Satire slingers

As usual I don’t know whether to laugh or cry at presumably unintentional humor. The Jan. 20 article “Gun rallies draw the worried masses” contains the quote: “An armed society is a polite society.”

I had no idea gun enthusiasts were science fiction fans. The quote is from a Robert Heinlein satire, “Beyond This Horizon,” in which almost everyone routinely is armed and duels are legal, the intent being to improve the gene pool. People who do not wish to carry guns simply wear a peace badge exempting them from duels, but they’re looked down upon as second-class citizens.

Is this what gun enthusiasts are advocating?

Boris Chernick

Apex