The recent death of Andy Lopez, due
to a mistake by the police because he was holding an AK-47 gun, influenced the
recent debate concerning the ban of toy guns to children. People and groups
remain to be split over this issue. For the local government and police, they
wanted to create stricter control because it gives authorities the chance to
protect the people. Toy makers and some parents oppose the idea because toy
guns are not violent and it is the role of parents to make their children
responsible. In response to the debate, banning toy guns would not solve the
problem. Providing solutions mean allowing the government to create rules for
toy makers and allowing parents to become responsible in helping their children
to become responsible in teaching their child proper attitude in handling guns.
There are different views on the
reason why police should ban toy guns. There are those who support the goal
because of how toy guns influence bad behavior among children. Groups that do
not agree say that guns do not contribute to violence. It is the role of
parents to discipline children to become good people. A good way to understand
the debate comes from the argument by Dr. Todd Huffman, he says that: “for some
years a debate has been ranging among parents, educators, and child experts as
to whether playing with toy guns and other fantasy weaponry encourages present
or future violent behavior among children, or whether such play provides
healthy outlets to their natural aggression, and otherwise inures them against
the horrors of a sometimes violent world” (1). This quote clearly shows the
different opinions of people and how the use of toy guns can develop negative
behavior or not among children.
Opposing Views
To better understand the debate, it
is important to look at the different views of the issue. There are the groups
who argue that toy guns do not shape bad behavior. The action comes from lack
of understanding how guns work. It is the responsibility of parents to tell
children that shooting people is bad. To show support, Petula Dvorak mentions
how schools do not try to help children understand why having guns is a big
responsibility. He says, “but instead of taking the child to the school
counselor for a frank and honest evaluation and realizing what a kid means when
he is playing the role that just about every American male played in the past
two centuries, too many schools take the hard line and yank the kid from class”
(1). This quote means that the child needs proper attention and counseling
rather than punishment for the use of guns.
Related to the argument above is the
recent action of schools to punish students who make use of toy guns. Many
students in the United States have been suspended or given disciplinary action
for their use of toy guns to another individual. For schools, the behavior is
unacceptable because it shows violence to another. That is why schools try to
control the use of guns as much as they can. For example, the article of Beth
Bulik shows readers a specific case where schools try to apply their rules. She
says that “school districts across the country
are cracking down on toy-gun play with several recent suspensions of young boys
who "shot" classmates with their fingers. One 5-year-old girl in
Pennsylvania was recently suspended for talking about shooting classmates and
herself with her pink Hello Kitty bubble gun” (1). This quote shows the
commitment of schools to not ban toy guns but rather regulate the behavior
shown by students.
Another reason that do not support
ban of toy guns come from the different toy makers. For these groups, the ban
would be a problem for the business because it would mean they would have to
stop selling their toys to children. In response to the debate, toy makers
would argue that their products do not shape violence. It comes from the lack
of parent responsibility to guide and teach children on how to proper use their
gun. Using Beth Bulik’s article again,
she pointed out the arguments of toy makers and how banning toy guns is unfair.
She said that “Toys themselves do not promote aggressive behavior. There are no
violent and nonviolent toys. Quite often, military and other role play items may
help kids work through or cope with what is happening in the world around them
through play rather than through outwardly aggressive behavior.” Psychologists
and some teachers, in fact, think similarly” (1). This quote gives meaning to
why toy guns are created. It gives children the experience of using guns and
becoming responsible for purpose and use.
Supporting
Views
The groups who argue that toy guns
should be banned or controlled come from the police or law enforcers who try to
protect the citizens. The arguments of police consider the fact that it remains
to be difficult to determine real and toy guns in the street even if officers
have been trained to identify which ones are real or fake. It is the role of
police to protect the safety of the community and that is why issues like the
use of toy guns can sometimes create a stress situation. The article by Katy
Steinmetz show the challenges experienced by police in responding to this
particular problem. She says that “in a stressful situation where it’s a
question of using deadly force, you are not going to be able to get close
enough to give a detailed inspection,” Yurgealitis says. Officers have to make
a decision in milliseconds and everybody can second guess it” (1). This quote
means that police are given different challenges every day that would either
influence the life and safety of other people. Banning toy guns or controlling
their sale would mean better approach to responding to crimes on the streets.
There are also specific parents who
argue that toy guns should be banned. They believe that guns influence bad
behavior to their children. It gives them a perspective of how to kill and also
creates difficulty in developing good behavior. The article by Dana Benbow
gives different views in support and opposes the argument for banning of toy
guns. For the supporting side, she mentions a mother (Mary Anne Bethel) whose
main concern is the impact it can create to children. Here, she argues that
“"I cringe when I even see a kid shooting a toy gun at another kid,"
said the Indianapolis mother of two boys, 8 and 9, who have never owned a toy
weapon. "People can say there is no connection, but toy guns are the same
as real guns. They kill people -- even if it is only in the kid's imagination”
(1). This quote gives the perspective that there are parents who try to protect
their children by not allowing them to experience guns or other types of
firearms.
Lastly, there is the argument that
banning the use of toy guns is important because of the influence of media to
children. Today, children are watching TV and see the different ways that guns
are used. This can be seen in movies, cartoons and other shows that show the
violence and aggression. For children who own guns, this can be a problem
because they will copy the actions and think this is good. Even if parents try
their best to give discipline, they might fail because there are many bad
influences that people can see. Going back to Dr. Huffman’s argument, he says
that “there is little wonder too when on our television screens, if not outside
our front doors, we see firsthand evidence of the U.S having far more gun
violence and more guns – 240 million of them – than any other country not at
war, and many that are” (1). This quote gives the idea of gun-related violence
and the potential problems it creates to the society today.
Analysis
Analyzing the arguments of support
and opposite view, it shows valid points on each side. Using the views of each
side, there are specific solutions that can be applied to resolve the issue.
The first approach consider sthe creation of rules by different states on how
toy guns can be manufactured. Creating guns that are not similar to the
original one would not be a problem for police authorities. The incident
concerning Andy Lopez could have been prevented. Dain Fitzgerald’s highlights
the statement of the person (Kevin de Leon), he interviewed. Here, he mentions
that “De Leon added that a ban
on guns like the one Lopez was carrying when he was shot has nothing to do with
the broader, big picture gun rights debate. He claimed the bill is not
"anti-gun or anti-Second Amendment," but rather "pro-children,
pro-teenager and an instrument, if you will, for law enforcement to make
rational, wise, split-second decisions when they are in that type of situation”
(1). This quote means that the creation of stricter policy for the use of toy
guns would allow police officers to properly fulfill their roles and
responsibilities.
Connected to this argument is the
existing regulation that is already seen in many of toy guns. For toy makers,
they have tried their best to follow the rules and give people a chance to
separate a real gun to a toy. Beth Bulik provides this in her interview with
Jim Silver in the article. She mention that “today's
toy guns are already fairly heavily regulated by both federal and state laws
that mandate things like the toys must be made in non-gun colors like green or
yellow or purple and if not, have an orange tip, said Jim Silver, editor of
Time to Play mag online” (1). This means that efforts are made to help address
the problem. The main change that should apply comes from guns that look like
the real one, examples are airsoft, BB gun, etc.
Lastly, the control and moderation
of toy gun use should also come from parents. This means that parents should
teach their child to be responsible when holding a gun. They must be properly
given information of when to use it and the proper behavior. For the case of
Andy Lopez, even if the mistake is pointed to the police, there are people who
also see the mistake or fault to his parents. The responsibility must begin
with parents who should tell their children about the rules for gun use. It can
be important if children are able to play with guns and also teach them how to
become responsible for its use. Dr. Huffman provides the responsibility as “the
wise parent also teaches their child every day to understand and respect the
rights of others, and teaches them tolerance for diversity and how to resolve
conflict through non-violent means. And the wise and nowadays all too rare
parent prevents their child’s exposure to violent television, movies, and video
games at home and, just as crucially, when at the home of a friend” (2). This
quote can be a good step to help children to play and understand the toy guns
responsibility.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the public
remains to be split with banning the use of toy guns. For toy makers and some
parents, it should not be the case because the child should be allowed to
experience and learn to be responsible. The other group seeks banning or
control of toy guns because it challenge police officers to apply their role
and potential to promote violence. Using the different argument, the solution
comes from careful control of how toy guns are sold to children. Also, parents
need to help children understand their role and responsibility in handling toy
guns. There must be an effort to allow children experience toy guns and
influence them to make better choice and decision. Let children realize that
there are other solutions to problem than using guns.
Works Cited
Benbow, Dana Hunsinger. ‘Are toy guns OK for kids? Parents are split. USA Today. 22
Dec. 2012. 08 Dec. 2013 <http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/12/22/toy-guns-good-bad-for-kids/1786595/>
Bulik, Beth Snyder. ‘Gun-Control Debate Hits $16 Billion Toy Industry’ Advertising Age. 28
Jan. 2013. 08 Dec. 2013 <http://adage.com/article/news/gun-control-debate-hits-16-billion-toy-industry/239424/>
Fitzgerald, Dain. ‘Should Toy Guns be more strictly regulated?’Politix. 27 November 2013. 08
Dec. 2013 < http://politix.topix.com/homepage/9140-should-toy-guns-be-more-strictly-regulated>
Huffman, Todd. ‘Toy Guns and Gunplay: Should Parents Be Worried?’ Register Guard. 2008. 8
Dec. 2013 <http://www.mckenzie-pediatrics.com/shop/images/ToyGuns.pdf>
Petula, Dvorak. "Why toy guns can be good for kids." Washington Post. 07 Jan. 2013. 08 Dec.
2013 <http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-01-07/local/36207472_1_toy-guns-children-and-guns-squirt-guns>
Steinmetz, Katy. ‘Toy Guns, Deadly Consequences’ Time. 25 October 2013. 8 Dec. 2013
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