Just when you think you've heard everything

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – A community groups has a strong message for parents this Christmas. They want to help keep toy guns out of children’s hands…to prevent them from getting their hands on a real one.

“This is a cap gun and it sounds real,” said Leonard Lane.

As Leonard Lane shows a toy gun that’s filled with candy, he says it doesn’t need to be given to a child.

“Whatever you put in a child’s hands that’s what he feels comfortable with and you put a toy gun in his hands at an early age and when he gets older he’s going to want the real thing,” said Leonard Lane, president of Buffalo F.A.T.H.E.R.S organization

That’s why Lane is encouraging parents to give up their child’s toy guns this Christmas and exchange it for a different toy, as part of the annual Toy Gun Exchange at the Delavan Grider community center.

Lane says it’s an effort to help stop gun violence by teaching children at an early age that guns are nothing to play with.

“I understand how a mother may feel wanting to get something her child would like, but what we don’t want to do is make a child feel comfortable with a toy gun,” said Lane.

“Little kids like to play cops and robbers but you know in the environment we live in, there’s so much violence in this world that there’s so many other options for kids to have fun,” said Capt. Steve Nichols with Buffalo police.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – A community groups has a strong message for parents this Christmas. They want to help keep toy guns out of children’s hands…to prevent them from getting their hands on a real one.

“This is a cap gun and it sounds real,” said Leonard Lane.

As Leonard Lane shows a toy gun that’s filled with candy, he says it doesn’t need to be given to a child.

“Whatever you put in a child’s hands that’s what he feels comfortable with and you put a toy gun in his hands at an early age and when he gets older he’s going to want the real thing,” said Leonard Lane, president of Buffalo F.A.T.H.E.R.S organization

That’s why Lane is encouraging parents to give up their child’s toy guns this Christmas and exchange it for a different toy, as part of the annual Toy Gun Exchange at the Delavan Grider community center.

Lane says it’s an effort to help stop gun violence by teaching children at an early age that guns are nothing to play with.

“I understand how a mother may feel wanting to get something her child would like, but what we don’t want to do is make a child feel comfortable with a toy gun,” said Lane.

“Little kids like to play cops and robbers but you know in the environment we live in, there’s so much violence in this world that there’s so many other options for kids to have fun,” said Capt. Steve Nichols with Buffalo police.

http://wivb.com/2017/12/01/com...th-toy-gun-exchange/

Seems like a great opportunity to hit the goodwill/thrift stores/garage sales to get toy guns for pennies on the dollar, then exchange them for new toys. Win win!

quote:

“Whatever you put in a child’s hands that’s what he feels comfortable with and you put a toy gun in his hands at an early age and when he gets older he’s going to want the real thing,” said Leonard Lane, president of Buffalo F.A.T.H.E.R.S organization

Imagine that. And for all these years I blamed the US Army for handing an M1 Garand and cases of ammo to a 17 year old boy.

I've personally never liked toy guns. I don't want my kid treating lightly anything that looks like a gun. He can use a "finger gun" to play cops and robbers until it's time for him to start playing IDPA with real guns

Bruce