Are You Part of the Violent Toy Ban?

September 26, 2008

Cap guns, plastic rifles and water bazookas weren't uncommon for our generation, but now schools and parents are banning things that even resemble weapons. From toy swords to fake firearms, have you jumped on the no violent toy bandwagon?

33 Comments

Great Sommelier 4 years

No water guns? That is extreme. They, for the most part, look nothing like guns. Look at the one pictured. This is extreme and just a microcosm of what is going downhill in this country. No water guns but here is cable tv, internet and video games. Have fun.

roxtarchic 4 years

i am VERY against guns, but i doubt i would stop our son from playing with them, i wont BUY them for him, but again... like everyone's mentioned... they will make anything into guns and play warrior games, i wont ban it, but i wont encourage it and i will let him know WHY i dislike guns so much (my cousin was accidently shot while him and another cousin were "playing" w/a shotgun)... i will never be comfortable w/guns.... but i also wont limit his imagination. it also makes me SOOOO sick hearing about all of these things that are restricted and banned in the schools... it's sad that our political correctness has become so suffocating to our childrens development and growth....

roxtarchic 4 years

Greggie 4 years

Because holidays have religious connotations and there is supposed to be a separation of church and state.

Sarana 4 years

That is incredibly sad that there are schools that don't do holidays or even birthdays! I have never heard of that before, just awful. And to avoid problems? Aren't holidays to have fun, how can they cause problems? Probably has something to do with being PC.

sugar_me_sweet 4 years

My mom never allowed my brother to have anything violent. No water guns, no swords, no violent television. I feel that made my brother to a very passive person because he's never been involved in a physical altercation. If I had kids, I think I will practice what my mom taught me.

lickety split 4 years

we have 3 girls and there was never any interest in guns, swords, etc. it's barbies and princess stuff and pink fu-fu. they had fun with some water blasters last summer at the pool. mostly seeing how far they could go. guess i never gave it much thought. but the boy's i've seen will make a weapon out of anything, including their hand if nothing else is available. nature of the beast i guess.

Pallas Athena 4 years

I think that it is the parents' job to teach what is right and wrong. My cousin wouldn't let her children (9-4) play with guns excepts water guns and guns that didn't look like real guns - ones like laser tag things. They would use anything else and pretend it was a sword or gun. They are violent, but when they get mad they hit. I'm sure they'll grow out of it. They know killing and hitting is wrong and they are just kids. Maybe she needs to do a better job and censor what she exposes them to, but if they were my kids it would be different.

pinkprincess1101 4 years

personally i do not allow my kids to play with toy guns, swords, water guns or anything in that nature, i know I'm in the minority but i just don't like it, my mother was the same way i guess that's why I'm like that, but i don't think anyone is a bad parent for allowing their kids to play with them, I'm sure they are fun but not in my house, when i first met my fiance he came over one time to pick me up for an afternoon lunch, and brought my son a water gun it was the summer, i said I'm sorry he is not allowed to play with it he looked at me very strange, I'm glad he came to me first to avoid my son getting excited and his feelings hurt, but honestly they don't care for them probably since they have never really been around them, now he is a big advocate for no play guns in the house

schnappycat 4 years

That makes me hurt, Roarman. It's so sad what it's come down to.

Roarman 4 years

Water guns and laser guns are fine. I have a problem with the very realistic looking guns, but I am not a gun fan to begin with. My daughter goes to a school that bans all holidays and birthdays and all sugary treats. I don't get it, but we are so concerned today about offending someone or making children obese that we take all the fun out of being a kid. They can't even play dodgeball or tag anymore. It's gotten out of control.

Roarman 4 years

sofi 4 years

I was worried about it when my son was younger, but as I found out quickly, there is no stopping them from turning anything into a gun or sword. That is how they play and I get it now after watching this go on with all boys his age. Our schools do not have a ban on this. As for Halloween, they go back and forth from letting the whole school dress up to only allowing certain years if it relates to one of their topics (celebration, dress-up, costumes). I think it should be all or nothing, but I won't hold my breath. Greggie, my son has his Clone Trooper costume all ready, too ;)

Greggie 4 years

I don't undersgtand "getting" swords but not guns. Their purpose is the same. The kids play Army. They play pirates. They play Star Wars.

Greggie 4 years

I don't undersgtand "getting" swords but not guns. Their purpose is the same.The kids play Army. They play pirates. They play Star Wars.

Mykie7 4 years

My oldest son is on an "airsoft" team. They go to controlled areas and play with other airsoft "teams" in an attempt to get "kills". Okay, yeah, it's a little morbid, but you know what? My kid doesn't get arrested, doesn't do drugs etc because I've shown him the right way to act. My father is a cop, we always had guns around but we also knew they were dangerous and not toys. That they were DIFFERENT than toy guns, and that even with TOY guns you had to be careful. It's even worse now, because the ones my son uses for airsoft LOOK so dang real! They're all SUPPOSED to have orange tips on them to prove they aren't real, but I've seen SO MANY of them that don't have that. I make my son paint the entire gun bright orange every time to eliminate any room for error. It's up to us as parents to make up our minds for our kids, not for the government or NRA to tell us. I'm not saying those of you that feel guns are wrong for YOUR kids are WRONG, you're not, it's YOUR RIGHT to feel that way and I support that right. I just don't think the government should get involved. And the schools are NOT government, they have to protect the kids so the SCHOOLS banning it is A-OK but they do take it a bit far. For example, a couple of years ago there was a 2nd grade kid who had a chicken nugget on his plate that looked like a gun. A CHICKEN NUGGET! He picked it up and held it up like you would a gun to show his friend sitting next to him and got expelled, not suspended or even just sent to detention, but EXPELLED from school for it! That's a little ridiculous. OR suspending a little kid because while on the playground he gets into an argument with another child and uses the phrase "I'm going to kill you!" and gets sent home for the day. It would be a whole lot different if that phrase were uttered by an older child, but when the statement is made by an upset or scared 2nd or 3rd grader, COME ON, call the parents, send him to the principal, but send him home? Yes, I think the schools need to have a policy about guns and violence, but I think the policies need more common sense inserted into them.

jessie 4 years

swords are just as bad...they pretend to stab, lob off a head, arm or a leg.....just for thought..

meandtheo 4 years

why would you want your child to pretend to kill someone with a gun?? swords for sword fights i get, but guns, absolutely not!

jessie 4 years

:rant:......my stinkin' computer keeps freezin everytime i get on lil sugar.....this is the 3rd time this morning....and always in the middle of a post...grr!!! okay...i'll try it again....my boys will make guns out of anything...and i mean anything! its up to us as parents i feel to teach them the right and wrong of play....like for us...no shooting or aiming for the head or genitials...no saying..i'm gonna kill you...stuff like that.

jessie 4 years

:rant:......my stinkin' computer keeps freezin everytime i get on lil sugar.....this is the 3rd time this morning....and always in the middle of a post...grr!!!okay...i'll try it again....my boys will make guns out of anything...and i mean anything! its up to us as parents i feel to teach them the right and wrong of play....like for us...no shooting or aiming for the head or genitials...no saying..i'm gonna kill you...stuff like that.

millzee 4 years

school in general is NOTHING like when we were little. it's sad. i have a little girl so i don't worry too much about her playing with toy weapons, hopefully :)

schnappycat 4 years

It makes me sad that schools won't even celebrate holidays like Halloween anymore and especially sad that my son won't get to experience all of the fun I had growing up. People suck for making it come to that, IMHO.

quitecontrary 4 years

I cannot understand why a parent would give a child a toy that has no other purpose than to simulate the act of shooting and killing someone. It's just not necessary.

Mykie7 4 years

I think it's awesome! Surprising but awesome!

Greggie 4 years

Many schools don't do any holiday celebrations to avoid problems.

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