Toys That Get Kids Used To Ideas

[Guest guest]

http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/05/03/con05116.html

 

March 30, 2005

 

 

 

Toys That Get Kids Used To Ideas

 

A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION

by Grandma

 

I'm writing to you because I know you are people whose work and voices

I respect and I'm sure your readers are like-minded souls. I have been

checking in with BuzzFlash for a long time and now this granny has

reached the point where she has to sound off to someone.

 

I had an epiphany today in the toy store where I was told there was a

sale on " Bionicles " that my granddaughter wanted for her birthday.

Didn't have a clue as to what these were other than they were " Legos "

and I've purchased these in the past for children and grandchildren.

 

I discovered that the " Bionicles " were high tech warrior/destroyer

figures (my evaluation). When I looked them all over, trying to find

one that was more benign looking than the others, I became disgusted

and finally angry to think I would be responsible for giving these to

my granddaughter ... or grandson for that matter.

 

Oh, I'm sure there are many who would say, " Lighten up, it's only a

toy! " But as I examined the figures and thought about it, I became

convinced that kids playing with them would get used to the idea of

fighting and destruction by warriors using the latest technological

weaponry.

 

I looked around the other shelves. There was " Star Wars. " My own kids

were into that years ago. I thought about it from my 68-year-old

perspective: What was the message then to our kids or what idea were

they getting used to? Wasn't it, simplistically, the world is about

good against evil? If you're a good guy, you overcome " evil " by having

and using the best destructive technology. I thought, Hey, isn't that

something like what we're living through right now?

 

I started wondering if there were any toys that teach about good and

evil residing in all humans? Or toys that get kids used to the idea of

cooperation between nations to solve world problems like enough food,

clean water, and air for all? Any toys that would demonstrate how

advanced technology can help solve these problems? Any toys that might

get kids used to the idea of saving and respecting the earth,

preserving habitat for endangered species, the oceans, the rain

forests? Any toys that might get them used to the idea of wise

renewable energy and conservation, of living with less consumption of

goods, etc. etc. etc.? How about loving your neighbor as yourself?

 

You see, it all came to a head in the toy store. This was the week

that our congress and the president intervened in the Terri Schiavo

case to save her life while we continued to blast away at the Iraqis.

The week we sold two dozen F16s to Pakistan.

 

I got to thinking of Randall Terry and his followers demonstrating

around Terri Schiavo and wondered how many of these right-to-lifers

took to the streets to protest the war and the killing of over 1500

U.S. soldiers and over 100,000 Iraqis? Did they protest the continual

use of our taxpayer money to build and sell more and newer lethal

weapons which have no other use than to be anti-life? Did they protest

the sale of F16s to Pakistan? How about Abu Ghraib? How about

corporations that pollute our air and water and kill citizens?

 

I have a stack of letters written to politicians from the 60's to the

present expressing my anti-war and pro-environment views. I have tried

to raise peaceful children and teach them cooperation, respect for

others and the environment, the value of listening and negotiating,

peaceful resolutions for conflict. But I'm worried about my

grandchildren living in today's world. I'm concerned about the

creeping, insidious influence of toys like the " Bionicles, " not to

mention the obvious ones: the guns, tanks, war planes, military

figures, camouflage outfits (even for babies now). Check out those toy

store shelves! And while you're at it, check out the interactive TV

(X-box) and hand-held digital toys with cartridges that let your kid

into the world of fighting, destruction etc. I could care less who

Sponge Bob holds hands with, but it creeps me out to see him smashing

stuff all over the islands and sea through my grandson's manipulation.

 

I'm worried how kids will resist the lure of the military recruiter I

saw talking to students why actually said, " It's cool being a soldier

.... you get to blow things up ... "

 

This whole experience has made me feel old. Thanks for listening.

 

from

 

Grandma

 

A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION

 

http://www.lego.com/eng/bionicle/default.asp