Buy Back them toy guns!!!
Everyone's familiar with gun buy-back programs, in which police and/or
community organizations buy back guns from the public, under the
questionable assumption that this will somehow stop crime and gun
accidents.
Well, Annapolis alderwoman Cynthia A. Carter has upped the ante.
She has proposed that the city start a program to buy back *toy guns.*
Yes - she wants the city to spend tax dollars and/or privately donated
funds to buy back from kids such things as water pistols, cap guns,
and other toy weapons.
She argues this will curb "violent behavior" among children. Carter
also said she would eventually like to make all toy guns flat-out
illegal.
The idea was so breathtakingly idiotic that it left Steve Dasbach,
Libertarian Party National Director, unsure of how to respond to it.
"This is a real dilemma," Dasbach said in a media release. "Do we
praise this politician for going after toy guns instead of
Constitutionally protected real guns? Or do we point out that buying
back toy guns will no more keep our streets safe than buying back
non-alcoholic beer will keep Ted Kennedy sober?
"Or should we just give this politician an award for coming up with
the most entertainingly goofy idea of the year?
"Our first concern was whether this program would lead to the creation
of a new federal agency; the BATTF -- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, &
Toy Firearms. But our second concern was -- where will this end?"
For example, Dasbach said, if politicians decide this program is
successful, will they then...
* Prevent the next Microsoft by buying back Monopoly games?
* Prevent traffic accidents by buying back Hot Wheels toy cars?
* Prevent burglaries by buying back Barbie's Dream House?
* Prevent deforestation by buying back Lincoln Logs?
* Prevent gambling by buying back Pokemon cards?
* Prevent urban sprawl by buying back Lego bricks?
* Prevent war by buying back G.I. Joes?
(Source: Libertarian Party media release.)
