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This Christmas American retailer JCPenny is marketing a set of toys that is unambiguously
violent
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In
the closing section of his book, On
Killing, Lt. Col. Dave Grossman details the process by
which American culture is quickly overcoming people’s innate
instinct not to kill their fellow human beings. In his assessment,
desensitization of children is particularly problematic, with
video games, television, films and other influences all working to
make children more prone to committing acts of violence.
That
America is a violent place is indeed a fact of life; just ask
Michael Moore, whose latest film Bowling
for Columbine graphically characterizes violence and
killing in American culture as a function of a type of
pathological fear of the “other”. What is most frightening
about this culture of fear and killing is that it is being
fostered at the youngest of ages through the most innocent of
means: toys.
This
Christmas, kids across the United States will wake up to open
neatly wrapped toys from their parents; and if JCPenny has
anything to say about what presents show up under the Christmas
tree, then this year, American kids will be learning to kill.
That
is a fairly weighty accusation to level against one of America’s
most recognizable retailers. But the fact of the matter is that
JCPenny is hawking some unambiguously violent products this
Christmas.
Consider
the Bazooka
and Walkie Talkie Set, which retails for $24.99. In the
aftermath of the attempted downing of an Israeli airliner in Kenya
by individuals using shoulder mounted rocket launchers, some have
taken to referring to such weaponry as a “weapon of mass
destruction” – and rightly so. Had the attacks been
successful, there would have been a large number of civilian
casualties. So if these weapons are so dangerous, why would
JCPenny want to put a toy replica of one in the hands of a
5-year-old?
The
description of the Bazooka and Walkie Talkie Set sheds even more
light on this “toy”:
Bazooka
extends from 23" to 29" long. Features explosion and
bazooka sounds and has 3 voice messages. 2 channel walkie talkies
have adjustable headband with real-time communication, static free
transmission and can be used within a 250 to 300 foot open area
range.
So
just like the real thing, the replica telescopes. Additionally,
kids become accustomed to the sounds of war; and to complete the
package, they are able to communicate with their co-conspirators
at a range of 300 feet.
Maybe
more shocking than JCPenny’s bazooka is its Forward
Command Post action figure set, which retails for $44.99. This
package comprises a soldier figurine outfitted in battle gear as
well as a range of miniature weaponry that includes a rocket
launcher, a mortar launcher, a 50mm machine gun replica,
camouflage netting, ammunition boxes and other tools of the trade.
But what truly takes this toy set beyond the pale of acceptability
is the fact that all the aforementioned items are strategically
placed throughout a bombed out house, with the soldier standing
vigilantly atop what used to be some family’s balcony.
The
50mm machine gun sits in the downstairs of the house on top of an
oriental rug. Was this formerly a family sitting room where guests
were entertained? In an adjacent room, another machine gun along
with other supplies sit atop a checkered quilt. Was this where
people used to sleep? Upstairs there is a table and chair set with
grenades, maps and a canteen strewn across the table.
The
advertising copy for the Forward Command Post reads:
Take
command of your soldiers from this fully outfitted battle zone.
75-piece set includes one 11½"H figurine in military combat
gear, toy weapons, American flag, chairs and more.
Since
when were children taught that people’s homes represented a
“battle zone”?
Recommended
for children age 5 and older, the Forward Command Post apparently
gives kids a realistic – albeit miniature – preview of what
urban combat in the 21st century is like, where U.S.
soldiers storm into houses and commandeer those residences for the
purpose of creating strategic outposts.
Is
this really what 5-year-olds need to be learning? Additionally,
what messages do such toys send?
If
one thinks back to the Al-Qaeda videos shown after American troops
invaded Afghanistan, there were several that included footage of
children making speeches and exercising. In one instance, there
was video aired that showed a bearded man target shooting at a
madrasa, or religious school, while a group of children observed.
The
message sent by the media’s airing of this footage was clear:
Al-Qaeda and other militant groups indoctrinate their children at
the earliest of ages to be violent little killers. This message
assumes that in America there is no similar cultural
indoctrination of children. That is simply not true; and thanks to
JCPenny, kids this Christmas will get a healthy dose of
America’s own violent tendencies.
Although
war-related toys have long been used in many cultures, JCPenny’s
latest stab at children’s play and entertainment seems a bit
extreme. Only time will tell what psychological effects such
playthings have on kids.
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