Elementary School Launches Toy Gun “Buy Back” Program
The latest installment of “Guys, I think we’re taking this shit a little too far” comes to us from Strobridge Elementary School in the San Francisco Bay area. An idea conjured and implemented by Principal Charles Hill rewarded students for exchanging, or “selling back,” their toy guns in exchange for books and raffle tickets, good for a chance to win a bicycle.
From Mercury News:
An elementary school [held] a toy gun exchange Saturday, offering students a book and a chance to win a bicycle if they turn in their play weapons.
Strobridge Elementary Principal Charles Hill maintains that children who play with toy guns may not take real guns seriously.
“Playing with toys guns, saying ‘I’m going to shoot you,’ desensitizes them, so as they get older, it’s easier for them to use a real gun,” Hill said.
The program has ruffled a few feathers. A local gun activist, Yih-Chau Chang, spokesman for Responsible Citizens of California, weighed in on the matter, stating, “While the intentions are obviously good on the part of the school administration, this doesn’t really educate children about guns or gun safety.” “Guns are used in crimes, but they are more often used in defensive ways which prevent violent crime from occurring in the first place.”
That’s the rub, a simple pros versus cons debate. Will this help sensitize children to dangers of guns? Who knows? They’re just kids — they’re only concerned with booger picking, cooties, and playing with friends at that age.
Here’s what I want to know: What about the little finger pistolers? What do they get for turning in their weapons? Their toy guns are attached to their grubby little hands, so they obviously can’t turn those over. You think they just ask them to promise to keep them holstered? You can’t leave those guys out.
They’ll make their promises for a chance to win that new bike, but right when the event ends, you know those index fingers and thumbs are coming right back out.
[via Mercury News]
Image via Bay News 9
What kid would trade their cap guns for some shitty books? What are they putting in the water over there?
12 years ago at 11:34 amTo be fair, most of those kids can’t afford a shiny brand spanking new bike so the opportunity to sell back as many cheaply purchased, garage sale guns as possibly for a new bike is worth it.
12 years ago at 11:38 amEvery kid turning 20 shitty guns for a chance to win a bike so the media can brag about how “successful” this stunt was. Fuck that
12 years ago at 2:45 pmThe mediots will climb Mt Pious over the stupidest most frivolous of things so long as it suits their needs. If you care enough to think what the media thinks then you are fighting a losing battle.
12 years ago at 3:05 pmfinger pistols. FaF
12 years ago at 12:16 pmIt all made sense when I read “San Francisco Bay Area”….
12 years ago at 12:20 pmI hope some kid shows up in a tactical turtleneck, Sterling Archer style, and lays out a multitude of different toy guns. If he then makes the principal Charles Hill eat a handfull of spider webs…bid.
12 years ago at 12:20 pmA local gun activist named Yih-Chau Chang? I don’t like the sound of that…
12 years ago at 2:32 pm-go to the dollar store and get cheap toy guns
12 years ago at 2:40 pm-sell said guns at silly buyback
-use money to buy real guns
-experience freedoms
Big brother is watching.
12 years ago at 3:06 pmI swear America is turning into one of the biggest pussies on this planet. This is one of the main reasons I joined a fraternity so I wouldn’t be surrounded by Liberal pussy fear mongers
12 years ago at 4:06 pmI don’t know about the rest of you but I used to draw pictures of Saddam Hussein getting his casbah rocked by American smart bombs way back in 91′. I haven’t killed or maimed yet and I think drawing fighter jets blowing up the Baghdad skyline while tanks were shooting Iraqi soldiers is a bit more personal than playing cowboys and Indians (sorry Cowpersons and Native Americans) with a dollar store piece of plastic.
12 years ago at 4:49 pm