Guns, Pretend Guns and Children

1/4/2012

 

Guns, Pretend Guns and Children

I am just as opposed as the next person about children being able to access guns, take them to school or out to play, and in a moment of curiosity someone dies. 

What I am at odds with is the severe punishment being dispensed toward children who, while at school, point their finger in a gun-like fashion. These children are young and are being suspended from school.  Really?  Have we lost all sense of right and wrong?  Appears so.  Perhaps in this day and age, and Sandy Hook being so recent, a child who is pretending to shoot could be talked to, but I disagree with suspension.

Our boys did play with guns when they were growing up and they enjoyed playing cops and robbers or Indians and cowboys.  They also had water guns with which they actually “shot” at one another.  Did this kind of play damage them?  I can assure you it hasn’t.  What they were engaging in as small children was play – nothing more.

I’m not suggesting that every parent should buy their children toy guns.  It’s a personal decision, I know and I respect that.  My experience though has taught me that boys can pretend almost anything is a gun.  They will use their fingers, a ruler, stick, pencil or pen.  It’s imagination play and they grow out of it. 

Apparently in Hawaii the legislators sought, but failed, to make it a crime to sell a toy gun to anyone younger than 18.  I’m astounded that anyone would try to push through such a bill. And had it passed what would the consequences have been for a child owing/having a gun?

Maybe I’m too liberal and was too lax when raising the boys.  I allowed them to eat dog kibble, play in the mud, have pretend wars and eat raw cake mix.  And trust me that’s just naming a few of the things that the boys did while growing up. You have to let children play – it’s one way they learn. 

I don’t think toy guns or finger guns are the problem.  Seen any of the video games the kids play today?  They are all about killing (violently) and children sit and play these games for hours.  These games make toy guns look mild in comparison.

Unfortunately, violence is all around children today – but they must still be allowed to be children.  Parents can and should teach their children how to know the difference between acceptable and unacceptable behavior.  

Here is a quote from Jonathan Turley who is a professor as well as a member of USA Today’s Board of  Contributors.  “Toy guns are no more the cause of violence than toy kitchen sets are the cause of obesity.  Hundreds of millions of men grew up with toy guns and never turned to a life of spasmodic violence. On this issue, kids seem a lot more sophisticated than their parents.  They know it’s just a game.”

P