Philip S wrote:A problem with an exhibit like this is that it assumes a knowledge of who the guns owners were. I doubt that many casual visitors know much beyond Lincoln, Lee, and (perhaps) Grant. Teaching them who, what, and when is a missed opportunity.
Well, that's a kind opinion, but an additional problem is that the history minded people who put this on assume a certain level of intelligent curiosity on the part of the public. Unfortunately, we have a certain class now that is looking for opportunities to be offended. And additionally unfortunately, they're generally coddled.
War is brutal. Wars happen in history. Wars happen now. Showing the instruments of war is not advancing war itself nor is it advancing the cause of any of the combatants. Presumably a display of early Medieval swords wouldn't send people into fits of rage about Saxon aggression or (more likely now days) the poor misunderstood nature of pagan Saxons and the hideous oppression they met by British not misunderstanding their aggression as a suppressed need for a bushel of kittens and an open ear as to their Weltanschauung.
It's a weird thing to realize that in this day and age, when we're involved in a struggle with a force which would just as soon as lop most of our heads off than consider our views, we have in our midst a collection of such delicate flowers that the mere appearance of a long retired weapon of war would send them into such a fit of stupidity.
