Posted on 12/03/2017 9:50:29 AM PST by Simon Green
“A community groups (sic) has a strong message for parents this Christmas,” Buffalo, NY’s wivb.com reports. “They want to help keep toy guns out of children’s hands…to prevent them from getting their hands on a real one.” Ellipsis indeed. How does that work? . . .
“Whatever you put in a child’s hands that’s what he feels comfortable with and you put a toy gun in his hands at an early age and when he gets older he’s going to want the real thing,” said Leonard Lane, president of Buffalo F.A.T.H.E.R.S organization.
That’s why Lane is encouraging parents to give up their child’s toy guns this Christmas and exchange it for a different toy, as part of the annual Toy Gun Exchange at the Delavan Grider community center.
Lane says it’s an effort to help stop gun violence by teaching children at an early age that guns are nothing to play with.
“I understand how a mother may feel wanting to get something her child would like, but what we don’t want to do is make a child feel comfortable with a toy gun,” said Lane.
Damn! I knew I shouldn’t have let my daughter play with that crack pipe!
But seriously folks, what’s wrong with a young American growing up to be an adult American who wants to keep and bear arms? Equally, what does F.A.T.H.E.R.S. stand for? Google is not my friend there.
The really scary part? Buffalo’s finest are on board with the toy gun buyback program.
“Little kids like to play cops and robbers but you know in the environment we live in, there’s so much violence in this world that there’s so many other options for kids to have fun,” said Capt. Steve Nichols with Buffalo police.
Capt. Steve Nichols says some toy guns look real and many times young children have used those toy guns to commit crimes.
“Even with toy guns they reach an age where they start taking off the orange tip and they start pretending that they’re real guns and try and use them in robberies or other things and really all that’s going to do is get them hurt,” said Capt. Nichols.
That’s why the message to parents this holiday is clear put –even the toy guns — down.
Those Army men green plastic figures make good training targets for BB/pellet guns.
He is Nine!He wants a .22 but I don’t know if his parents will allow him to have one.
My students’ eyes pop out when we read Charlotte’s Web and the brother takes his shotgun to school! I explain to them how every kid back then had a gun and knew how to use it, and most country kids today do, too. (We are in Los Angeles, so they don’t here).
‘With this logic does providing sex ed to kids turn them into prostitutes and porn stars?”
Sadly, it did me./sarc
My daughter had her own real .22 semi-automatic rifle when she was 6. I would take her to the range and teach her marksmanship. She enjoyed the trips.
Didn’t we do this in the ‘60s?
The real danger to society is is that there are people among us whose minds can come up with such absurdities -
Next up in Crazyville: little girls have to turn in their dresses and receive a burka in return.
I also had every Toy Weapon imaginable. An M-1, a Tripod Mounted Machine Gun, a Monkey Gun, the 007 Briefcase and the Man from Uncle Attache Case to name a few.
With all that History, at age 64 I still haven't killed as many people as Ted Kennedy did using his Olds 88.
“He is Nine!He wants a .22 but I don’t know if his parents will allow him to have one”
Thats certainly a consideration. Got my first 22 when I was 12. 9 should be ok if there is strong parental interest and control. Farm kids grow up with them...much trickier in city.Should have a good grounding in safety, responsibility etc. Eddie Eagle program for openers.
Ah, I remember the good old days.
Toy guns.
Rubber knives
Toy bows and arrows.
Candy cigarettes.
Chewing gum cigars.
Washable tattoos.
Chewing gum chewing “tobacco”.
And for the older kids,
Gilbert Chemistry sets
Gilbert microscope sets.
Gilbert Atomic radioactive particle sets.
Then the Fainthearts came along and spoiled it all.
I had one of Those!
Sisters Barbies did not stand a Chance!
Fat
Assed
Troublemakers
Hating
Every
Regular
Sap
Thank you Don, for motivating me.
We didn't even take the time to do that. Our "weapons" for play were baseball bats:
1) Held with the thick end to the shoulder - M1 rifle
2) Placed on the shoulder - bazooka
3) Placed under the arm, against the side - Thompson machine gun
4) Held with the thick end on the ground - mortar
5) Sitting on the ground with the bat held on your upraised knees - 50-caliber machine gun
6) Thrusting the small end at your opponent - rifle with bayonet
7) Swinging it like a baseball bat - a reason for your parents to ground you.
The ultimate utility weapon for all situations.
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