In the news today it is reported that the City of Cleveland responded to the Tamir Rice lawsuit by saying the “boy’s death was caused because of his own actions.” The city has yet to give much other detail because it says it needs more time, essentially. So we can only surmise, based on what we know about the incident, that those actions in question would the act of having a toy gun on his young child-self.
What will the city defense rest on I wonder? The risk that it was a real gun being wielded by a child-sociopath was too great that it had to be: shoot first and ask questions later? Especially in this dangerous environment where criminals are still Americans that get to exercise their god-given right to carry a gun? (“It’s their right dammit! And that gives me the right to shoot them!”)
Since we know that it is pointless and quixotic to argue against this most important of the Bill of Rights Amendments – we must all be able to have as many, type, make and model guns as we want - I say, switch tactics. Let’s ban the sale of toy non-lethal guns everywhere. That way the families of the victims can’t sue and point out that the officer was clearly not in any danger whatsoever.
It, of course, this is for the people too. It’s a win-win! Citizens with more melanin in their skin don’t have to fear for their children’s lives as the kids emulate their favorite heroes with guns (probably cops judging by most of the storylines on television since the dawn of time). And our men in blue – at least the most trigger-happy ones - can rest assured that a brandished weapon will always be real and loaded and they can fire at will. The job is all about self-preservation, isn’t it?
And the NRA can’t be upset over this movement, can they? They aren’t really guns – they aren’t designed and manufactured to kill. It would be the equivalent of bankers opposed to regulations that didn’t really prevent another future economic collapse.
So… New cause! We will sign petitions of manufacturers, we will lobby to have toy gun depositories at grocery stores, we will do what it takes to eradicate the toy guns in the nation because, like any plastic molds of weapons really (the Mattel knives, swords and arrows) they are bad influences on children. Let’s protect our children – ban all plastic toy weapons!
9:10 PM PT: