Guns for kids, yes or no? Poll

We don't have any toy guns in the house.  I don't think it was a conscious decision.  Having no toy guns hasn't prevented Mars from playing guns.  Basically, anything that has a 90 degree bend and can be held in the hand becomes a "zappy".  The straws from juice boxes are particularly popular.  "Zappy" because his only gun reference has been the blasters in Star Wars.  He loves the movies, the animated series, and used to watch me play Star Wars Battlefront on the computer.  Lots of "pshew, pshew, pshewing" followed by the bad guy (me) getting "zappied" and surrendering to the "powerful Jedi" Mars.

 

I know my sister doesn't allow my nephew Jovin to have toy guns.  I also know that last time he visited, he was very taken with the foam airplane launcher, which was somewhat 'gun shaped' and had a trigger.  There seems to be something about guns that appeals to little boys.  My brother and I used to play endlessly.  We'd run around the neighbourhood yelling "bang bang" and "you missed", "no I didn't", "did too".  I think we turned out OK.  At the same time,  I also see the argument against violence and that kids pretending to shoot each other just seems wrong.

 

Anyway, sticking with the Star Wars theme, I've been wondering about buying the boys a brightly coloured blaster that makes "authentic movie sounds".  I know Mars and soon Odin would love running around the yard, just like my brother and I did (although our favourite was replica Uzi - no red tips or blue guns when we were kids!).  Physical play, reenacting Star Wars (I'm so proud of that by the way), is it harmless fun?  Or does it show the violence inherent in the system?  Poll below, please vote and help me decide.

 

Should kids have toy guns?

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