Quote of the day–Robert A. Heinlein

There are no dangerous weapons; there are only dangerous men. We’re trying to teach you to be dangerous–to the enemy. Dangerous even without a knife. Deadly as long as you still have one hand or one foot and are still alive.

Robert A. Heinlein
Sergeant Zim
A character in Robert A. Heinlein’s book Starship Troopers
Page 61
[I would probably say it slightly different. I would say, “There are no dangerous weapons; there are only dangerous minds.” In any case the anti-gun bigots need to learn this lesson.

In case you hadn’t guessed I’m listening to Starship Troopers on my long commute to/from Idaho/Seattle. I had read it before but that was probably in the mid-70s. I remember Heinlein being a major influence on my world view. I sometimes have wondered if I would still be as impressed with him now that I am 30 years older than when I read his works. I’m not wondering anymore. It has a lot more meaning to me now than what I remember from then. And I’m recommending to Xenia that she read this book. Her boyfriend is in the U.S. Army. I had kept my Heinlein collection all these years “for my children, if I ever have any”. I could never get any of them interested before–but things change when members of the opposite sex start influencing your children.–Joe]

Share