Kids turn in toy guns at elementary school buyback
June 18, 2013
Children at a California elementary school are relinquishing their firearms. [Washington Times]
Strobridge Elementary School in Hayward held a “Safety Day” on June 8, at which students received books and raffle tickets in exchange for their toy guns.
School principal Charles Hill, who created the program, said toy guns teach kids not to take real guns seriously.
“Playing with toy 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 told the San Jose Mercury News.
Advocates of the right to carry firearms disagreed.
“Having a group of children playing cops and robbers or cowboys and Indians is a normal part of growing up,” said spokesman for Responsible Citizens of California Yih-Chau Chang.
The school safety day also included fingerprinting and photographing of children for the purpose of creating missing child CDs that parents could have in case their kids disappear.
The comments below represent the opinion of the writer and do not represent the views or policies of CalCoastNews.com. Please address the Policies, events and arguments, not the person. Constructive debate is good; mockery, taunting, and name calling is not. Comment Guidelines