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