I haven't read all the posts so this is just my take on it and not a reply to anyone. I would feel just as menaced and just as threatened by someone if they were holding a gun, knife, bat, syringe or lump of 4x2 - ANYTHING can be used as a weapon to kill or injure another person - make no mistake about that. But I am not about to stop my kids from playing cricket, golf, tennis, Doctors or anything else that would introduce those play items because that would be, well, ridiculous.

When we were kids we would play cops and robbers, cowboys and indians, armies, star wars, the works. We all had fabulous imaginations and played creatively all the time as kids and I think that was due largely to the fact that our parents never stiffled us by saying we couldn't do this and couldn't do that. True that it is a different society today where gun crime is rife but the message stays the same. Kids will still play 'guns' with anything that to them looks like a gun so if you don't want them playing 'guns' at all you will have to shelter them from anything that will teach them the concept of 'guns' in the first place kwim?

Personally I don't mind. We have had toy guns in the house and we own several guns that we use on our property to control vermin and put down animals so our kids know that guns are used - never in front of them though. But it comes down to us educating them so that they know to play is OK, but that guns can and do hurt and kill people. By taking the guns out of the equation completely you aren't really teaching them anything I don't think (again this is my personal opinion only and based on what I have experienced so far as a parent) because they will want to see what the fuss is all about and this could drive them to want one kwim? We've had those nerf dart guns and they are awesome fun to play with, we set up targets to shoot (because it is a legitimate sport too you know) or we shoot those sticky darts at the ceiling and stuff like that. Now some will probably get all huffy because I think it is fun to play that type of game with my kids and generally don't mind play like that, but does that make those of us who allow it crap parents? It's not a lot different to letting girls play with Barbies and the like - I think it's fine so long as a good dose of education goes along with it if the issue ever arrises but some parents bar them completely and thats fine, it is their perogative as parents to do so.

And don't forget the saying, 'guns don't kill people, people kill people' and I think it's important to remember that.