War games are anything but a game

Guns, and the violence they can cause, are not a matter of fun and

games. Toy guns and boys’ seemingly instinctual attraction to them

is. So what happens when an innocent game can potentially do a lot of

harm?

That is the question concerning the war games being played behind

the Newport Aquatic Center by a group of Newport-Mesa boys. These

boys liken their simulated weapons -- airsoft guns -- to the BBs and

Red Ryders of yester-year and say their pastime is not unlike the

time-tested game of cops and robbers.

Of course, boys will be boys, and their love for guns, whether

fashioned out of a stick or die-cast metal meant to look like an

AK-47, transcends generations. But while the simple joy of fighting

the “bad guy” persists, the times in which we live have changed

dramatically.

Evidence of this transformation can be found all around us, be it

in the increased violence on television, in movies or in video games.

The fact that simple toy arms such as BBs and Red Ryders are no

longer appealing --instead replaced by simulated, high-tech assault

weapons that shoot projectiles -- is evidence, itself, of our new and

more aggressive era.

Coincidentally, the Daily Pilot’s feature story on these boys ran

the day after the fifth anniversary of the Columbine massacre, in

which two high school boys wandered through their school shooting

their classmates. It is perhaps the most poignant example of tragic

gun violence.

And because of the murderous acts of a few, society in general is

more aware and more sensitive to the potential for violence among

children, as are our law enforcement officials. Which brings up

another valid concern:

What if a police officer mistook these very realistic airsoft

guns, which are so risky they are only legal to sell to adults, for a

real gun and reacted with the use of deadly force?

Costa Mesa Police Officer Doug Johnson says that is only a matter

of time. Another concern is the effect of plastic pellet casings,

used in these types of toy guns, that litter the Back Bay and cause

environmental damage.

Without pointing a finger at these boys, their actions cannot be

divorced from the environment in which they are living and playing.

Is it really responsible to have camouflaged warriors running around

a public nature preserve, toting replica automatic weapons?

We believe the answer is no.

But we also know we cannot simply shut off boys’ desire to play

with guns. And clearly the airsoft industry is popular. Perhaps a

solution is to create a controlled, recreational environment in which

to play war games or any other high-tech version of cops and robbers.

That way, the message is clear that this is just a game.