I once shot a man just for snoring.

when I was about 6 I won a cowboy outfit including cap pistol in an easter costume contest, this was my first step into a life of violent crime. ( I had a career in child protection services and continue to vote liberal).

Hmmmm....

You played with guns. I played with guns.

We're both socially and politically liberal.

Maybe the problem is not enough people letting their kids play with guns.

exactly, we should start a "guns for toddlers" support group.

I used cap guns as a kid, and pea shooters, and various other things that would be considered unacceptable for kids to play with today. I don't like guns either, and my girls never much asked for them so it wasn't an issue, but I think it harmless fun in the grand scheme of things.

I DO have a problem however with paintballing, lazer tag, and other more advanced versions of 'shoot to kill'. Different thing altogether than imaginary play, IMHO.

Toy guns don't particularly scare me because the kid has to add imagination.

I'm very worried about some of the video games that glorify violence and demean women. Very little is left to the imagination.

Interesting.

I suppose it is the imagining of shooting someone that gives me pause.

Maybe things haven't changed that much since my cowgirl days but it sure feels like things have changed.

I was reading a thing the other day about how to expidite a trip through the airport and one of the things they cautioned about was allowing your child to carry a toy gun.

Mo knows that Uncle J is a soldier and has seen photos of him in uniform but has only seen him in civilian clothes. It seems funny that he associates guns being okay because of Uncle J.

Uncle J, by the way, does not allow guns in his house. He hates the damn things.

Perhaps someone has changed rather than something.



I had toy guns. And BB guns. And got to shoot real guns.

I seem to have survived, except for some hearing damage to my left ear.



It's the values you teach, not the toys you keep out of reach....

When my boys were little I refused to let them have toy guns, so they made them from Lego blocks and Tinker Toys. <<sigh>> Eventually I relented and let them have water guns for outdoor play during the summer. At some point the oldest bought a cap gun with his own money (he was about 10) and I caved with the stipulation that he not run around the neighbourhood with it. I would say it's a guy thing but I was a cowgirl myself and had six shooters. Guns exist in our culture and they're hard to escape. Often a child might feel empowered by imagining he can protect himself. (One Christmas all things "Ghostbuster" -- immobilization "guns" and ghost traps -- were top of the gift list for the son who had nightmares). It's important to remember (and also reinforce) that toy gun play is pretend.

It's the values you teach, not the toys you keep out of reach....[/quote]



DrewDad says it best

Are you trying to say that I'm not a cowgirl anymore, Tex?

You better watch it. Did I ever tell you I once shot a man just for snoring?

Seriously though -- you put that very well, DrewDad. Thank you.



That line is a keeper.

Hi Tai Chi. I almost missed you there. We both must have been admiring DrewDad at the same time.

I so know what you're talking about. Mo and his old friend Curly made everything into guns. I quickly learned from the map of US puzzle that we have many gun shaped states.

I guess I should just settle myself down.

Personally, I have no problems with either guns, or toy guns. I do have some qualms about those sort of in between things like bb guns. They seem to come with the same level of training and supervision as toys, rather than guns.

I had toy guns as a kid, and grew up fairly conservative. Go figure.

Being attracted to weapons seems to be in our DNA (especially male DNA) and probably goes back to the time when some caveman picked up a rock and successfully conked his dinner on it's head.

I think guns are here to stay (despite some weany gun fanatics who fear all us liberals are out to remove from society) and it's fine to learn about guns via play. Babies are serious matters, but we see nothing wrong with children playing with baby dolls to the point of cutting off their hair and dragging them around by their little plastic limbs. We learn to interact with the real world through play whether it's guns, babies, relationships (Barbie & Ken), cars, business (Monopoly) etc

Many things in this world have both negative and positive sides to them, it's healthy for children to explore the world in the safety of play with a little guidance.

Now get out that cowgirl outfit and help little Mo rob the stagecoach...

Well now, roger, you just blew my play with guns = liberal idea all to hell.

That is a very interesting point about BB guns. I have never considered that before and you can bet that I will be considering it if a plea for a BB gun is ever brought up.

Green Witch you make a good point too - about dragging dolls around in a way you would never allow a child to behave with a real baby.

I guess what scares me about the toy gun is maybe Mo failing to recognize a real gun should the case ever arise. I have taken this opportunity today to quiz all of his playmates parents about whether they have guns in their homes. If Mo were to stumble across a real gun and not know the difference someone could get hurt.

Or worse.

Some of the parents expressed concern that I was letting Mo play with a toy gun. I explained the situation and told them about my worries of Mo stumbling across a real gun as a prelude to asking them about guns in their homes.

It has been a very interesting day.

Should have also mentioned that one rule I had for toy guns was that they NOT look real. To that end I favoured lime green water pistols etc. Not only do you have to worry about your child not recognizing a real gun but you have to worry about them running around with something that someone else could mistake for a real gun. I guess the great thing about Lego guns and puzzle-piece guns is no cop is going to mistakenly think your kid is armed.

When I was eight years old when my dad gave me my first shotgun. I still have that gun, as a matter of fact, and I still remember the words my father said as he handed it to me.

He said, "Son, it's time you learned to kill."

I'm convinced having toy guns as a kid is not going to result in any negative consequences.

Being raised by morons does.

Not letting kids have toy guns is just another example of the good ol' pussification of America.

I too played with toy guns. I loved war films and shoot 'em up westerns - still do. It's not the act of playing like that, but the character of the person playing makes us grow up certain ways.

Toy guns are just...toys.

Teach him how to respect a real firearm. Start early. You never know when some jerk "friend" of his is going to show him how he can handle his father's real gun.

Just my 2-cents.