I heard on the radio that proposals to ban toy guns may be on the justice agenda due to some children and grown-ups using them to commit armed robberies.
Now, keep in mind that when a person of any age points a toy gun at a victim, that is a very serious crime of armed robbery. We are quick to find an even faster solution that is not beneficial to the majority. A few years ago the best garden insect repellent was fine tobacco dust and because a few drug addicts used it, it was banned from the shelves.
There is the case of drug addicts using a cough mixture which contained codeine to enhance their high and now a patient has to show all IDs short of DNA and blood group and fingerprints to get that healing muti for a cough and cold. The very idea to ban toy guns is in my opinion a very dangerous manoeuvre to every single boy having a toy gun.
Imagine (that) toy guns are banned and after the ban as in the case of our illegal gun plaque, there are children still having them and in a playful gesture point them at a person or law enforcer. That child’s life will be in danger in the line of self-defence by the victim. Now if we want to ban toy guns, next will be toy dolls with the excuse that they could enhance testosterone levels which could lead to rape and if a child abuses animals there will be a proposal to ban all animal toys, so this call is out of line.
The justice system in totality must sentence adults to long terms of imprisonment for armed robbery by using toy guns and when it comes to children using toy guns to commit armed robberies, there must be detention centres for these underage criminals.
Let children be children and let them enjoy their toys and take note of this quote by Marge Cambre and Mark (Hawkes) - toys are important, formative components in children’s lives. They entertain as well as teach, and they may do both positive and negative consequences.
* Keith Blake, Ottery.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.