BANG! BANG! (not in my house)

I've been hesitant to write this blog because I want to write it in a way that does not offend anyone.  That is something I have a hard time doing lately.
I tend to do things in a nontraditional manner.  And I happen to be opinionated.  The combination often makes people angry.  Since I'm doing something differently I must be suggesting that what others are doing is wrong.  Read into it what you will.  I'll do my best....

I was initially thrilled when I found out I was pregnant with a boy.  Eric and I were hoping for a son.  We were talking about 'Baby Rocco' long before we were even married.
But after I gave it some more thought I started to worry....
How was I going raise a boy?  Boys like baseball and...guns.

Guns.
I don't have very strong opinions about them.  I'm not educated enough about how they are regulated.  But I do know that guns are not toys.
Which leads me to the dilemma....How do I raise a boy who doesn't play with guns?
I know moms who insists that boys are born to make gun noises and when they learn how to use their fingers they turn their thumb and forefinger into a gun.  People wish me 'good luck' when I say I'm going to do my best to avoid it.
I was searching for information about children and guns and came across a blog another mother wrote about her reaction to the recent tragedy in Colorado.  She wrote that while she knows that all boys who play with guns do not grow up to murder people she does not believe allowing them to think they are toys can be all that great either.  One of the responses was from a man who said that toys as guns reinforce that life isn't precious.
That's it.
That sums it up right there.
And for me that holds true for not only other people but for animals as well.
I don't want Rocco to kill things.  I don't want him to shoot things.  Because shooting does lead to death.  And I don't think that should be treated as 'fun' or a 'game'.

Life is precious.  Accidents happen.  Children get into their parents desk drawer and blow off their heads.  Kids take guns to school and shoot classmates.
And you can give me all of that "Guns don't kill people, people kill people" crap.  I'm not budging.

Thankfully, Eric is on board with this.  We recently spent some time with a few little boys who were pretending to kill each other.  While we were reading to Rocco before bed and talking about all of the things we want for him in life Eric turned to me and said, 'Yeah...I'm not into all of that violent stuff.  I don't want him to play those games'.

I don't think that guns cause children to become murderers.  But.....I do not want to send a message to Rocco that death is fun.  I don't want him to think that 'killing' is OK.  

Bowling for Columbine is one of my favorite films.  I love Michael Moore and I think the movie is important for people to see.  The security camera footage from that horrible day really gets to me.   I can't help but think that once upon a time those two young men were little boys pointing their forefinger gun at some one saying, "I just killed you".