Politics

Activist re-launches anti-toy gun campaign

Font Size:

A Santa Monica, Calif. peace activist is reinvigorating his push to discourage children from playing with toy guns and parents from purchasing them.

Activist Jerry Rubin’s “Alliance for Survival” peace group is encouraging children and families to say “no” to guns with a “No Toy Guns Merit Award Project” in response to the Newton, Conn. shooting which left 20 children and six adults dead, the Santa Monica Mirror reported.

The group will offer a personalized, frameable certificate to children and families that send the alliance a letter explaining “Why I will not buy toy guns for my children” or for children, “Why I do not like to play with toy guns.”

“After the recent tragic gun violence killings of so many children, isn’t it crucial to focus on all aspects of stopping further gun violence, including how so many children are learning at an early age, through the toy guns they play with, that it’s okay just to pretend to kill their friends and fellow schoolmates,” Rubin told the Mirror.

In 1987, Rubin attempted a similar trade for children who turned in their toy gun — instead of certificates — Rubin offered teddy bears, according to the Mirror. However, after he ran out of donated teddy bears Rubin stopped the program.

Follow Caroline on Twitter