Gun-rights people like to mock all attempts at addressing this problem, but it does exist. Realistic-looking toy guns are used in crimes, they're blamed for police shootings, and what good are they anyway? Do kids gain anything useful by pretending to shoot each other with toys?The boys, ages 13-16, were arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and causing a public alarm when they were found playing with five assault-type rifles, a shotgun, and five handguns in the woods behind Horizon School on Old Road, according to Det. Sgt. Anthony Dippold.
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There is no good reason for toy guns. The only benefit they offer is for children to imagine themselves in gun fights, which only serves to desensitize them to the dangers and to glorify our gun culture. Nearly any imagined scenario that involves a gun can also be imagined without a gun, as my children can attest, and still have a great time doing it.
ReplyDeleteNow, I know the pro-gun side will howl at this, claiming that guns are important for self-protection and that children need to start thinking about this at a very young age. I say hogwash. When they are older, they can start learning under close supervision with the real thing and do just as well (and, I argue, that, too, is unnecessary).