| If you grew up in the early to late 60s you | | | | kids play war games. They're afraid that if their |
| remember watching Vic Morrow in the great | | | | kids play with guns they will grow up to play with |
| series Combat. You were so taken by the his | | | | real guns. We have become so politically correct |
| performance that if you were a normal kid, you | | | | that it has gotten to the point where you can't |
| wanted to be Sergeant Saunders. And you got | | | | even find guns in a toy store anymore. Those |
| the chance to do it too. The toy stores were | | | | days are long gone. So if a kid wants to play |
| stocked to the rafters with Saunders | | | | army, he better have a very good |
| trademarked camouflaged helmet, Thompson Sub | | | | imagination.The question is, is this right? Certainly |
| Machine Gun and hand grenades. The gun had a | | | | not every kid who played with guns grew up to |
| pull back knob that was quite realistic and the gun | | | | become a killer. An associate of mine had not only |
| made quite a racket when it was shot. The | | | | a Saunders Tommy Gun, but also a German |
| grenades were equipped with the old style cap | | | | Luger, an M1 rifle, a Colt 45 and quite a few hand |
| explosives that also made quite a bang when the | | | | grenades. He says he had to have several when |
| grenade hit the ground correctly.Taking your | | | | attacking those German bunkers. Today, this kid |
| equipment, you and your friends made off for | | | | who lived to play army, is a successful Internet |
| the nearest woods or mazed area. You took | | | | marketer and has never held a real gun a day in |
| turns hunting each other down. Because nobody | | | | his life.The truth is, it doesn't take a toy gun to |
| really got shot, you were pretty much on the | | | | turn a kid bad. If somebody is destined to turn to |
| honor system when someone snuck up behind | | | | a life of crime, he's going to do it with or without |
| you, started shooting and said, "you're dead". You | | | | having played with toy guns. So the question of |
| were always tempted to say, "I'm just wounded" | | | | whether or not kids should be allowed to play war |
| and walk off to the aid station for a brief timeout | | | | games is one that has to be answered by each |
| until you were "healed" and ready to get back in | | | | individual parent. Parents should make informed |
| the game. Nobody really died and the games | | | | decisions about everything they allow or don't |
| went on forever until you simply got tired of | | | | allow their children to do. There is an old saying |
| playing or your mother called you in for dinner. It | | | | that says guns don't kill, people kill. That was true |
| was all pretty harmless fun.But, it's 40 years later | | | | in the 1960s and it is true today as well.Certainly |
| and parents are wondering if they should let their | | | | toy guns don't kill anybody. |