A “gun swap” occurred today in Newark, Save Jerseyans.
Kiddies lined up for blocks to trade in their water pistols and cap guns for lap tops, hockey sticks and barbie dolls. The inferred premise underlying this event goes something like this: “Newark children will be less disposed to brandish real firepower if they stop playing with water/cap/foam dart power.”
American children have played cops and robbers, army men, cowboys and indians and a hundred other mock-violent role playing games for as long as there has been a country to play in.
And yet strangely enough, we never had widespread urban gun violence until the back half of the 20th Century.
The toy pop guns have always been there. What’s missing now as opposed to back then are fathers, uncles, aunts, communities, churches, neighborhoods, and other anchor institutions that were traditionally responsible for instilling positive values in the next generation.
Unless Mayor Booker has any of these rare items in his sack of replacement toys, then I respectfully conclude today’s “toy swap” is little more than a photo op.
