Guns on the playground?

[angie r]

I took my dk's to the playground yesterday and at one of the area's there were two kids with toy guns. They were brother and sister from what I could tell and they chased each other all over shooting at one another. The toy guns had those "bright orange tips" that tell you it is a toy. The kids were probably 4 - 6 years old on the playground for the younger set.

I was so upset! I just don't see why any parent would allow that. It seems to me to make guns on the playground seem like something normal. I didn't say anything because I really didn't know what to say. The kids didn't point the guns at any other kids at the area that I saw but we didn't stay there long. How does my two year old know the difference between a play gun and a real one?

Is this just me??

[Dr_Dan_1978]

I dont see anything wrong with what those kids were doing. The were probably playing cops and robbers or cowboys and indians - something like that. They were using their imaginations - playing. There isnt anything wrong with that. I played with toy guns growing up all of the time. I had the cowboy outfit and everything. Kids especially boys go through that stage and that is normal. You say, how does my two year old understand if it is a real gun or not? Well, you tell him. If this incident bothered you so much you should have taken that incident as a great opportunity to talk to your kids about the subject of guns and violence. Use bad experiences to your advantage to teach your kids things. If you don't agree with your children playing with toy guns that's your right and I respect that. However, I don't see anything wrong with it as long as the parents are there to explain what's play and real to the child. I am tired of people looking at guns in a bad way. Guns don't kill people, people kill people. I don't care how many gun laws are passed. The only way to stop this violence is to go to the root of the problem, the people, and fix that. For example, the school shootings. The problem isnt the guns. The problem is with the child doing the killing. The only way we are going to prevent this from occuring again is to first, the media has to quit glamorizing the situation and second get into the schools and pen-point at risk youth and help them through mentor programs and things like that. Guns are not a bad thing. Guns are tools - things to use for different purposes. It is the person's responsiblity to make the right decision on how to use it. Weapons are useful. For one thing, you wouldnt be living free in the United States without them. People died while using weapons so that you can enjoy your freedoms. Next time when you feel like getting mad just because some kids are playing with toy guns, dont think about the gun, think about the person behind the gun and try to figure out thier reason for using it. The purpose for using guns is what you should be mad at. The children at the playground were using their imagination and were playing nothing more. They were probably play good guys and bad guys something like that and in which the good guy always wins. They were doing it because it was fun not because they were thinking about doing something evil. Personally, I think most people who carry you're view watch too much TV and let the media shape their opinion. Guns are not the problem. The people in our society are the problem. By just focusing on the act of violence, the problem of violence will not go away. You have to look deeper and focus on the person and purpose before anything will be accomplished.

Dr_Dan_1978

[dotcommom]

Dr_Dan_-- I couldn't agree more with what you posted. Or said it better myself!

[Brichard]

This is a difficult topic because people are pretty passionate about their opinions. I played with guns as a child, shot up people in video games, and I've been remarkably successful at avoiding violence. And, I have never owned anything more powerful then a b.b. gun.

But having said that, I am not a proponent of kids playing with toy guns. I don't know how many saw the recent special about guns on ... 20/20 ... or something like that. Anyway, they did a speech about gun control to all of these kids, and one of the kids had recently had a friend die from a gun accident.

Anyway, a week or so later they planted some real guns in a nearby gym that the kids could easily find. All the kids, including the kid who's best friend just died, did dangerous stunts with the guns. Including pointing the guns at each other, attempting tricks, etc.

This show scared me to death. Again, these are kids that were given a speech just weeks before on the perils of guns, so they were not uneducated about the dangers. Yet, they still chose to ignore the warnings.

The number one reason I don't want my kids playing with guns is that I don't know what good can come from it. I am an example of a person that wasn't harmed by it, but was it beneficial in any way?

I support the right to bear arms, and I realize that guns have been necessary to win the wars to secure our freedom. But, for the life of me I'm not sure how that ties in to a young kid playing with a toy gun who is saying "I killed ya!"

Is it harmless? Probably. Is it beneficial in any way? Not that I can see.

I do agree on the media glamor thing as well. When I was in high school a kid wrote down a list of people he was going to kill and gave it to the principal. A guy found out his little sister was on the list and beat him to a pulp. I never really gave it much thought since I wasn't on the list.

However, since high school shootings are becoming more "acceptable" among school outcasts acrossed the country, I am more in favor of limiting the fascination with guns.

I seriously doubt anybody's opinion will be changed based on other posts, just expressing mine.

[Amy2]

Dr. Dan, bleecccchhhh! If I hear that inane quote one more time I may just puke! Guns DO kill people. No, a gun sitting on the table will not jump up and shoot someone, it takes a person to do that. A person WITH A GUN. Also, when you were a child, as when I was a child, we didn't worry about real guns in school like we do today.

I hate guns. We don't have them in our home. If my kids go somewhere where they have toy guns usually the parents know how I feel and put them away, but if not, I don't make a big deal out of it bit my kids know how I feel. Still, I don't think that a four year old needs to be running around a public playground going "bang bang you're dead." Why glorify guns at all?

I do agree, however that it is a golden opportunity to talk with your child about the situation. About guns, violence, poor choices, good choices. Still, I think children can be just as creative with washable sidewalk chalk, balls, toy cars, or jump ropes and don't NEED to have violent play.

[Mickey]

I agree with Amy! That "guns don't kill people..." catchphrase is a load of crap.

Fact: You can't blow someone's brains out without a GUN.

Here's the price of your "right to bear arms":

In a study of 36 countries, the United States had the highest gun death rate, which was:

3.3 times that of Canada

5.3 times that of Australia

6.0 times that of New Zealand

26.4 times that of Scotland

34.7 times that of England and Wales

284.8 times that of Japan

In 1998 a total of 3,792 young people ages 0-19 were killed by gunfire in the U.S. That's more than 10 kids a day.

What a price to pay for that "freedom".

[kat]

I support the right to bear arms, and I realize that guns have been necessary to win the wars to secure our freedom
Brichard, I love you, you are so diplomatic. I always appreciate you level headed replies. This topic pushes my buttons. I thought that the right to bear arms was in the constraints of a well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state. I never thought it meant every Joe Q. Citizen had the right to his own firearm.

Dr. Dan, bleecccchhhh! If I hear that inane quote one more time I may just puke! Guns DO kill people.
That "guns don't kill people..." catchphrase is a load of crap

Amy and Mickey I totally agree.

What a price to pay for that "freedom". I get really frustrated too with people demanding "their rights" but never giving a second thought to "their responsibilities" to the so-called "free society". Wake up! It's not a "free society" nor would you really want to live in one. Don't get me wrong, I cherish this society but we have got to be more responsible. We also need to wake up and begin to really see that some things are not right. With all the gun violence on T.V., in movies, in music and young children "playing at killing" and not understanding it, then growing older and being ammune to it, I definitely see something wrong with it.

Of course that is just MHO.

[MaryL]

What you choose to let your child play with at your own home is your business...but toy guns (swords, whatever!!) do not belong at a playground!!!! I'd be very upset also, Angie!!

[RCT]

I myself also grew up playing cowboys and Indians and cops and robbers with toy guns, hey, we even played Chariles Angels...LOL....

I have a NO gun rule in my home also, real or fake. I also am the mother who asks everyone of my kids friends parents if they have guns in their homes and if they are locked up...I think my kids will play at my house rather than someone else's because I live in a town where 80% of the families have guns (locked up) but guns nonetheless in their homes....that scares me...

As far as the playground, yikes I don't know, I can see where you would be upset....but I honestly don't know if they shouldn't be allowed to play with these toys, I see my kids shooting with their fingers sometimes in our own yard....sorry this sounds so wishy washy....I don't have the answers...

[MK]

I'm not sure exactly where I'm going with this, but after much thought, I decided I needed to say something too. In my own home, I have laid down the rule that we will not have a gun, even though dh has expressed a desire to obtain one "for protection." I rationalized that for the safety of the children we would have it locked up anyway, and then what good would it do us if we needed it, since we would not be able to access and load it in time anyhow? Until just recently I also had pretty much resisted any intrusion of toy guns into my boys' collection of playthings, with the exception of squirt guns. It didn't matter, though-- they always managed to make pretend weapons anyway, out of legos (spaceships and fighter planes with guns and missiles, torpedoes, etc.) They will use sticks, pieces of racetrack, plastic golf clubs as swords. Then the neighbor boy gave my son one of his cap guns. I disapproved, so I called the neighbor dad and asked if it was okay for his son to give away his toys. He said yes, and I wasn't sure how to go about further objecting, so it stayed, with the philosophy, "if you can't beat 'em, you may as well join 'em". Always, however, the rule has been, "Never point it at anything with a brain." If they do, the weapon, even a golf club or a stick or whatever is immediately confiscated.

Part of our tolerance, I think stems from the fact that all my life my dad has collected guns. He taught me and my siblings about respect for guns. He used to take us out target shooting (he never hunted), and looking for empty shells to make his own bullets with. He has always kept a revolver under the bed, in the case of an intruder during the night. He always takes it with him on trips. In fact, a long time ago, (I wasn't there at the time) my step-mom tells me that they went on a trip and were stopped by some men who demanded my family to turn over the car to them. My dad pulled the pistol out from under the seat, pointed it at the men, and said, "I don't think so." They were able to continue their trip without mishap.

Another thought occured to me, that a lot of people who use guns to deliberately hurt others most likely are "sick in the head." Perhaps if we paid more attention to treating mental illness and preventing the wrong people from having access to weapons rather than being scared to death of an inanimate object, the situation might improve.

[Dr_Dan_1978]

I agree with you MK. The people in our society are the problem. Those who would take a gun and kill someone does have a problem and I'm sure playing with toy guns as a child wasn't one of the main reasons behind the incident. If you havent noticed all of the kids who participated in the school shootings did it because of harassment and ridicule from other peers not because they played with toy guns as children. These kids who are doing these killings have problems - be it low self-esteem, emotional problems, etc. The reason behind the killings is not the guns, it's the reason for them using it. The only way we are going to stop violence in our society is to go to the root of the problem and fix that. Playing with guns is not going to turn your kids into killers, there has to be a lot bigger underlying problem for that to occur, however it seems like in this country no one is willing to look deeper. Most people can only look at the surface and see guns. Fix the person and you fix the problem. Passing laws and banning guns only covers up the problem, however in this society it seems that's what the average person wants. Just cover up the problem so it doesnt have to affect my INDIVIDUAL life. Srew everyone else.
Well I think a little deeper than that.
Dr_Dan_1978

[angie r]

I do agree that the problem with the school shootings we have had is with the underlying issues that child has.

What I am talking about is the 5 year old who picked up her dad's loaded gun that didn't have the safety on and took it to school with her. The 2 year old who shot himself after finding a loaded gun in his mother's purse. The 4 year old who shot his cousin. Does a child on a playground who see's other children playing bang, bang know the difference at age 2, 4 or 5 between a "toy" and the real thing? Do the children playing bang, bang know? My issue wasn't a deep emotional issue but one of why make it seem ok to play with a gun on a playground? What if a child saw another child playing with a gun on the playground happened upon a real gun and not knowing picked it up and shot a brother, sister, mother, father??

I am also not saying that a child may pick up a gun even if they have never seen one on a playground or anywhere for that matter. Why make it seem ok? I am talking about the accidental shootings not the pre-meditated ones.

[Mickey]

I don't buy that the people in this country are more "messed up" than in other countries--there are not more people in this country with low self-esteem and emotional problems. The difference is that we have the guns. Anyone can be messed up in the head, but the fact still remains...you can't blow someone's brains out without a gun.

And the gun in your home is 40 times more likely to kill one of your family members or friends than an intruder. So I don't buy the "protection" crap for a minute either. I agree with MK in that there really is no point in having one if you lock it up unloaded--by the time you wake up and realize someone's in your house, it's too late to get the key, get to the locked cabinet and get your locked up amo and load the gun. And it's downright stupid if you have that loaded gun handy when you have kids--or even if you don't have kids, but kids visit your house. You can "teach gun safety" to your kids until you're blue in the face, but one day curiosity WILL get the best of them and after that happens, you'll end up wanting to put that gun in your mouth.

And I have to say that I think the "if you can't beat 'em, you may as well join 'em" philosophy is just sad. Too many people compromise their standards, values, morals or beliefs based on that philosophy and I think that's a big problem in today's world. JMHO.

Regarding the school shootings, it really annoys me when people "victimize" the criminal..."he was harassed and ridiculed..." Who the heck wasn't? I was, weren't you? And the thought of taking a gun to school never crossed my mind (yes, I grew up in a house full of guns). It has more to do with parents being too wrapped up in their own lives to know what's going on with their kids. Regardless of the reason he does it, a kid could never take a gun to school if he didn't have access to one, now could he?

Back on topic...as far as gun play goes--yeah, my brother played with toy guns, did the whole cops and robbers thing, and he's never shot anyone either, but I think today's world is very different from when we were kids. Kids today are lacking in a lot of ways--they seem numb. They "cut" themselves, listen to music with violent and shocking lyrics and seem unfazed by them and they play video games that are WAY too realistic, among other things. I believe that using toy guns and pretending to shoot and kill each other really does have a negative impact...I feel that it contributes to the desensitization of our children. Again...JMHO.

[Dr_Dan_1978]

If it isnt true that the United States isnt more messed up than the rest of the world, why do our mental health professionals diagnose more mental and emotional conditions and prescribe more medication for behavior and emotional problems than any other industrialized country? There are some disorders that are only a problem in the United States at such high rates.

Back to the subject about guns. I agree with many of you when you all stated that many young children die from gun violence because of a gun lying around the house. That is sad and uncalled for, however back to what I was saying, it's not the guns fault. It all comes down to personal responsibility. These idiot adults need to lock up their weapons regardless if children are around or not. A person just can't take the chance. Children are curious and it doesnt matter how much education or prevention from guns, toy or not, you provide to a child. If a child finds a gun, they will experiement with it 9 times out of 10. Guns are part of the adult world and are forbidden. Anything forbidden to a child becomes more exciting which is one reason why I feel telling a child that a gun of any kind is off limits is wrong. Education is important. Most of the time when children accidentally kill themselves is because they dont understand that just because they pull the clip out doesnt mean that the gun is not loaded - there could still be one in the chamber. A little education about gun safety would prevent that from happening. It's easy to shield your children from guns and violence but in the long run you arent helping them. The reality is that guns are everywhere and there are a lot of stupid people that owns them. There is a good chance one of your children will come across one of them.......and play with it. I'm not saying everyone should take their kids in the backyard and teach them how to become expert shots or anything. I just feel totally forbiddening a part of reality in which we live in is not helping anyone. Kids need to learn how to respect guns and know the difference between a real one and play one.
About the question, could a 2, 3, or 5 year old tell the difference between a real gun or fake one. Well, they shouldnt have to. At all times a child under 5 should be looked after. There shouldnt be any reason why a 5 and under child should be left alone anywhere. If a child that age gets a hold of a gun and kills themselves, that's the adults', who are caring for or looking after the child, fault. It's that simple. It's not the gun's fault. A gun is an object nothing more. I'm tired of hearing people placing the blame on guns and totally ignoring the person's responibity. If a person has a gun and doesnt lock it up and a child gets killed - I say fry the dumb ass who didnt lock up the gun properly - not organize a ban on guns. Let's put the responsibility on the human, who suppose to have a brain, not an object made out of metal.

Dr_Dan_1978

[Mickey]

If your statistics that mental health professionals in this country diagnose more mental and emotional conditions and prescribe more medication for behavior and emotional problems than any other industrialized country is indeed accurate (where did your get this info?), I'd be willing to bet that the increase is across the board--more diagnoses of respiratory infections, heart problems, blood disorders, etc. I believe the bottom line for this is money and our screwed up medical system that promotes diagnoses and pushes prescription drugs (doctors getting kickbacks from pharmaceutical companies).

I know first hand that compared to England, we get prescribed more medication for everything, not just mental health-related problems. They view us as a pill-popping society. I think people here expect something in return when they are paying good money for healthcare--they want a diagnosis and they want a prescription. They want something for their money.

Back to guns...if you have a magic wand that you could wave to make everyone sane, responsible gun owners and also make it impossible for guns to fall into the hands of messed up and/or irresponsible people, I'd be fine with everyone having guns, but until then...one dead child is just too high a price for this society's "right to bear arms".

[Amy2]

Dan~ So if nine times out of ten a child will experiement with a gun, you would be willing to take a chance at having them in your home? Yes, I agree with you that children must be supervised, but do you take your five year old with you to the bathroom? Do they sit beside you in the kitchen while you make lunch, or do they play in their room/outside/upstairs whatever while you work? Right now as I type I have a a baby sitting on my lap getting over a fall, and another child upstairs presumably watching Seven Little Monsters. But do I know this for certain? If I had a gun up there, how do I know he wasn't "experiementing" with it? Would I risk it? Do I want to have to watch him like a hawk for fear? No. I want my home to be a safe place where we can all exist with a modicum of freedom!

Also, you say that it is foolish to forbid things from the adult world because this will necessarily make the child want them. Do we give them alcohol? Drugs? Do we allow them to watch R rated movies? Of course not. That's absurd.

I'm not saying that I think a child playing with guns will become a killer. I am saying why glorify violence at all? Our poor children are innundated with it without our help. Just look around you! In fact, perhaps we are the only ones off setting this fascination with guns that is so prevelent in our society.

Micky~You Go Girl! I agree with each point you've made.

Amy

[Brichard]

Well many things have been brought up on this topic as this thread has branched out pretty well. I want to clarify my position on a few topics since so many have been brought up.

1. I think people have the right to own guns- I understand why people want the availability restricted, etc., but I also agree that education is our biggest weapon in the long run. Personally, I think that trying to keep guns out of everybody's hands will be to difficult to enforce.

2. I don't want a gun in my house- Personally, I'm not sure why somebody would want one based on a couple of things. The first fact is that most guns owned by people are used against them, which makes me think having them is quite futile. The second reason is the danger they pose to my children. I think we often underestimate the craftiness and will of our children. Even good children who are well educated on gun control can make a mistake... they are children. This is not a mistake I am willing to risk.

3. All kids should be educated on guns- Right now all I want my 2 and 5 year old to know are that guns are bad don't touch! When they are older I have no problem teaching them about putting on the safety etc., but I don't want them knowing the finer details of guns as they won't be using them! Its like, why teach my kids defensive driving until they are driving?

4. Numbers 1-3 have little to do with guns on a playground In my opinion- Young kids are not expected to have the same judgement as adults. That is why we don't let them drive and we don't let them vote. One thing the "pro-gun" section has failed to list on this topic is one positive thing that young children playing with guns offers. If you can't come up with any, I think you really need to re-consider your position.

Somehow guns on the playground turned into a gun control issue, which opens an entirely different can of worms. If a kid is educated in guns or not, or if he plays with guns or not... will he still pick up a live gun and play with it? I don't know, but it seems fairly likely.

But I do know this. Playing with toy guns certainly isn't going to help in any way. And, if something isn't part of the solution it is often part of the problem.

[Dr_Dan_1978]

Banning guns will not solve the problem. Drugs are illegal and they're everywhere. Keeping guns legal at least allows us to keep track of them. You talk about "messed up and/or irresponsible people." Do you think messed up and irresponisible people are going to follow the law? Guns are in our society and no law is going to make them disappear.

The bottom line is: if you don't want your kid playing with toy guns that's your right and I respect that, however I feel educating children about guns is very important. And when I say educate I dont mean tell children guns are bad .....because they're not. People who use guns for the wrong reasons are bad not the gun itself. Parents should teach their kids how to think deeper into a situation not just look at the surface. Guns are here in our society to stay regardless of what your particular family or the government does about it. Education and teaching respect is the key not totally forbidding it. Again, totally forbidding something to a child only makes that object more.

[Brichard]

You still have not addressed this question, and I am curious what your answer will be.

What good can come of playing with toy guns?

Secondly, you say that "guns aren't bad" it is the people who shoot them. I will agree that a gun by itself will not shoot a person. But, you also have to acknowledge what they were made for... to kill.

You can take a knife, another item that can be dangerous, and it can be used for other things. You can cut your steak or peel a potato with it. But you don't peel things with guns, you shoot and destroy them.

Guns can be used recreationally, for example at a shooting range. But most of that time it is to prepare to kill something, for example to sharpen up on your marksmanship to go hunting.

I think gun safety is a good idea, to educate kids on what can happen with a gun. For example, you can let a child know that it can accidentally go off, and to never point a gun at another individual. But, how far do you go in the educational process? The more you handle the gun around them the more they will think it is o.k.

You mentioned illegal drugs. I will tell my kids not to take drugs and give them examples of how they have hurt other people and what they can do to your body. I will take a similar approach with guns. But, I'm not going to get in the finer details.

For example, I'm not going to show my son how to smoke a joint and then say... this is the way you do it, but don't do this! I'm going to say. Drugs are dangerous, don't touch them. And so it is with guns, guns are dangerous and you have no business touching them because they can hurt or kill you or somebody else.

[Amy2]

Yes, guns ARE bad. They are made for death at worst and destruction at best.

I will not take a position on this topic at present, but I just wanted to say that I have enjoyed reading this debate. The responses have been thought-filled and reasonable. The most welcome thing is the tone of respect that has come from both sides. This is rather uncommon on such a hot-button issue. Thank you ladies and gentlemen for giving me lots to think about. :thumb:

[AnnW]

Cathy, I totally agree!!! Yea team!!

I think not being able to hide behind an anonymous post is proving to be a good thing.

[Diane]

Originally posted by AnnW
Cathy, I totally agree!!! Yea team!!

I think not being able to hide behind an anonymous post is proving to be a good thing.

I couldn't agee more... it's amazing just how polite and considerate we all can be of each other when our names are attached to our posts. LOL Good going guy's!!!! :)

Bye... :wave:

[Dr_Dan_1978]

Well the same purpose that other things have when children play with them - entertainment, the use of imagination, acting like adults, etc. I just don't see anything wrong with a child imagining being a police officer, cowboy, or action hero as long as they are doing it in fun and not being evil about it. Most of the time, when kids imagine, they play a game that's good Vs Evil in which the good guys always wins. What's so wrong with that? Now if a child is imagining being a murderer or serial killer that's different - that's when a talk with the child is in order and potential off limits of the toy is established. Again like I said before, it's the purpose behind using the gun, toy in this case, which is important.
Is playing with toy guns going to get your child into harvard? Of course not, however it's not going to keep them out either. Most things we do dont have extreme benefits.
It all comes down to what type of toys "You" perfer your children to play with. There are better toys out on the market. I'm not saying that every child should play with them. I dont even put toy guns high on the list of great toys for kids but I don't see any problem with them.
Back to the playground issue at the start of this discussion. I just don't feel another parent on a playground should get mad just because some other person's kids are playing with toy guns. I would be pissed if a mother came up to me, with an attitude, telling me how absurd my childrens behavior is just because their playing with a toy. If you dont want your child playing with toy guns with my kids, that's fine - I respect that, however respect my view also. As long as you don't own the playground, your opinion is just as important as mine.
All this time I have been fighting for the use of toy guns. I'm not saying go out and buy your kids toy guns and make sure they play with them. Personally, I would try to push better educational toys as the first option, however if my son wants to play cowboys and indians, I dont see a problem with that as long as he isnt evil about it. I am not saying toy guns are the best toy your child can have and that their missing out if they don't play with them. Bottom line, I just don't see anything wrong with it as long as the purpose for using it is good. I want my children to think deeper into a topic not just look on the surface. Guns are not bad. Sometimes the purposes for using them are though.

Dr_Dan_1978

[darlene]

Originally posted by Brichard
Personally, I'm not sure why somebody would want one based on a couple of things. The first fact is that most guns owned by people are used against them, which makes me think having them is quite futile. The second reason is the danger they pose to my children. ]
Here are my reasons for having a gun in our house....we live in the country and have quite an assortment of animals living around us. We have had a few skunks (including one in the cat's house and a rabid one in the middle of our yard during the day), racoons (that constantly rip apart our garbage)and even a bear in our yard.
By reading this thread, I can tell who lives in the city and who lives in the country.
:)

[Brichard]

Well, Using a toy gun in the scenario of trying to be a cop and put away the bad guys... that is a scenario that may be of some benefit. Since soldiers and cops are the only guys I can think of that legally carry guns to use, imitating them may not be such a bad thing at the appropriate age. However, if the Indians are always the bad guys, I think Cowboys and Indians may get into a negative stereotype. I still think there are better ways for my children to spend their time, and if they want to be a soldier or cop... they will have plenty of time to debate that. As far as imagination goes, I don't think it would be restricted if they play with toy guns or not.

Trying to decide if playing with guns on a playground is okay or not depends on your viewpoint. If you like toy guns, you would think it rude if somebody told you that your actions were irresponsible. But, if you stand in the other persons shoes, they are offended by their children's exposure to guns. Your kids playing with guns infringes on their right for a "gun free" play place.

My wife was at the playground the other day and adults were swearing saying g.d. and f. in front of our 2 and 5 year old. Is it their right? Absolutely. Does it infringe on her right to play at a playground with our children not hearing that filth? Absolutely. Playing with toy guns to some people may be as offensive or more offensive depending on their view point.

If you don't think playing with toy guns is an issue, then obviously you would not see a problem bringing them. However, if you want to be considerate to others, you could choose to leave the guns at home. Really, the choice is up to you.

[AnnW]

Not getting into the gun debate, just wanted to say that "The Greatest Salesman in the World" is one of my favorite books!!! My dad gave it to me when I was in high school.

[angie r]

Originally posted by darlene

Here are my reasons for having a gun in our house....we live in the country and have quite an assortment of animals living around us. We have had a few skunks (including one in the cat's house and a rabid one in the middle of our yard during the day), racoons (that constantly rip apart our garbage)and even a bear in our yard.
By reading this thread, I can tell who lives in the city and who lives in the country.
:)


Are you calling me a city girl Darlene!! LOL

:newwink:

[Dr_Dan_1978]

Hey Darlene,

I agree with what you said. I grew up out in the country and around many guns and they were not evil. Many respectable people used them in my life and I understand the benifit of them, that's why I dont see guns as a bad thing just people as bad who use them for the wrong reasons. I grew up around guns all my life. I was even in the United States Air Force and shot an M-16 every now and then.
It all comes down to experiences and sad to say the media only covers the bad parts of the gun issue because it sells. If you feel that guns are totally evil, you are looking at the issue with a small mind. People can be evil and use tools to accomplish what they want. Guns are tools - nothing more.

[Brichard]

Originally posted by AnnW
Not getting into the gun debate, just wanted to say that "The Greatest Salesman in the World" is one of my favorite books!!! My dad gave it to me when I was in high school.

Yeah it is really a great book. I don't own it, so I may be paraphrasing the quote a bit. I am a big fan of quotes and change my signature files often. I need to get a permanent copy of the book to share with my youngsters when they get older.

[jello]

um...I'm not really sure what to write for this topic. I think kids should be allowed to play with toy guys because they are after all TOYS. BUT they should also be taught the difference between a toy and a real gun, and I think that is up to the responsibility of the parent.