A Good Example of How Things Have Changed

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Quigley_Sharps, Apr 24, 2008.


  1. Quigley_Sharps

    Quigley_Sharps The Badministrator Administrator Founding Member

    Look at this old commercial.
    http://youtube.com/watch?v=BuvqPMWv8YU

    Can you imagine the shitstorm that a toy like this would cause in today's media and government?

    Changes in the public's perception and opinions about guns have been deliberate, calculated, and most notably - g-r-a-d-u-a-l.

    When you look back 3-5 years at a time, you see shades of grey with no clear breaks in the ways people think towards firearms and their purposes.
    When you jump back 40 years however, there is much black and white and the changes are painfully obvious.

    Guns are just one example of how changes can be amortized over several generations to take the sharp edges off of them and thus reduce resistance. Given enough time and the right of amount misdirection, you can shove pretty much anything up somebody's ass without them so much as flinching.

    Our liberties and freedoms are as much, if not more in jeopardy from domestic threats as they are from foreign enemies.
    As our power-hungry government bows to the pressures of minority voices, because the silent majority is out there working and keeping the machine going, our security, freedoms, morals, and very existence are legislated into oblivion.

    all that from a toy commercial
    good day
     
  2. Tracy

    Tracy Insatiably Curious Moderator Founding Member

    COOL!!! I want a Johnny Seven OMA!


    I think it's sad how things have changed.

    Just the other day, in the toy section, a little boy was picking up and "testing" several different guns and his dad (not mom, but dad!) said "What are the rules about toys, son?" The kid (sounding like dad had just kicked his puppy) "No guns."

    Gee, I hope dad is watching out for any ill-shaped sticks, so junior won't accidentally play with them, either.


    So much to say... none of it nice.
     
  3. monkeyman

    monkeyman Monkey+++ Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    How about the absolute hell that would be unleashed if they did the 'bycicle guns' today. My uncle has one he got just like most, the school or some other group would do seed sales or magazine sales when he was a kid and if you rode your bike around and sold enouph of them you could get a .22 bolt action single shot rifle as a prize. Commonly handed out to early grade schoold kids back in what the 50s or so. Can you just imagine if a company doing fund raisers in the schools was passing out rifles to 8 year olds now.
     
  4. BigO01

    BigO01 Monkey+++ Founding Member

    Well Personally I see all of the changes as a mixed bag in the last decade anyway .

    On one hand you have the silliness of stores not selling so much as a cap or water gun but on the other look at how many States now have some sort of "Shall Issue" Carry Concealed Law on their books ?

    First they tried to outlaw so much as the image of a gun and now they have been forced to admit the usefulness and even necessity of one .

    If all we do is move away from the "It's just a toy" mentality "that is the the root of unsafe gun handling in my opinion" to a realistic approach of understanding that yes guns are Dangerous when handled improperly and or by a criminal I think we have actually made progress .

    Yes I know it is insane to do away with a cap gun where a child's only targets are imaginary Indians or whatever but then again we must be honest and fess up to some of the dumb and dangerous things we did with BB guns .

    I can think of dozens of BB gun Wars when I was a child as well as using the kids archery sets with rubber tipped arrows and darts .

    On more than one occasion play was stopped because someone was shot somewhere no one intended to hit them and they were hurt yet fortunately not permanently in an eye .

    How many States do we now have a Castle Doctrine Law enacted that even back in the 50's would have never been considered by the States legislature yet guns and self defense were considered no brainers back then ?

    Also consider the fact that "playing" with guns or practicing if you will at shooting each other in a "Safe" way , as with paint ball is far more excepted in society than even BB guns were . Why because the proper way to "play" at war with a paint ball gun is with the correct padding and eye protection VS just running around shooting each other with a BB completely unprotected . They didn't sell blow up obstacle courses or "Cover" if you will , to shoot each other with BB guns yet they do for Paint ballers , and I think it is nationwide .

    Not always but sometimes things will "work out in the wash" as they say and the toy gun thing is one that seems to be doing just that even if slowly .
     
  5. Seawolf1090

    Seawolf1090 Retired Curmudgeonly IT Monkey Founding Member

    I remember wanting that thing when I was young!

    There's also the one on the right about the "Tiger Joe" remote controlled tank - that I did have! But Mom would not let me use the white talcum powder for the spring-loaded main gun! She feared (and rightly so!) I would make a real mess! :lol:
     
  6. ozarkgoatman

    ozarkgoatman Resident goat herder

    Dad never let any of us to have BB guns. 22's, shotguns, muzzle loaders they were ok but no BB guns. Why? Just for the reasons you stated they were toys and his boys were not going to treat a gun like a toy. It must have some merit because he had 3 boys and none of us shot our eye out. :lol:

    OGM
     
  7. RevBushmaster

    RevBushmaster When in doubt use more C4

    I think that government is not the biggest evil out there its the people who let it be by doing nothing to stop it from being the biggest evil.

    ; {>
     
  8. RouteClearance

    RouteClearance Monkey+++

    Have to agree with the Rev. on this.
     
  9. RVM45

    RVM45 Monkey+++

    .....That brought back some memories. I had both a Johnny Seven; and a Tiger Joe when I was little. I had a great deal of fun with them.

    .....RVM45 [chopper]
     
  10. ozarkgoatman

    ozarkgoatman Resident goat herder

    Couldn't agree more. [beer]

    OGM
     
  11. E.L.

    E.L. Moderator of Lead Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    I would have killed for a gun like that when I was a kid. When I was little, I was fascinated by all guns. My best toys were guns. One year for Christmas my folks spent a bunch of money and bought me this big train set. I never played with it, I was out back trying to kill birds with my pellet rifle. Whenever I went another boy's birthday party, I always picked out a toy gun for them as a present, because of course that is the toy that I wanted. I am still afflicted with this fascination today, but now the toys are so much more expensive.
     
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