Help: "Pros And Cons Of ‘Violent Toys’"? .. Parents welcome!

[Cataholic]

Guns are harmless & so are Pit Bulls. If you raise your child properly to respect these things there is no harm & no stress & your not depriving them of fun/love/hobby. Guns & Pit Bulls are a part of life & are not bad (like drugs, smoking & booze, bad no matter what you do). Besides bats & fists kill FAR more people then any gun. Should we ban baseball? no.

King, where do you get your statement that bats and fists kill FAR more people than any gun? That is an interesting comment, and one I would have normally said, "no way" too. However, always being open minded...I would like to know where you came up with that.

I am not sure many people would agree with your statment that guns are harmless...really, that is kind of out there. Here, in Cincinnati, guns are far from harmless.

And, on a personal note, I drink 'booze'. I take exception to your comment that this is 'bad no matter what you do'.

K9soul- water guns shoot water. That is their 'job'. You don't normally kill someone with water, though, I suppose some of those super soaker ones are pretty damaging. I see a difference (big, or slight, I don't know) with water guns, and chasing everyone all over the yard with the intent on getting them wet, versus chasing someone all over the yard, to 'kill' them, even in jest.

As for the movies/video games? I think, like pot, they are stepping stones to other things, starting with violent hobbies (as I think someone called them above) as younger children.

I don't condone violence, or violent actions, in jest, in play and in real life. That is my parental stance. I figure kids will do what they do without being 'encouraged' by the adult in their life purchasing violent toys/games, etc., for them. Possibly, some of the people reading this thread, or, even posting here (egads!) watch the movies, play the video games themselves, and can't/won't make the changes themselves. BUT, these people aren't impressionable children (or, they shouldn't be...he he he).

Like the others have stated- they turned out fine without being 'deprived' of these toys as kids, and I turned out fine BY being 'deprived' of these toys.

To me, it is an outlook on life, on values, and on standing up for what I do and don't believe in.

Jonah will have to be deprived. Shudder...I hope he can recover from it!

[JenBKR]

Personally, I can see both sides. I think it does depend on the parents a lot, teaching about safety, etc. There are plenty of kids who are not harmed by playing with toy guns as kids, but if they don't understand that real guns are not toys then there can be a problem. Our society is so violent already, it's so sad. I never had toy guns as a child, basically because I never had the desire. I think I do remember playing cops & robbers with neighbors, but we used our fingers as the guns.

I don't have kids yet, but when I do I think that I will try to keep them from playing with lots of violent toys, and certainly keep them from the violent video games and tv.

[K9soul]

I definitely believe it is an individual parental decision and I see nothing wrong at all if a parent decides they don't want their children to have those types of toys. I certainly wouldn't call a child deprived for not having it. I think if a parent does allow it, there should be rules set down about it and lines drawn. I guess what I'm saying is if a parent does allow it I don't think it necessarily will do any lasting harm and doesn't in of itself reflect them as bad parents. Would I, if I were a parent, get my children toy guns? I might get them squirt guns like I had as a kid but as Johanna said, I'd keep my focus to the myriad of other toys and games out there. There are so many cool and inventive toys out there now, certainly much more than when I was growing up!

[BC_MoM]

Thanks very much, all of you.. your suggestions and opinions helped me to complete my article which I will present on Thursday.

I'm sorry if I stirred the pot between any of you who posted! That wasn't my intention at all.

[king2005]

Thanks very much, all of you.. your suggestions and opinions helped me to complete my article which I will present on Thursday.

I'm sorry if I stirred the pot between any of you who posted! That wasn't my intention at all.

no no no, its a good clean debate. Its only bad when there is name calling & not so nice things being said. So far its all opinions & personal views/stats on things. No harm done

[king2005]

ok its not even close to 1000 (The ones I had in school included police & this one doesn't).

I liked the detailed one I had in school, as it broke everything down better. Becasue I think its mixing accidental shootings & murders (no such thing as an accidental shooting but it still doesn't belong mixed in with murders)
=============

Homicides by method-----2000-2001-2002-2003-2004

All methods---------------546--553---582--549--622

Shooting------------------184--171---152--161--172
Stabbing------------------149--171---182--142--205
Beating-------------------128---122---126--121--136
Strangulation---------------39----47----66---64---63
Fire (burns/suffocation)------5-----8-----9---12----13
Other methods-------------32----26----24---27----20
Not known------------------9-----8----23---22----13

Note: Includes murder, manslaughter and infanticide.
Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM, table (for fee) 253-0002.
Last modified: 2005-10-06.
===========

[king2005]

King, where do you get your statement that bats and fists kill FAR more people than any gun? That is an interesting comment, and one I would have normally said, "no way" too. However, always being open minded...I would like to know where you came up with that.

I am not sure many people would agree with your statment that guns are harmless...really, that is kind of out there. Here, in Cincinnati, guns are far from harmless.

And, on a personal note, I drink 'booze'. I take exception to your comment that this is 'bad no matter what you do'.

For the bats & fists its a canadian Stat. We went through them in Police Foundations in College. I think it was 1000 shooting incidents (including the police) for the whole country. Ontario & BC had the highest, PQ was next & the other provinces & teritories were very very very low. NFLD had 0 for most years or 1 every few years. I'll have to go & find the stat site again, its been 3yrs since "I've" been on it last. But with Rob & I being into guns he kept an eye on the gun stats as people would tell us, thousands of people here die from gun violence each year & then try to tear a strip off us (the Police shoot more then anyone else!).

The point I was trying to get across about the guns being harmless is that if brought up properly guns & Pit Bulls are harmless when owned.

Booze
Bad as in harmful to the body as it does impare you, messes up a baby in the whom, harms the liver... Pop is also bad, as it breaks down calcium (bad teeth, weaker/thinner bones) & does a number on the gut (been there very painful). I only mentioned drugs(mostly pot), booze & smoking as its accepted & there have been more studies on it & awareness ads. I think Pop needs to be regulated as its very addictive, harmful to the bodies insides & makes children super hyper & raises adults blood pressures (I get horrid head pains from it & stupid me still drinks it). <-- thats where my folks went wrong & I'll never make that mistake with my kids. Juice & Fizzy water is all good.
What I'm trying to say (I'm really doing my best to explain myself) is no matter what amount od drugs, booze & smoking you do its harmful. Guns & Pit Bulls aren't harmful until missused.