" Since I don't buy Tampons, I don't want stores to sell them."
Posted on 11/13/2007 2:21:10 PM PST by Daffynition
City Wide Youth Leadership Agency's William Mackey spends a lot of time talking about toys, but he isn't playing around.
He and other anti-violence advocates believe children playing with fake guns can potentially turn into a game of life or death, and Mackey's group is dedicated to boycotting stores who carry them.
"This is very, very important," Mackey said. "Philadelphia's streets are a bloodbath."
With the holiday season right around the corner -- and people already shopping for presents -- Mackey and his friends want stores that carry toy guns to hear their message.
He and others promise to not only boycott the stores, but also protest in front of them.
Tim Furlong Reports
"The only thing I can say is we don't need the guns, not sold as toys, as water blasters, as BB guns; we don't need any of this stuff," parent Kevin Murphy said.
Mother Maureen Norris, of North Philadelphia, said she thinks the boycott is a great idea because she doesn't buy them and she doesn't want stores to sell them.
"I never bought water guns, play guns, cap guns or nothing," Norris said.
Norris spoke to NBC 10's Tim Furlong as she and her young son headed into a city Toys 'R' Us store -- a good move for parents who want to avoid toy guns that look like the real thing. Toys 'R' Us, along with stores like Target and Wal-Mart, sell Nerf and laser-tag-type guns, but none that look like replica machine guns or Glocks.
Still, despite a September resolution from City Council asking stores to remove the guns from their shelves, some stores like KB Toys in the Franklin Mills Mall sell guns in all colors, shapes and sizes, including a realistic-looking machine gun and handgun purchased by Furlong.
William acknowledged that real guns are the real problem, but said even with the orange tip on fake guns, they are still sending the wrong message to kids in a troubled city.
These young people are brainwashed at such a young age with toy guns," Mackey said. "We must remove them.
"We will start this week boycotting stores in the city and the surrounding counties -- they must remove those toy guns off the shelves immediately," he shouted to supporters.
That reminds me: Donate toy guns to Toys for Tots this year.
I wish I owned a store just so I could tell this punk to kiss my pimply white ass. Then I’d put up a big display of toy guns.
Yes indeedy, toy guns are the cause of this problem, yep. /SARCASM OFF
I guess he was too busy buying Barbie dolls.
Philadelphia must be a strange city . . . there are girls there with names like William and Tim.
Toy guns don’t kill people....toy people kill people
Do these people actually have the ability to tie their own shoes in the morning? Jeepers...
" Since I don't buy Tampons, I don't want stores to sell them."
That’s OK - I don’t buy my kids toy guns.
I buy them real guns, and I take them to the range and let them shoot them.
Including a dictionary apparently.
I like your idea!
A friend’s son turned his sister’s Barbie into a gun. He bent the legs, held it by the torso and started shooting.
Not selling toy guns is not going to stop kids from playing with them.
I would like to see the council pass a resolution to recommend Eddie Eagle programs are in every Philly school.
Are they going to remove toy knives also?
How ‘bout them safety scissors? Could give the young uns ideas, you know.
I don’t have kids, but I like your philosophy on that.
“I never bought water guns, play guns, cap guns or nothing,” Norris said.
...And therefore I decree that nobody else should be able to buy them because my fragile emotions should dictate the choices of others.
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