http://www.ivillage.com/do-you-let-your-kids-play-toy-guns/6-a-366015?obref=obnetwork
I read this story about kids playing with toy guns on iVillage and was both appalled and annoyed.
Let's start with the appalling part. The author, a Texan, owns real guns, (the kind that kill people), and yet she's worried about letting her own children play with toy guns, (as in fake ones), because she heard about a 5 year-old who killed his own brother with a REAL one. Um... WTF? This doesn't even make any sense... like at all! To add insult to injury - in that incident, the police chief blamed it on violence on television and toy guns. Of course! The kid got a hold of a real gun and killed his baby brother because he may or may not have seen violence on television, and may or may not have played with a fake gun previously, which could have sparked his curiosity about the real things. Sure. Okay. So it's not the fault of negligent parents who somehow inadvertently enabled their 5 year-old to get a hold of a real gun? Really? The gun WAS NOT locked up by the way.
On to the annoying part. We are creating a nation of serious wusses - boys and girls who are being so over-protected from everything, (including water guns), that their ability to man-up,(boys and girls alike), or deal with reality at all, will be virtually non-existent. This author was distressed about hearing a group of boys shout, "You're dead! You're dead!" at her son, while they were playing laser tag. Since when did playing dead become an issue? What kid doesn't play dead at some point or another? Personally, I think it's actually a good thing. Perhaps if I had played dead more often, I wouldn't be so psychotically afraid of it now. Guns and death are a part of our reality. Banning toy guns and depictions of violence on television isn't going to stop tragic accidents like the death of this young boy from happening.
My husband was just commenting on the forthcoming Captain America movie this morning - and how he's excited about it predominantly because it features a superhero wielding a gun. Yes, an actual gun that shoots real bullets. Now, I'm not condoning letting your kids play with real guns... that would be out-and-out insane... but shielding them from toy guns - particularly those that shoot water? Now that's just getting lame... especially when you've got a house filled with the real things! This author should be far more concerned about one of those getting into her kids' hands than a toy version. I mean, seriously?
The best part, is that this woman doesn't even like using the word gun when it comes to toys. She prefers, "squirters or soakers," (which to me sounds slightly perverted), and again, is just another way it seems that parents are doing so much coddling, so much over-protecting, that we will eventually have a nation of grown babies... in every respect.
Now who's up for a game of coyboys and indians? (Oh wait... that's not very PC now is it?)
so funny. now, I have no experience raising "normal" kids who get it, but I don't talk about guns nor would I let my Little Bird play with them. I'm not into them.
ReplyDeleteI'd totally be that blissed out hippie mom calling them squirters instead of guns! :)
Hahaha Dani. Look, in a perfect world, I'd be the blissed-out hippie mom too, but the world isn't perfect and it's probably never going to be. I know that sounds morbid and terrible... but I guess I like to think of myself as a realist. I am by no means a pessimist - and am more of an optimist in general - but when it comes to the grand scheme of things, I'm a realist - and I think reality dictates that understanding that your child will have exposure to a toy gun - and that people will likely refer to it as such, isn't that unreasonable.
ReplyDeleteAlso, call me a crazy b*tch, but I like guns. Not to kill people with mind you, but to play with... albeit I certainly wouldn't put one in the hands of a child, unless it's a toy. I know this opinion isn't exactly popular anymore, but I don't really care. Shooting guns at ranges is fun - and a great stress reliever.
In any case however, I know you happen to be a sensational mom, so you should call those toy guns whatever you want to.