Editor,

In response to the letter to the editor by Vicki Robin in the Nov. 30 edition of the Whidbey News-Times, it was sad to read her delusional diatribe.

Instead of our volunteer armed forces composed of professionals, she longs for a “militia called into duty as needed with their hunting guns.” It seems to be her view that the Russians or the Chinese would back down before such a fearsome force.

She also seems to mock those who “cling” to the First, Second and Fifth Amendments of the Constitution. I wonder what inside information she has that we don’t know about.

Robin also worries about “voices that need to be heard,” including from those who fear guns. Then she contrasts people who are pro-military against “those who are protecting our rural peaceful culture.”

In her fantasy world, we apparently need only our fairy godmother to protect our nation and our rural peaceful culture.

Perhaps she hasn’t heard of the Russian incursion in Ukraine, the Chinese aggressive stance in the South China Sea or the nuclear-tipped missiles in North Korea.

Just for the record, defense spending does not account for one-fourth of our federal budget, as claimed by Ms. Robin. The latest published figure is closer to 16 percent, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

The fact is, our armed forces are shrinking, with our Navy the smallest since 1917.

The rest of the world is worried, but not Ms. Robin.

Dream on, my dear.

David Howe

Greenbank