Yes, you read that right. Arming children with guns. I bet you are imagining children carrying large, 'bulky' things or maybe even child soldiers! As real as that may be, I am not referring to 'this' arming of children.
What I am referring to it the toy guns that children -boys seem to be prone to this- are being gifted with plastic guns as gifts or toys. I find this, unsettling!
Let me share a small incident that led me to writing this. Yesterday, I was travelling after work, and I saw this child playing with a toy gun. Holding the gun and moving around as if trying to navigate himself away from a moving enemy. Then he began to shoot! doom! doom! doom!
It disturbed me. This-a child bearing a gun-seemed wrong, somehow. I realised that by giving a child a gun, we are making them accustomed to not only carrying a weapon, but also to violence. At a deeper level, we are teaching our children to be at war with their childhood.
I am not a saint. I too am guilty of having held a 'gun' when I was small. My brother and I had water guns, and beebee guns. When we were not targeting ourselves, we used to target our unsuspecting neighbours. And we found it thrilling. I am ashamed to say that I found joy in another's pain.
This is why I can look back and say now, that giving children 'weapons' to play with and advocating violence, is wrong. Thankfully, I don't find harming others a joy any more. But will everyone who finds joy in this, change their mind?
Please, don't tell me I am blowing things out of proportion.
What I am referring to it the toy guns that children -boys seem to be prone to this- are being gifted with plastic guns as gifts or toys. I find this, unsettling!Let me share a small incident that led me to writing this. Yesterday, I was travelling after work, and I saw this child playing with a toy gun. Holding the gun and moving around as if trying to navigate himself away from a moving enemy. Then he began to shoot! doom! doom! doom!
It disturbed me. This-a child bearing a gun-seemed wrong, somehow. I realised that by giving a child a gun, we are making them accustomed to not only carrying a weapon, but also to violence. At a deeper level, we are teaching our children to be at war with their childhood.
I am not a saint. I too am guilty of having held a 'gun' when I was small. My brother and I had water guns, and beebee guns. When we were not targeting ourselves, we used to target our unsuspecting neighbours. And we found it thrilling. I am ashamed to say that I found joy in another's pain.
This is why I can look back and say now, that giving children 'weapons' to play with and advocating violence, is wrong. Thankfully, I don't find harming others a joy any more. But will everyone who finds joy in this, change their mind?
Please, don't tell me I am blowing things out of proportion.