In a fight to bring down the crime rate in Mexico’s capital city, police have destroyed thousands of toy guns to stop them from becoming a real threat on the streets.You know what I say about these realistic-looking toys, don't you?
Mexico City Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera announced that officials estimate at least three of every 10 violent crimes in Mexico City are carried out with a real-looking toy gun. He said this was enough justification to destroy the seven thousand replica weapons.
Shops bore the brunt of the government's decision as toy items were seized by the police in the capital and the surrounding state. Sunday is Three Kings Day, when Mexican children receive holiday gifts.
Mexico has strict laws on gun ownership that require toy weapons be made of transparent or colored plastic.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
We had a guy try to rob a pharmacy with one of these toy guns in upper East Tennessee a few years back. The clerk didn't know about guns and thought it was real--started complying. A customer knew better and the crook got a beat down before he could get away. Nobody else has tried it in the area since then.
ReplyDeleteNot really a lesson here unless it's that familiarity with real guns keeps people from being scared of toys when there's sufficient light to tell the difference. Just thought the story would be fun to tell as an example of a crook getting what was coming to him.
BTW, using a toy gun is still assault with a deadly weapon and armed robbery in the US, so the crook still gets a felony trip to prison.
A person could paint any gun any color they want. A colored plastic toy gun will not distinguish it from the real thing.
ReplyDeleteConversely, requiring plastic, toy guns be bright and colorful won't prevent people from painting them black when they have evil intent.
DeleteParents are stupid if they give their kid something so realistic that it may get them shot. However, I don't know that there should be a law here since 1) defeating it is stupidly easy, and 2) those who defeat it should already be sent to jail for as long as possible for simply using the fake gun in an armed robbery--adding a charge of having a realistic looking gun on top of this looks like you're trying to convict for murder, rape, arson, and jaywalking.
Mexico has the kind of gun laws that your side wants. How's that working out for them?
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