Keeping the streets safe from the scourge of foam bullets.

[funkfool]

Keeping the streets safe from the scourge of foam bullets.

(Buffalo News) — This was a different kind of gun buyback program.

The guns being bought back from the streets weren’t 9 mm handguns or Glocks. Instead, they were Nerf guns or toy pistols.

And they weren’t being bought with cash. This time, the currency was pizza slices, notebooks and dress shirts.

The FATHERS group and Bona Pizza teamed up Monday for a buyback aimed at younger teens and preteens at the pizzeria at Bailey and Kensington avenues.

The idea was simple: Don’t let kids get used to firing weapons, even if they’re toys.

“It makes them too comfortable, holding that gun,” said Leonard Lane, president of Fathers Armed Together to Help, Educate, Restore and Save. “Then there’s no fear holding the real gun when they get older. We want to put that fear back into our children, teaching them what guns can do, how they affect their community.”

“A toy gun today, a real gun tomorrow,” said Charles Cina, owner of Bona Pizza. “That’s what we want to stop.”

So kids such as Tarence Callaham, 14, a Buffalo ninth-grader, brought in his green and orange Nerf gun. In return, Tarence got a piece of pepperoni pizza, a snazzy dress shirt and the chance to shoot some hoops in the pizzeria parking lot.

“I learned that you shouldn’t have guns and stuff,” Tarence said. “It gives kids an education not to play with bad things.”

Tynell Ruffins, 9, a fourth-grader at Community Charter School, got a bigger haul in return for his orange and black Nerf gun. He got the pizza, a soft drink, a notebook, a dress shirt and a Marvel Heroes folder.

Keep reading… (http://www.buffalonews.com/city/communities/east-side/article546659.ece)

[Scanker19]

I'll give up all my Garands for a DRESS SHIRT!!!!!!!!!!!!!FUCK YEAH!!!!!


So 21-12-12 huh?

[DOC]

Really? Really!

[Scanker19]

“I learned that you shouldn’t have guns and stuff,” Tarence said.

Is that like "a rock or something"[ROFL1]

[stevelkinevil]

Wow my sons would find this outright laughable. There is only one way for children to learn how serious the handling of weapons is, and that is learning the about them, direct hands on education and instruction. Remember when you were a kid? what really intrigued you? the mystery. Take the mystery out you take away the fascination. All these morons have done is add to the mystery of firearms for these kids, and worst of all with no education other than "they're bad mmmmkay" .

[Byte Stryke]

it was later reported that a group of kids came along and held the parents and kids at gunpoint and took all of their shit.
The parents, being afraid of tools of defense, cowered in fear behind their Children.
Police arrived shortly after the event was over and took reports.



[/sarcasm]

[brianakell]

Wow my sons would find this outright laughable. There is only one way for children to learn how serious the handling of weapons is, and that is learning the about them, direct hands on education and instruction. Remember when you were a kid? what really intrigued you? the mystery. Take the mystery out you take away the fascination. All these morons have done is add to the mystery of firearms for these kids, and worst of all with no education other than "they're bad mmmmkay" .

Real statistics must really boggle the feeble minded, first link is best:
http://www.watchsonomacounty.com/2011/08/cities/police-allow-children-to-handle-guns-at-fair/

http://reason.com/archives/2002/11/01/gun-controls-twisted-outcome

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_violence_in_the_United_States

http://www.gunblast.com/Gun_Facts.htm

[cstone]

Trade in your "bad" Nerf guns for the latest version of Call of Duty. Virtual guns are fun. Real guns are bad. Virtual violence is cool. Real violence is evil.

Those poor kids. This story reminds me that I need to take my kids out shooting again real soon. Thanks for the reminder. [Coffee]

[KevDen2005]

I'll give up all my Garands for a DRESS SHIRT!!!!!!!!!!!!!FUCK YEAH!!!!!


So 21-12-12 huh?

Sweet, I got a crapload of shirts for you...I'll throw in a slice of pizza...I'll PM you with my address...

[KevDen2005]

Is that like "a rock or something"[ROFL1]


Yes, yes it is something...perfectly safe to lean against

[Guylee]

I grew up in a no toy guns=fear of real guns household.

My membership in this site should be proof enough of how that worked out.

[mcantar18c]

Is that like "a rock or something"[ROFL1]

I have a sudden urge to make an MRE bomb [Coffee]

[alxone]

i know when i was a kid you could not pry the toy gun out of my hand and deferentially not for some frikin pizza .

[BuffCyclist]

So kids such as Tarence Callaham, 14, a Buffalo ninth-grader, brought in his green and orange Nerf gun. In return, Tarence got a piece of pepperoni pizza, a snazzy dress shirt and the chance to shoot some hoops in the pizzeria parking lot.

Tynell Ruffins, 9, a fourth-grader at Community Charter School, got a bigger haul in return for his orange and black Nerf gun. He got the pizza, a soft drink, a notebook, a dress shirt and a Marvel Heroes folder.

All I took away from this is that the orange/black Nerf guns are more valuable than the green/orange Nerf guns.

I mean that first kid got totally robbed! He traded a nerf gun for a "chance" to shoot some hoops in the parking lot?! Did they hold a raffle and give him a ticket, saying if he's lucky and his number is called, he'll get to shoot hoops in the pizzeria parking lot?! OMGOMGOMG I MUST win that NOWWWWW!!! Its a once in a lifetime opportunity!!

At least the second kid knows how to bargain.

Disappointing for sure, what we need to be doing is teaching more kids about how to safely operate real guns, starting with airsoft and then moving them onto .22lrs. A good friend of mine who I go offroading with, has a young son and his son only gets to take the airsoft gun when they go camping, granted his dad carries a G23 all the time while camping. But it still helped him to learn when/where and how to safely choose a safe spot to shoot!

[Ranger]

These stupid liberal ideas never cease to boggle my mind. Yes, it will be a wonderful day when our entire country is a bunch of pacifists like the libtarts want us to be - won't that be great? Professional training to be a pussy.

[SuperiorDG]

Hell my two boys (4 and 6) make guns out of potato chips. It is something inherent in boys. Taking those toys will only stimulate their imaginations. They would probably make a gun out of the pizza crust.

[strm_trpr]

I was that kid growing up in a gun free house, in the beginning my mom tried to keep toy guns out, when I made one out of a stick she gave up, now I am here and have enough weapons to justify a safe.....this approach so works!

[Byte Stryke]

Please read the entire post before flaming.


Ideally, I would love to live in a world where violence and the threat of violence was not a constant. I would love to live in a world where a gun was not a necessity. This would remove any potential threat from my family. I Have no delusions that I will not be harmed if there is a confrontation. Violence is violent... and not avoidable by closing my eyes to the truth.

However, I understand that the dream is just a dream, we live in a violent world in which the citizen must be armed and is responsible for his own defense.

[newracer]

My boys have enough Nerf guns to get the whole pizza place.

They also have real guns.

They also know the difference.

One fo the first things I did with my sons and also with several other new shooters is have them shoot a target that is very reactive, like cans of soda. That way they can see just how much damage a real gun can do.

[JackImpact]

We need to teach kids that driving cars is dangerous, Matchbox today, a Mazda tomorrow.

[SA Friday]

Is that like "a rock or something"[ROFL1]

That ther ain't a rock. It's a Palenistinian firearm [Tooth].

[DOC]

I think this is taking advantage of stupid children. I'm sure you could get a whole pizza or two for the price of a nerf gun.

[Big Wall]

I hope those Nerf guns were destroyed once they were confiscated.[ROFL3]

[hollohas]

The nerf guns these days are way cooler than they used to be...I almost buy them every time I'm in Target or something...not for my kid, but for ME.

http://www.hasbro.com/common/productimages/en_US/8f98e67c19b9f36910e2316341795474/8F9CD7C119B9F369101EB778B508C57B.jpg

http://www.hasbro.com/common/productimages/en_US/010de7565056900b108048748468adcd/0574C2125056900B102D497C08DBBE85.jpg

http://www.hasbro.com/common/productimages/en_US/941833626d4010148bf09efbf894f9d4/67025D7AD56FE1124767F55C7D9D5193.jpg

http://www.hasbro.com/common/productimages/en_US/5c7a77e619b9f36910f751414df5a649/5C8065CD19B9F3691055F16385F4B1AC.jpg

http://www.hasbro.com/common/productimages/en_US/42aedc6d19b9f3691031ad3032c78861/42B3673519B9F369107C74018D57F3FB.jpg

http://www.hasbro.com/common/productimages/en_US/5c866ba219b9f369108829dd6a10762b/2F6B100619B9F3691087D6EDF24F8DD0.jpg

http://www.hasbro.com/common/images/products/898601553552_Main400.jpg

[newracer]

You can modify them too. Add more batteries to get the fire rate higher.

[MattR]

it was later reported that a group of kids came along and held the parents and kids at gunpoint and took all of their shit.
The parents, being afraid of tools of defense, cowered in fear behind their Children.
Police arrived shortly after the event was over and took reports.



[/sarcasm]


[ROFL1]

[jonnyd49]

Is that like "a rock or something"[ROFL1]


Glad I wasn't drinking a beverage when I read that. [ROFL1]

[hammer03]

Fathers Armed Together to Help, Educate, Restore and Save.

que?

[glockedandloaded]

Please read the entire post before flaming.


Ideally, I would love to live in a world where violence and the threat of violence was not a constant. I would love to live in a world where a gun was not a necessity. This would remove any potential threat from my family. I Have no delusions that I will not be harmed if there is a confrontation. Violence is violent... and not avoidable by closing my eyes to the truth.

However, I understand that the dream is just a dream, we live in a violent world in which the citizen must be armed and is responsible for his own defense.

Frickin Democrat ! [Rant1]

/sarcasm

[Drilldov2.0]

Just wow.

My brother and his wife have a strict no gun policy even though he grew up hunting and she grew up on a ranch. Their son is not allowed to play with nerf guns around them.

That is where the evil uncle in me comes in. I bought all the kids nerf guns last Christmas and we have had some great battles.

We also have training/ marksmanship time where the toy turns into a teaching tool.

They will all get real firearms training when they are old enough. Already have my cousin and his wife on board even though she was very anti at first. (Hard to explain to the kids why they can't shoot when they have me come over with a pellet gun to rid the yard of squirrels and rabbits.)