Following the shooting of Tamir Rice (who was holding a toy gun that looked real at the time), there has been a push by the usual suspects to ban toy guns. Instead of teaching kids that walking around outside with something that looks like a deadly weapon is a bad idea, the Attorney General of New York has decided that the way to “fix” this “problem” is to try and crack down on the sale of these inanimate objects. Because that’s been so successful in the past. Now it appears that the toy companies have agreed to Herr Schneiderman’s demands . . .
From CBS:
Retailers including Walmart, Sears and Amazon have agreed to halt the sales of life-like toy guns in New York.
State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said Monday that the retailers also have agreed to pay over $300,000 in penalties.
[…]
Schneiderman said there have been 63 shootings in New York since 1994 as a result of someone holding a toy weapon.
It is interesting to note that 63 shootings since 1994 works out to about 3 incidents a year. If the people of New York wanted to crack down on a deadly object being sold in these stores perhaps they could have better spent their energy regulating bicycles. FYI, bike accidents kill ~800 people a year. A little more than three killed as a result of confusion over a toy gun.
According to the local gun control chapter, this should be just the beginning. However, as usual their rallying cry for more gun control is about as factually accurate as any magazine picture of Kim Kardashian.
Leah Gunn Barrett with the group New Yorkers Against Gun Violence said now it’s time for more rules regarding the real thing.
“Teddy bears and toy guns have more regulations than real guns,” she said.
Right. Because I totally remember getting a background check the last time I went to buy a teddy bear.