December 18, 2012

Lego Gun Control

Say what you will about the tragedy that happened last Friday, but the bottom line is that it was a GUN that killed those poor little kids.  Sure someone could inflict harm with any weapon that they choose, but you just don't hear about mass killings with baseball bats and knives.  Spare me the idea that we should outlaw cars and kinds of other nonsense that people have been coming up with since the day of the shooting.

I don't want to take away someones right to own a gun, but there at least needs to be a conversation about gun control in this country.

It seems I can't go anywhere around here without seeing some mention of a gun in society.  Whether it's in movies or video games they are all too present in front of our kids.  Just yesterday I was checking out some video games for a new Xbox that the kids got for Hanukkah.  I was hard pressed to find a game that didn't have some sort of violence in it.  Video games are not alone, in fact it troubles me that my FAVORITE toy could very well be the largest producer of firearms in the world.



I know that it is up to us parents to control what our kids see and do, and it's not one thing that is a factor in how our kids behave.  It's not the music, it's not the video games, it's not the movies, but it is a combination of everything.  The truth is I have always realized that Lego had a lot of guns in their sets and it did trouble me, but not enough to really do anything about it.  I mean I must have over 300 guns in my house ranging from shotguns, to assault rifles, to pistols, to laser guns, and canons.  It's a lot of weapons.  Fortunately they won't actually kill anyone like the real ones do. 


John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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12 comments:

  1. When will the violence against minifigs end?


    In all seriousness, I agree, we need to at least have a conversation. Even a conversation seems to be a threat to the pro-gun side which is naturally feeling a bit sensitive right now. As they should. SOMETHING needs to change in our culture.

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  2. I am not against people owning guns, I understand people hunt and I can see the appeal of target shooting, but when is enough enough? The threat of even talking seems to bring the threat of civil war.

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  3. I took all the guns out of my house last Friday afternoon. I told my son, 5, he could only play with water guns and the one that shoots balls. I'm just taking a stand, no more. Play something else, period. He's only 5 and doesn't understand most of what happened, and still believes in super heroes and good guy/bad guys. I have 2 older girls too, and I just told them that's it. No gun play. I like your article.

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  4. Lego gun control... I love it! Did you round 'em all up for that image? lolz!
    I agree with all you've stated here, but your video really says it best.

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  5. Oh, that's a gun on Indiana Jones' belt, I just assumed he "dressed" left. Seriously, you have a way of being playful and topical at the same time. Well played Lego-ninja-master, well played. (I have always wondered what program you use to make those films but, now is not the time to ask. Oh wait, I just did. Poop)

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  6. It's simply iMovie. Still photos and a little Ken Burns effect.

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  7. That's just a small number of them. And that doesn't include any alien blasters.

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  8. We just put together our first gun in a LEGO yesterday. It was one of those Star Wars LEGOs, and it felt very strange to add the gun, but then I keep trying to get my kids to watch the movies, and they have guns there, after all...

    I don't know. They have these movies and games in other countries too, but only here people actually have this insane fetish with them.

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  9. A killer can own any non-automatic gun he wants and still kill something/someone. The difference is that he would have to reload before taking out entire classrooms/movie theaters of people, and likely could be taken down in the process. My mother owns a gun. She is responsible for it and with it. I know MANY hunters. The "art" in it if you will, is the hunt and a precise shot, not blowing it into a hundred tiny pieces that are unrecognizable. There is a huge difference between having a gun for personal safety or dinner, and thinking the Zombie apocalypse is actually upon us.


    During a visit to my son's classroom visit the other day, we made gingerbread scenes. The girls all made rivers and forests, with an occasional snow man. The boys? Military bases. They made tanks and cannons and had a blast. The war they waged was between gummi bears and sour patch kids (the gummi's won). "Playing war" and making weapons from sticks is something most kids do, regardless of how desensitized we think they have become.


    People in politics need to wake up and do something with the laws already in existence not just make new ones. And for the love of God, they need to stop turning this in to a political agenda 6 year olds should never be "just another agenda point".


    Okay. I'm done now. Sorry.

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  10. There should be a law about making laws. I'm with you on the art thing. I shot rifles in college and completely enjoyed lining up the shot and then pulling the trigger. Why on earth would I pull the trigger to fire 30 bullets at once? THAT is a pure killing machine. And six year olds should not be pawns in the the game of politics.

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  11. It's been our culture since the country was founded. We were a nation started by outlaws.

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  12. Hunting, the 2nd amendment and dictatorial regimes are straw man arguments against gun control. There is no honest reason to own a machine gun except that they are fun to shoot. We can preserve the right for law abiding adults to play Rambo, without letting them own assault rifles.

    If congress wanted to outlaw skis and skiing, I'd be pissed and do anything I could to protect what I love. I wouldn't be able to be objective about or have an intelligent "conversation."

    -M

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