Toy Guns Are Not All Fun and Games [Moron Alert]

www.familyeducation.com ^ | Not Given | Alvin Poussaint, M.D. and Susan Linn, Ed.D.

[Drew68]

Toy Guns Are Not All Fun and Games

Alvin Poussaint, M.D. and Susan Linn, Ed.D.

Are We Steering Our Sons Towards Violence?
The shelves are stocked with weapons of every kind: handguns, rifles, shotguns, submachine guns, and sci-fi light sabers. Are you in the exhibit hall of an NRA convention? No. You’re strolling down the aisles of a toy store in search of a birthday present for your six-year-old son.

Buying toy guns for kids seems completely natural to millions of American parents. Yet, the same parents would not even think about buying guns for their little girls. When we encourage boys to play with guns, we must question whether or not we're socializing them to be violent.

As American As Apple Pie
Playing cops-and-robbers or other "shoot the bad guy" games is often seen as innocent fun and a harmless rite of passage for little boys across America. It is certainly part of an American image of manhood — success at violence is often equated with heroics, making men appear tough and macho. In fact, guns and other tools of destruction have long been associated symbolically with male sexual prowess.

American history — especially the story of European immigrants settling the West — is rife with mythology about gunfights and gunslingers. Thanks to films and television, we all grew up with larger-than-life (and largely false) visions of gun-toting law enforcers like Wyatt Earp and glamorous villains like Billy the Kid. These days, the enemy might be an alien space creature. The weapon of destruction may be more sophisticated than the old six-shooter, but the game is basically the same: Bang! Bang! You're dead!

To Buy or Not to Buy
In spite of peer pressure and TV marketing, and at the risk of disappointing your children, we strongly urge parents not to buy toy guns. As you think about buying your kids toy weapons, consider the following:

• Every toy we give our children carries the message that we approve of that toy. Kids play with toys, at least in part, to rehearse for real life. As they play store, house, school, and firefighter, they're trying on roles and practicing being an adult by using the tools that adults use. Do we want them to practice using guns?

• Accidents do happen and toy guns can look a lot like real guns. Every year, kids are killed by real guns they thought were toys. And police officers have mistaken toy guns for real weapons.

• Refusing to buy toy guns does not prevent your child from playing good guy/bad guy games. Whether they have toy weapons or not, children have always played at games involving violent deaths. Such dramatic play is exciting and provides kids with opportunities to feel powerful and invincible. It's fine for kids to invent these games themselves, as long as no one gets hurt. However, if adults provide them with toys that suggest real weaponry, children are getting the message that we are encouraging them to play at violence.

• It's hard to say "no" to children. Some parents compromise by allowing water pistols. If you buy your kids water guns, make sure they do not look like real weapons.

• Talk with your children about the danger of guns. Your kids may receive toy guns from relatives or play with them at other kids' houses. Children who play with toy guns need to understand that there are clear limits about how they should be used. They should not be pointed at anyone who is not actively participating in the agreed-upon game. They should never be used to intimidate. We don't want kids ever to get the message that a gun is safe or something that children should use.

If your child favors violent play over almost everything else or if he repeatedly threatens or points weapons at people who are not part of the game he is playing, then he may be extremely angry and may really want to hurt someone. If this is the case, seek professional help.

[Drew68]

I don't know what date this was published as it wasn't given. I checked the archives and didn't see it posted so I thought some of you might like to read this lovely little gem.

I found it on a web search trying to find quality toy guns.

[Mo1]

As of 8:05pm CST, 3/6/2002
Freeper State (Never Never Land) .. $4,872.45
California (931) --- $4,391.10
Texas (925) --- $2,885
New York (329) -- $1,950
Ohio (246) ---- $1840
Florida (457) ---$1,530
Virginia (365) ---$1,499
Pennsylvania (302) ---$1,255
New Jersey (177) ---$1,241
Arizona (179) ---$1,094
Washington State (254) ---$1,085
Michigan (196) ---$852
North Carolina (241) ---$847
Connecticut (91) ---$830
Illinois (231) ---$805
Massachusetts (131) ---$795
Georgia (230) ---$735
Missouri (179) ---$700
Wisconsin (141) ---$700
Minnesota (119) ---$675
Montana (14) ---$600
Alaska (44) ---$529
Maryland (221) ---$500
Colorado (153) ---$475
Indonesia (2) ---$400
Tennessee (172) ---$360
Kentucky (88) ---$350
Oklahoma (120) ---$340
Louisiana (98) ---$320
New Hampshire (46) ---$300
Oregon (122) ---$270
Indiana (143) ---$250
Alabama (104) ---$230
Kansas (90) ---$205
South Carolina (106) ---$200
Hawaii (25) ---$180
Delaware (18) ---$180
Mississippi (62) ---$175
Maine (34) ---$175
Arkansas (60) ---$170
Utah (47) ---$159
West (by God) Virginia (34) ---$159
Nevada (55) ---$150
New Mexico (61) ---$125
Spain (4) ---$100
Nebraska (42) ---$75
Vermont (11) ---$65
Iowa (60) ---$65
England (44) ---$50
Australia (15) ---$50
Chile (4) ---$50
Overseas Armed Forces (1) ---$50
Washington, D.C. (3) ---$50
Idaho (54) ---$50
South Dakota (25) ---$50
Canada (69) ---$35
Republic of Ireland (14) ---$30
Wyoming (10) ---$25
Rhode Island (11) ---$15
Sweden (7) ---$10
North Dakota (13) ---$10

Ok Freepers .. see the list above .. how about getting the numbers of your State up ...

Y'all can do it .. LET'S ROLL!!!

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[Drew68]

ping

You all posted on a recent toy gun thread. Thought you might be interested.

[Drew68]

To find all articles bumped to bang_list, click below:
click here >>>	bang_list	<<< click here
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[GeronL]

Hey, I bougt toy guns for my neice!! They shot darts with suckers at the end. I'm doing my part for the 2nd Amendment!

[Naspino]

Obviously the author was born yesterday to not realize that we had better more realistic guns in the old days and somehow didn't all become serial killers. HEY! NOVEL IDEA! MAYBE ITS THE FREAKING CRAP YOU SHOW ON TV AND IN MOVIES LIBS!

[Drew68]

Obviously the author was born yesterday to not realize that we had better more realistic guns in the old days and somehow didn't all become serial killers.

You're not kidding. I remember finding one of my dad's toy guns at my grandparents' house when I was a kid. It was a toy machinegun. It was made solidly built of blued metal with a wooden grip and stock. It was one of my favorite toys as a kid.

Wish I still had it as they sure don't build them like that anymore.

[spunkets]

"As they play store, house, school, and firefighter, they're trying on roles and practicing being an adult by using the tools that adults use. Do we want them to practice using guns? "

Yes. That way they can learn to deal effectively with bad guys.

"And police officers have mistaken toy guns for real weapons."

They should have had toys when they were kids. That way they'd have learned what toys are.

"However, if adults provide them with toys that suggest real weaponry, children are getting the message that we are encouraging them to play at violence.

Only if the adults in the kids life are morons that don't teach and explain to the kid what it's all about. Right/wrong...Good/evil...ect.

"It's hard to say "no" to children."

Only the clueless would have difficulty with this. Of course that's who this article is addressed to.

"They should not be pointed at anyone who is not actively participating in the agreed-upon game. They should never be used to intimidate. We don't want kids ever to get the message that a gun is safe or something that children should use."

Funny, adult liberals will point a real one at you if you don't obey them. They'll even lie, cheat and steal, to get their way.

Notice how liberals always talk down to the listener, like they're clueless w/o them...and they always use the "we" rubbish, so idiots feel included as actual thinkers.

[HiTech RedNeck]

"And police officers have mistaken toy guns for real weapons."

Sometimes, so also have home intruders. Better the homeowner have a real one if possible, but in a pinch....

[RogueIsland]

The bad side of civilization is that people like this no longer self-select themselves out of the gene-pool. I would venture a guess that the cavemen who survived to breeding age weren't the ones who went around calling Sabre Toothed Tigers "nice kitty" and getting in touch with their inner wimp.

[Joe Brower]

Are We Steering Our Sons Towards Violence?

Actually, the REAL question is, "Are we leading all of our kids down the hellish road towards 'pussification'?"

And the sorry answer for too many "Americans" nowadays is a resounding, "YES".

[Joe Brower]

The bad side of civilization is that people like this no longer self-select themselves out of the gene-pool

Yes. I don't know who said it, but it is unfortunately very true:

"Evolution stops when stupidity ceases to be fatal."

[dighton]

About the authors ....

[metesky]

Ms. Linn is internationally known for her innovative work using puppets in child psychotherapy.

This woman probably pioneered the practice of using puppets to railroad people like the Amiraults(sp?) into prison on spurious child molestation charges.

The "facilitator" repeatedly moves the puppets hands to the genital area and keeps asking, "Did he touch you here? Show me where he touched you."

It's been proven that the kids eventually give in, either to please the facilitator or to end the inquisition. Many people are in prison because of this phoney-baloney crapola.

She must be proud.

[metesky]

In fact, guns and other tools of destruction have long been associated symbolically with male sexual prowess, by credentialed nitwits like Alvin Poussaint, M.D. and Susan Linn, Ed.D.

[Brett66]

Let's not buy toy guns for children....they need real guns ,with parental supervision, so they can learn how to kill an intruder at an early age. At the very least they need a BB-gun.

[Gunner9mm]

Yet, the same parents would not even think about buying guns for their little girls.

But they should.

[Drew68]

At the very least they need a BB-gun.

That I wholly agree with. Sadly, even BB guns are under attack in many communities.

[Noumenon]

"Are we leading all of our kids down the hellish road towards 'pussification'?"

And the sorry answer for too many "Americans" nowadays is a resounding, "YES".

Correct. That's why our kids have real guns and know how to handle them.

[Constitution Day]

Message of this drivel:

"You'll shoot your eye out, kid!"