Toy Guns

[Ozzieshunni]

I want a bubble sword!

 

[sarah0108]

Id let my two play with them.

My brothers had toy knifes and guns etc, and they just use them to play games with, e.g cowboys etc.

I have no problem with them x

 

[marley2580]

While I don't think that there is a link between playing with toy weapons and growing up to be violent, I do not like, nor will I allow, any kind of violent game or toy in my house. This doesn't just apply to my kids, but to my OH and visitors as well.

 

[Rose_bud]

I went to knights tournament over the weekend and all the kids bought toy swords and were fighting each other. In theory I'm against toy weapons but in reality it was not too bad.
I think swords are different to guns and knives though. Guns and knives are viewed as weapons to hurt people, where as swords are for rescuing princess' and slaying dragons. Think I need to give this issue more thought!

 

[KittyVentura]

Um... well every little boy I knew played with guns and not a single one has every wanted to use a real one.

Yes there is a lot of gun and knife crime in the UK at the moment but (and I'm sure this is going to sound racist but I truly don't mean it to be that way) typically those invoved seem to come from a certain ethnic background (I'm not sure that's the right word but I'm trying to tread as carefully as I can). Certain influences from those backgrounds (Yes, I mean hip hop, rappers, movies about those cultures that glamourise gangs etc) have become a lot more common in the UK in recent years and honestly I think that is the reason for the increase in this type of crime... not children playing with toy guns.

I'm not saying that everyone that uses a gun is black or that all black people that like hip hop and those urban trends will become a knife or gun wielding maniac. I like hip hop myself...

...but I don't think that the link between gun/knife crime (which seems to be widely gang related) and those of a certain race AND the people/lifestyle they idolise can be ignored.

If pointing out what is, to me, a very obvious link makes me an bad person... then so be it... but I honestly say this JUST making an observation. I truly believe I am not in any way racist. To me, saying that is like observing how there a large binge drink problem among white british females. It doesn't make me horrible... I'm just stating the obvious.

Hope that makes sense and I haven't offended

Oh and yes, if Fin has an interest in playing cowboys or soldiers etc... I will get him toy guys. Though I will likely go for ones that look very unrealistic

xx

 

[Natsku]

And talking about kids making guns out of anything, in primary school we made origmai paper guns! And even they got banned in the end but I secretly continued making them and passed them on to the other kids yet I'm not a gun runner now and have no desire to be!

 

[moomin_troll]

i never saw a problem with zane when older to have a toy gun but oh was dead against it...even tho he was in the army which i never understood. but someone bought zane a toy gun n i was going to keep it for my own fancy dress hahaha zane found it n has it around his toy room.

boys will be boys and if its not a toy gun it will only be a stick instead

 

[Rhi_Rhi1]

i don't see the need.. so no we have a very strict no toy guns rule in this house let him play with a stick or a tennis racket- thats what i think lol, nothing playful about pretending to shoot things :/ - i know "boys will be boys" even so i don't think thats a valid reason for letting them play at violence etc etc

 

[Linzi]

Seth has played with my brothers nerf gun (I think thats what its called, with the foam bullets) but I dont like it at all, knives are worse IMO Id never let him near a toy knife.

They're not kids for long Id much rather see him with some toy cars or something.

xxx

 

[LeeBee]

I guess I haven't given this much thought... I suppose I see swords as different than guns, so I don't think those would bother me. I don't think I would run out and buy a toy gun, but if it was given as a gift I wouldn't take it away. My step daughter has been playing these awful violent and bloody video games since I came into the picture at 9, and I've always thought it was awful that my OH let her.

OT- Hubby keeps saying he wants to keep his hunting guns in the house. I told him no way in hell was I having guns in my house with these kids running around, so he'd have to leave them at his parents! He thinks I'm being way over protective... which maybe I am, but I just don't like the idea of it!

 

[Piper84]

Yes there is a lot of gun and knife crime in the UK at the moment but (and I'm sure this is going to sound racist but I truly don't mean it to be that way) typically those invoved seem to come from a certain ethnic background (I'm not sure that's the right word but I'm trying to tread as carefully as I can). Certain influences from those backgrounds (Yes, I mean hip hop, rappers, movies about those cultures that glamourise gangs etc) have become a lot more common in the UK in recent years and honestly I think that is the reason for the increase in this type of crime... not children playing with toy guns.

I'm not saying that everyone that uses a gun is black or that all black people that like hip hop and those urban trends will become a knife or gun wielding maniac. I like hip hop myself...

...but I don't think that the link between gun/knife crime (which seems to be widely gang related) and those of a certain race AND the people/lifestyle they idolise can be ignored.

If pointing out what is, to me, a very obvious link makes me an bad person... then so be it... but I honestly say this JUST making an observation. I truly believe I am not in any way racist. To me, saying that is like observing how there a large binge drink problem among white british females. It doesn't make me horrible... I'm just stating the obvious.

You really think hip hop culture is to blame? I think studies have shown that this spate of gun and knife crime among young black males has more to do with them mainly coming from fatherless homes where they have no role models and no-one to direct them, so they look for gangs, which is the source of the majority of this recent violent crime.

By the way, if you look at the kids who shot that poor little boy in Liverpool, they were white, and they came from fatherless homes, and guess what? It was gang-related.

As for the OT:

I don't necessarily agree that kids who play with guns will turn out to be homicidal maniacs, but I do find it obnoxious. When I see little boys pretending to shoot and kill each other while their parents gaze lovingly on my first thought is "What crappy parenting".

I won't be giving my son toy guns to play with, nor will I accept them as presents for him. If he makes a gun out of sticks then there's little I can do, but that is not a given. I disagree with the idea that boys just naturally like playing with guns. Some do, but others aren't that interested.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

Yes there is a lot of gun and knife crime in the UK at the moment but (and I'm sure this is going to sound racist but I truly don't mean it to be that way) typically those invoved seem to come from a certain ethnic background (I'm not sure that's the right word but I'm trying to tread as carefully as I can). Certain influences from those backgrounds (Yes, I mean hip hop, rappers, movies about those cultures that glamourise gangs etc) have become a lot more common in the UK in recent years and honestly I think that is the reason for the increase in this type of crime... not children playing with toy guns.

I'm not saying that everyone that uses a gun is black or that all black people that like hip hop and those urban trends will become a knife or gun wielding maniac. I like hip hop myself...

...but I don't think that the link between gun/knife crime (which seems to be widely gang related) and those of a certain race AND the people/lifestyle they idolise can be ignored.

If pointing out what is, to me, a very obvious link makes me an bad person... then so be it... but I honestly say this JUST making an observation. I truly believe I am not in any way racist. To me, saying that is like observing how there a large binge drink problem among white british females. It doesn't make me horrible... I'm just stating the obvious.

You really think hip hop culture is to blame? I think studies have shown that this spate of gun and knife crime among young black males has more to do with them mainly coming from fatherless homes where they have no role models and no-one to direct them, so they look for gangs, which is the source of the majority of this recent violent crime.

By the way, if you look at the kids who shot that poor little boy in Liverpool, they were white, and they came from fatherless homes, and guess what? It was gang-related.

As for the OT:

I don't necessarily agree that kids who play with guns will turn out to be homicidal maniacs, but I do find it obnoxious. When I see little boys pretending to shoot and kill each other while their parents gaze lovingly on my first thought is "What crappy parenting".

I won't be giving my son toy guns to play with, nor will I accept them as presents for him. If he makes a gun out of sticks then there's little I can do, but that is not a given. I disagree with the idea that boys just naturally like playing with guns. Some do, but others aren't that interested.

I agree with Kitty. Also, you can control while your son is at home but you can NOT control who he speaks to at school. I will guarantee you that when he is at school he will improvise sticks etc as guns to play games, kids do. It does not mean they will grow up loving guns or causing crime.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

As for the remark about parenting, like I said, you CAN NOT control what goes on at school!

 

[Ozzieshunni]

Ouch, so I'm a crappy parent for allowing my child to have a gun?

 

[KittyVentura]

Yes there is a lot of gun and knife crime in the UK at the moment but (and I'm sure this is going to sound racist but I truly don't mean it to be that way) typically those invoved seem to come from a certain ethnic background (I'm not sure that's the right word but I'm trying to tread as carefully as I can). Certain influences from those backgrounds (Yes, I mean hip hop, rappers, movies about those cultures that glamourise gangs etc) have become a lot more common in the UK in recent years and honestly I think that is the reason for the increase in this type of crime... not children playing with toy guns.

I'm not saying that everyone that uses a gun is black or that all black people that like hip hop and those urban trends will become a knife or gun wielding maniac. I like hip hop myself...

...but I don't think that the link between gun/knife crime (which seems to be widely gang related) and those of a certain race AND the people/lifestyle they idolise can be ignored.

If pointing out what is, to me, a very obvious link makes me an bad person... then so be it... but I honestly say this JUST making an observation. I truly believe I am not in any way racist. To me, saying that is like observing how there a large binge drink problem among white british females. It doesn't make me horrible... I'm just stating the obvious.

You really think hip hop culture is to blame? I think studies have shown that this spate of gun and knife crime among young black males has more to do with them mainly coming from fatherless homes where they have no role models and no-one to direct them, so they look for gangs, which is the source of the majority of this recent violent crime.

By the way, if you look at the kids who shot that poor little boy in Liverpool, they were white, and they came from fatherless homes, and guess what? It was gang-related.

As for the OT:

I don't necessarily agree that kids who play with guns will turn out to be homicidal maniacs, but I do find it obnoxious. When I see little boys pretending to shoot and kill each other while their parents gaze lovingly on my first thought is "What crappy parenting".

I won't be giving my son toy guns to play with, nor will I accept them as presents for him. If he makes a gun out of sticks then there's little I can do, but that is not a given. I disagree with the idea that boys just naturally like playing with guns. Some do, but others aren't that interested.

I'm going to have to argue that fact. I grew up on a run down council estate. Out of the many kids I knew, only a handful had a father that had stuck around. Many of them were young males and a mojority were white. I'd imagine the same could be said for most other similar council estates. But it is much rarer, not non existent, but RARER to hear of a white teen/young person to be involved in gun and knife crime so yes, I do believe it HAS to be other influences and the "hip hop culture" is one of those influences. You look at the movies and music videos that fit with that culture and many glamourize gang culture.

Of course white people WILL have been involved in gun and kinfe crime too. I don't deny that. Giving an example of white gun/knife crime does not make the facts any less factual and you cannot argue that the majority of these instances do come from other ethicities than "white british/caucasian".

I'm not trying to make this into a race row. My point is that I think it's naive to think that toy guns are the reason children turn to gun crime when faced with facts.

If it were toys and all children from all races were given them... I doubt very much it would change the rates of gun and knife crime that occur.

 

[Piper84]

As for the remark about parenting, like I said, you CAN NOT control what goes on at school!

I think I made it clear in my post that I was referring to parents indulgently looking on proudly as their children pretend to kill each other with bullets. I also think I mentioned that if the child wants to play pretend guns even though they're not allowed them, there's little you can do.

Ouch, so I'm a crappy parent for allowing my child to have a gun?

If I see a parent happily tolerating their child pretending to kill another child or vice versa, that would be my first thought. There's really no need to make this about you personally.

I'm going to have to argue that fact. I grew up on a run down council estate. Out of the many kids I knew, only a handful had a father that had stuck around. Many of them were young males and a mojority were white. I'd imagine the same could be said for most other similar council estates. But it is much rarer, not non existent, but RARER to hear of a white teen/young person to be involved in gun and knife crime so yes, I do believe it HAS to be other influences and the "hip hop culture" is one of those influences. You look at the movies and music videos that fit with that culture and many glamourize gang culture.

Of course white people WILL have been involved in gun and kinfe crime too. I don't deny that. Giving an example of white gun/knife crime does not make the facts any less factual and you cannot argue that the majority of these instances do come from other ethicities than "white british/caucasian".

I'm not trying to make this into a race row. My point is that I think it's naive to think that toy guns are the reason children turn to gun crime when faced with facts.

If it were toys and all children from all races were given them... I doubt very much it would change the rates of gun and knife crime that occur.

I agree it's mainly Afro-Caribbean youths, and it's partly to do with the fact that, statistically, Afro-Caribbean couples are far less likely to stay together than couples from other ethnic backgrounds, creating single-parents families and some very angry young men looking to vent their anger and find a male role model, which is unfortunately often in the form of older gang members.

My comment about Rhys Jones was to illustrate the broken home argument a bit more, not to say "white people commit crime too ya know!".

I don't understand your point about it being naive to think toy guns are the reason children turn to crime, if you read what I said in my original post:

I don't necessarily agree that kids who play with guns will turn out to be homicidal maniacs, but I do find it obnoxious.

 

[Ozzieshunni]

Ah, but you did make a generalization therefore encompassing all the parents that don't see anything wrong with it. It's a natural part of development for children to do gun play. You learn this in child development classes. Doesn't mean they will all grow up to be psycho killers.

 

[Piper84]

Ah, but you did make a generalization therefore encompassing all the parents that don't see anything wrong with it. It's a natural part of development for children to do gun play. You learn this in child development classes. Doesn't mean they will all grow up to be psycho killers.

No, I expressed my own opinion. I don't see any generalisation in my post, nor do I see anything suggesting children who play with guns will grow up to be killers, just that I find it obnoxious, so please stop misquoting me

Your argument about gunplay being a natural part of child development is also pretty nebulous, seeing as guns are a relatively recent invention and some children in the world aren't even aware of their existence. Play-fighting may be a natural part of child development, but that's not the same thing.

 

[Ozzieshunni]

Ignorance of the world is bliss.

ETA: I really should just stay away from these threads. It's clear some people think that guns are wrong and some think that they are ok. Obnoxious is not a word I would use to describe gun play.

 

[Piper84]

Ignorance of the world is bliss.

ETA: I really should just stay away from these threads. It's clear some people think that guns are wrong and some think that they are ok. Obnoxious is not a word I would use to describe gun play.

Yeah, it's a debate forum so there's no room for personal feelings being hurt