Letter: Technology affects interpretation
Saturday, August 11, 2012
It's claimed that editorials represent the views of the editorial board, but letters, columns, cartoons and other elements published on this Opinion page do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of this newspaper. I have no problem with letters, uninformed as they might be, nor columnists with their viewpoints, but who selected the Aug. 3 cartoon diminishing the patriotism of President Obama's supporters?
One of my ancestors served in George Washington's Continental Army and I'm certain that he would have been overjoyed to have an assault rifle with a magazine containing 50 cartridges instead of a muzzle-loading weapon. Certainly the Founding Fathers had no idea of the changes in technology that has brought forth such weapons.
What may have worked to defend freedom in the 18th and 19th centuries doesn't apply today.
The NRA, beholden to munitions manufacturers, ill portrays the Founders' belief in an armed populace to protect freedom, now proven to be only a myth.
The American Revolution would not have been won without the help of the French, Syria's rebels are pleading for outside help and Libya did get help from NATO. Packing an assault rifle with a big magazine doesn't protect freedom, it just kills innocent people when handled by a nut.
James S. Roberts
Vancouver
