Changing the guns in ET

[thedamndest]

For the 20th anniversary DVD version of E.T., Spielberg digitally changed the federal agents' shotguns into walkie-talkies (old news). Do you agree with this change? Director's cuts are occasionally released of films, but they usually have more to do with the director's vision not meshing with the changes the studio asked (forced) him to make in order to release the film. In this instance, the gun to talkie is more indicative of a changing political climate as guns were blamed for every problem America ever had (not to mention to release a family friendly DVD). It seems like a subtle change, but why would the federal agents be running up to this alien they are hunting with walkies? By keeping it guns you keep in the context of man's (institutionalized especially, not so much the family unit) threat to this harmless creature. Off the top of my head I am thinking of the scene where they seal up Elliot's house and the hospital scene.

What do you think? Harmless change? Should he have left it as it was?