FAULTING BRUCE Springsteen for the misinterpretation and, arguably, misuse of his song “Born in the USA’’ is misplaced (Ward Sutton, “Dancing in the Dark,’’ Op-ed, Oct. 28). The Boss shouldn’t be blamed for the fact that so many people couldn’t see past a catchy tune and hear that the lyrics had a deeper meaning - as a song about sacrificing our soldiers in a pointless war and treating them badly upon their return from Vietnam.
I remember being put off when I heard Ronald Reagan and his ilk appropriating the song. However, looking back, I see that politicians’ use of “Born in the USA’’ as a patriotic rallying song is a wonderful metaphor for the state of our politics.
Politicians address important issues in the shallowest of terms, in ways that elicit emotional responses (think of a song’s tune), and hope that that response will carry voters to the polls. All the while, they know that the vast majority will not have the attention span to look deeper into the issues (the lyrics) and objectively consider potential solutions.
Tim Briggs
Shrewsbury 
