To arm, or not to arm?

When it comes to toy guns, I've always had an open mind.

Let me tell you a little story. When one of my nephews was born, my sister used to tell me at Christmas and birthdays that guns & war toys were absolutely forbidden. I never gave it much thought, I just respected her wishes. One day, when my nephew was 9, I was watching him play with the neighborhood kids. I had to call my sister over to the window. There was her son, chasing the other kids, holding a stick like a gun & making shooting noises. Need I say more? When my son was born, I didn't even make it an issue.

My nephew is 19 & guess what? He has never given in to his obvious urge to shoot at his friends!

All kidding aside, I understand why people get freaked out about the whole gun thing. It's just that toy guns have been around for so long, they are a part of our culture. Back in the 50's when boys were playing cowboys & indians & watching westerns on t.v., statistically, how many of them grew up to shoot anyone?

The point I'm trying to make is that most kids will not grow up to shoot someone based on whether they had toy guns or not. I believe that some people grow up to have violent tendencies due to extenuating circumstances.

Let's use an example of a kid who goes into a high school & shoots his peers. Most of these kids have underlying emotional problems & have never been able to fit in.

Or we could use an example of a kid who has grown up in a bad neighborhood & joined a gang. Some of these children have been exposed to violence & lifestyles that I hope my children never see, even as grown-ups.

I am not trying to make light of these situations. If you are anti-gun & want to instill that message in your children, I have the utmost respect for your opinion. I'm just saying that if you are honest with your children, teach them right from wrong & to respect others, then whether or not to arm or not to arm should remain a personal matter. I think people have more important things to argue about -- like the stay-at-home moms vs. the working moms debate.

But that's an argument for another day!!