Toy guns look real – dumb
By Suzanne Berton © 29-Jul-05
Dear Editor:
I am just and ordinary Canadian with simple opinions. Yet I couldn't help express the confusion I feel over this whole affair. I suspect many Canadians feel the same way. This just makes me wonder where will this all lead to in 10 years time.
Thank you for reading. Suzanne
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There was a time when playing cowboys seemed harmless enough, years ago when the biggest gun shows on TV were Westerns. Today, kids can pack colt pistols, assault riffles, machine guns, grenade launchers, Uzi, berretta… as toys. One would think police would have a hard time distinguishing between the toys and the real guns.
Now, toy guns are created to look real for play; the problem with getting authentic looking guns for kids is that the real versions are weapons used to kill and maim. There was a time when people rarely needed to concern themselves with the sorts of crimes we see today; the only people who packed guns were bad people and the cops were the good guys who stopped them.
In this day and age, when we see the consequences of violence revealed in our neighbourhoods, on the news, in movies, in videos or video games, why would any parent want to buy toy guns that look real for their kids? It's harmless enough. I seem to recall kids playing with guns way back in Westerns, some parents would say.
The point is today's violence has rocketed to a new level, and kids should be kept away from any form of violent play acting, at least as far as buying guns that look real. We don't want a toy gun mistaken for a real one.
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~~SuB~~
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