With gun violence being a huge issue in America, one town is hoping to combat it by encouraging kids to say no to guns.
With gun violencebeing a huge issue in America, one town is hoping to combat it by encouraging kids to say no to guns.
A community in Hempstead, New York, asked children to swap their Nerf guns, water pistols and toy guns for non-violent ones instead, in a bid to stand up to the violence.
On December 13th, Mayor of the Village of Hempstead, Don Ryan, asked the children to bring their toys in exchange for a new gift, and 50 children showed up on the day of the announcement.
Sean Acosta from the New York Toy Gun Exchange Program bought the gifts while Lieutenant Derek Warner from the local police department discouraged parents from buying fake guns for their sons and daughters.
Lt Warner said that at night or in dimly lit places, members of the police force can mistake toy guns for real ones, leading to dangerous situations.
"The purpose is to offer safe alternatives to toy guns," Hempstead Village Trustee LaMont Johnson explained. "We don't want the kids playing with guns. Guns are dangerous."
However, not everyone agrees with the move. Many took to Twitter to express their disgust at the drive, with one saying that a toy can be used as a teaching tool.
"How did anyone born before 1990 ever survive?" tweeted Twitter user Matt. "Instead of taking toy guns away, teach responsible gun ownership, safety,etc. A toy can be a teaching tool..! Life isn’t a movie; deadly weapons are the absolute last solution to a problem, not the first!
Everyone I knew grew up with toy guns and not one of them killed anyone then or now!— DDowhower (@DowhowerDenise) December 27, 2018
This is how they start taking the real guns gotta let the kids play we played war games an cowboys an Indians nobody got killed an we all grew up to respect every living creature in the world,that's what's missing,respect an common sense— just Bob (@dadgumbob) December 27, 2018
I would tell those running the village of Hempstead, give a little girl a baton is far more dangerous than giving her a toy gun. Unfortunately, those who do such moronic things as calling for an exchange of toy guns rarely listen.— John Q. Public, MSA (@OHenrysStepchld) December 26, 2018
What are your thoughts on the drive?
