a significant amount of alcohol therefore he shouldnt have
been operating a motor vehicle no less making decisions such as
taking out his firearm and shooting it. These instances are what make
you question why are guns even legal? This documentary related to
my topic of gun rights because Dunn misused his rights and
unfortunately took someones life in the process.
I absolutely felt that not only did my participation in viewing the
documentary 3 Minutes, Ten Bullets made me a more responsible
citizen, but it also kept me informed. This film taught me even more so
that you have to be responsible for your actions and that there are
always consequences. Michael Dunn acted out of anger instead of
stopping and thinking about his actions before he perused them and
not only is he in jail serving a life sentence, he took someones life. Our
freedom is so precious, and I think it is important to make the right
decisions for not only us but for others as well.
I would actually consider myself to be a documentary addict so being
able to not only watch and inform myself on the story of Michael Dunn
and Jordan Davis, but to also be able to show my friends and collect
data and opinions was highly enjoyable. As a group we came to the
conclusion that what Michael Dunn did was inexcusable. He did not
think of anyone but himself in this instance and it cost him his own life
and another human beings. I genuinely enjoyed the experience of

learning more about gun rights and I will definitely continue my

research and to spread the word of how dangerous firearms can be.

Works Cited
"Florida Stand Your Ground Law | Use of Deadly Force in Self-Defense."
Hussein Webber. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 July 2016.