Parents and other East Harlem residents protested a controversial toy gun giveaway outside a neighborhood school Thursday.
After testifying against a City Council ban on all toy gun sales in the city, the Manhattan branch of the Libertarian Party handed out toy guns to children leaving P.S. 72.
"This is a freedom issue,” said Jim Lesczyski of the Libertarian Party. “This is about kids’ freedom and parents’ freedom to make choices, and not about government interfere with those choices.”
“This law won't save one life. It won't prevent one crime. All it will do will impose unnecessary costs throughout society,” said Libertarian Party member Gary Snyder.
However, parents say the group should leave politics to adults, and stay out of their neighborhood.
“I'm outraged!” screamed one mother of a teacher at P.S. 72. “My daughter is a schoolteacher. What are you going to give them guns for? So they can shoot my child?”
“I don't think they should involve the kids,” said one mother of a student. “The kids come to school, they come to learn, they go home, and they shouldn't involve them. Especially up here, it could be dangerous for our kids. I agree that they shouldn't make toy guns because the kids get too comfortable and they don't think twice about picking up a real one."
“I don't think should do it because today in my class we were reading about what happened, and some kids got shot by police officers for having toy guns,” said a student at P.S. 72.
In 1994, Nicholas Heyward's 13-year-old son Nicholas Jr. was shot and killed by police who mistook his toy shotgun for a real gun as he played outside a Brooklyn housing development. Heyward heard about the Libertarian's event and showed up to protest.
“We do not want toy guns distributed to our children,” Heyward said. “Toy guns should be banned in New York City, period. Too many kids are dying from playing with toy guns.”
Harlem community leaders countered the Libertarians by giving out books and stuffed animals.
“Nice toys like what they gave me are good for the kids,” said a child. “Not play guns – what type of stuff are they teaching us?”
Party members said they took their toy gun drive Uptown because they felt these kids would appreciate a new toy more then their Downtown, wealthier counterparts. There were a couple of parents who appreciated the offer.
“These are for the kids to play in the house,” said a parent. “They don't take them outside.”
The sale of realistic looking toy guns is already banned throughout the city, and the ones still sold are often made in colors like bright green and orange.
However, the City Council member who proposed the ban say those guns can easily be painted to look like the real thing.
After testifying against a City Council ban on all toy gun sales in the city, the Manhattan branch of the Libertarian Party handed out toy guns to children leaving P.S. 72.
"This is a freedom issue,” said Jim Lesczyski of the Libertarian Party. “This is about kids’ freedom and parents’ freedom to make choices, and not about government interfere with those choices.”
“This law won't save one life. It won't prevent one crime. All it will do will impose unnecessary costs throughout society,” said Libertarian Party member Gary Snyder.
However, parents say the group should leave politics to adults, and stay out of their neighborhood.
“I'm outraged!” screamed one mother of a teacher at P.S. 72. “My daughter is a schoolteacher. What are you going to give them guns for? So they can shoot my child?”
“I don't think they should involve the kids,” said one mother of a student. “The kids come to school, they come to learn, they go home, and they shouldn't involve them. Especially up here, it could be dangerous for our kids. I agree that they shouldn't make toy guns because the kids get too comfortable and they don't think twice about picking up a real one."
“I don't think should do it because today in my class we were reading about what happened, and some kids got shot by police officers for having toy guns,” said a student at P.S. 72.
In 1994, Nicholas Heyward's 13-year-old son Nicholas Jr. was shot and killed by police who mistook his toy shotgun for a real gun as he played outside a Brooklyn housing development. Heyward heard about the Libertarian's event and showed up to protest.
“We do not want toy guns distributed to our children,” Heyward said. “Toy guns should be banned in New York City, period. Too many kids are dying from playing with toy guns.”
Harlem community leaders countered the Libertarians by giving out books and stuffed animals.
“Nice toys like what they gave me are good for the kids,” said a child. “Not play guns – what type of stuff are they teaching us?”
Party members said they took their toy gun drive Uptown because they felt these kids would appreciate a new toy more then their Downtown, wealthier counterparts. There were a couple of parents who appreciated the offer.
“These are for the kids to play in the house,” said a parent. “They don't take them outside.”
The sale of realistic looking toy guns is already banned throughout the city, and the ones still sold are often made in colors like bright green and orange.
However, the City Council member who proposed the ban say those guns can easily be painted to look like the real thing.
