Bad Toys?
a National News article at NYPOST.COM talks about a Brooklyn NYC cop and local congressman who are urging parents to boycott stores who sell toys that they deem to be too violent.
In related news, last night I saw that Fox News had broadcasted a consumer report about violent toys this Christmas, wherein they mentioned that The Lion & Lamb Project has put together a “dirty dozen list” of toys that they see as violent “entertainment” products. This is part of their mission to stop the merchandising of violence to children.
The Lion & Lamb have a reputation for preaching anti-violence and are famous for having had youth bring violent toys together and burn them as a sign of some sort. Isn’t burning stuff kinda violent? Makes me think back to book-burning (does that still go on somewhere in Bible-belt America?) Their slogan this year? “Violence is not child’s play”. Indeed it is not. However, haven’t violent toys and violent ‘pretend’ play been a part of American children’s lives since the beginning of time? My young newphew, now 7 was a four-year old playing with kids 6 and up, and would find a ‘weapon’ in every inanimate object including forks at the dinner table, Lego pieces, loose tree branches outside in the yard. His parents and adult relatives (myself, his grandma), would encourage him to play in an otherwise less objectionable manner by playing games with him. Tiddlywinks, Memory, Chutes & Ladders, riding bikes together, baseball, etc., and found ourselves exhausted because all that we did was unsuccessful and we just shrugged it off as ‘kids will be kids’ and do what they want. My sister and I did the same sorts of things during play. My mother and her brother had cap guns and fake weapons they used when playing ‘cowboys and indians’ back in the 50’s and I’m sure most other parents and kids could agree that what kids play with nowadays isn’t much different.
What do you think? Post your responses in the squawk box.
Same day, different year..
Other posts on this day:
- Partially Unemployed, Day 1 – 2000