Letters to the Editor The Second Amendment To the Editor: While reading Debbie Gilbert's movie review of The Patriot, I wondered why she found it necessary to review the Second Amendment too (Film, July 6th issue). Her personal feelings about the Second Amendment seemed irrelevant to the review. Maybe she'd like to write a political editorial. Stacy Hesson Memphis To the Editor: Debbie Gilbert's review of The Patriot was, as usual, an excellent, well-written and considered review -- until the last two paragraphs. In her eagerness to insert an irrelevant gun-control plug, she reveals a shocking ignorance of the historical events portrayed in the film. Apparently Ms. Gilbert believes that the United States was a sovereign nation, invaded from without by the British. I hope that all schoolchildren know better than that (although I doubt it). The British crown was the legal government of the rebellious colonies. The atrocities and injustice committed against the colonists gave rise to rebellion against their own ruler, not an invading foreign force. The guns in the hands of the colonists made that revolution, and our fledgling nation, possible. The necessity of avoiding this kind of rule in their new country was uppermost in the founding fathers' minds. Virtually all of the revolutionary documents, including the U.S. Constitution, contain warnings against the establishment of an all-powerful, despotic government. The very form of our government was designed to avoid too much concentrated power. The second amendment to the Constitution was adopted partly so that militias could repel foreign invaders, but primarily to give individual citizens the means to defend themselves from the possible rise of a tyrannical government in their own country, just as the colonists were forced to do. I'm not a "gun nut," although I think that actually enforcing the thousands of gun laws already on the books is a better idea than ill-thought-out new laws and lawsuits. I also have to question the crime-reducing effectiveness of laws that only address the possession of guns by law-abiding citizens, while doing nothing to disarm criminals. I don't really believe that we will be forced to defend ourselves en masse from jackbooted federal troops (although constant reading of the news makes holding that opinion increasingly difficult). What I do find disturbing is the apparent wholesale ignorance of the history of this country and its institutions. I expect that at least some viewers of The Patriot will take a more careful and thoughtful look at history than your reviewer did, and come to exactly the opposite conclusion. Darel Snodgrass Memphis Memphis in New England To the Editor: I just read with interest Paul Gerald's article on Red, Hot and Blue, (June 29th issue) the barbecue restaurant in New Jersey. If anyone wanted to wander farther afield, they might check out the Beale Street Barbeque and Grill in Bath, Maine. Harold Montgomery Cleveland, Ohio No More Chicken To the Editor: I can't imagine how anyone can chew on a drumstick again after watching the animated movie Chicken Run, which opened last week to great critical acclaim. (The 1995 screening of Babe the talking pig led a number of people to drop pork from their diet.) The delightful British film recounts the story of a group of brave hens plotting to escape from a factory farm. The story is both poignant and funny, and the characters quickly earn our empathy. I was impressed how these animals that we view as food share our quest for life and liberty as well as most of our feelings of joy, affection, frustration, sadness, and pain. Thankfully, my local supermarket carries a selection of delicious "mock chicken" foods, which unlike dead chicken flesh are free of saturated fat, cholesterol, and salmonella. I look forward to exploring the many cruelty-free, healthful dietary options that are available. Sydney Roy Memphis CLARIFICATION Last week's sports column, "Show Me The Players!" by Dave Woloshin originally appeared in Mid-South Golfer. The Memphis Flyer encourages reader response. Send mail to: Letters to the Editor, POB 1738, Memphis, TN 38101. Or call Back Talk at 575-9405. Or send us e-mail at letters@memphisflyer.com. All responses must include name, address, and daytime phone number. Letters should be no longer than 250 words.