General Discussion

HereSince1628

(36,063 posts)

39. Crossman models the gun to look real...that's basic to the jingoism

Fri Aug 8, 2014, 07:29 AM

Aug 2014

that surrounds firearms. Children want to "play army" to emulate adult "heroes" and apparently gun buyers are attracted to shooting military-styled weapons.

A bb gun needn't look like something it isn't. The picture in the article shows it has a flash suppressor, vented barrel-guard and what looks like a standard issue removable magazine. Those are purposeful features that are intended to make a bb gun look like something it is not.

Introduce the distortions introduced by fear, which might be amplified by racial biases or by aggressive appearing yet playful behavior of the person carrying it or both, and disaster ensues.

This is not the first time this has happened with 'a toy gun'. Consequently the risk are known, and -should- be anticipated by the manufacturer and the retailer.

It seems to me there is room to argue that Crossman and Walmart acted with indifference to the known risk of producing and retailing an item purposefully designed to have a deceptive appearance, an appearance the public and police consider to be a military 'assault' style look.

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Police fatally shoot man holding an air rifle in Walmart toy aisle [View all] LiberalElite Aug 2014 OP

Unbelievable. What the @#$%? MannyGoldstein Aug 2014 #1

Every inch of Walmart stores is likely video recorded. Hoppy Aug 2014 #2

I thought you had to shoot someone restrained in an ambulance for the instant promotion? DireStrike Aug 2014 #3

And a bonus if the cameras littlemissmartypants Aug 2014 #5

Or if the suspect is handcuffed on his belly unconscious Tsiyu Aug 2014 #6

I heard that the Officer who shot the young man.... FarPoint Aug 2014 #34

they have the video. savalez Aug 2014 #15

This message was self-deleted by its author avebury Aug 2014 #100

Sounds like one of those "Blam! Blam! Blam! Blam! Blam! Blam! Blam! Blam! Blam!..... Spitfire of ATJ Aug 2014 #4

It certainly seems like that happens a lot. NutmegYankee Aug 2014 #53

Yay, Cops! Iggo Aug 2014 #7

l'm bad at this... ReRe Aug 2014 #8

Hmmm... linuxman Aug 2014 #9

It was a TOY gun! ReRe Aug 2014 #16

Yes, they should BrotherIvan Aug 2014 #19

That's an excellent idea... ReRe Aug 2014 #21

Or no guns BrotherIvan Aug 2014 #22

That's right... ReRe Aug 2014 #25

Are air rifles considered toys? marshall Aug 2014 #68

Nobody but a gun nut would give it to their kid, I agree. n/t ReRe Aug 2014 #92

no air rifles are not toys and many look like real guns rollin74 Aug 2014 #95

Yes and No FreeManNYC Aug 2014 #111

it wasnt a toy gun though Mosby Aug 2014 #70

It was sold in the toy isle, evidently ReRe Aug 2014 #91

They outlawed candy cigarettes being marketed to children, shouldn't they outlaw BB guns Dustlawyer Aug 2014 #87

Absolutely! n/t ReRe Aug 2014 #90

Outlaw toy guns absolutely not! FreeManNYC Aug 2014 #112

Why have toy guns become such a problem... ReRe Aug 2014 #113

Children are also mostly unsupervised marshall Aug 2014 #115

Neglect is so cruel... ReRe Aug 2014 #116

So then no one should open carry Politicalboi Aug 2014 #27

+ a zillion Thank you! truebluegreen Aug 2014 #102

Read post 11 Quackers Aug 2014 #12

Thanks! ReRe Aug 2014 #17

And that makes the cop's actions okay how? I guess Wal-Mart should just valerief Aug 2014 #13

Hello? ReRe Aug 2014 #18

Sorry if I misunderstood. These stories piss me off, too. valerief Aug 2014 #42

Actually the warrior cop thing is associated with the war on drugs. NutmegYankee Aug 2014 #75

This message was self-deleted by its author KittyWampus Aug 2014 #117

But... Sparhawk60 Aug 2014 #38

Sadly... ReRe Aug 2014 #40

The woman should be charged yeoman6987 Aug 2014 #55

Open Carry is permitted in Ohio exboyfil Aug 2014 #10

My wife's cousin was the woman that died there. Quackers Aug 2014 #11

So sorry to hear that BrotherIvan Aug 2014 #23

I went back and read.... ReRe Aug 2014 #24

I don't think you should post that info. I would self-delete that out of respect cui bono Aug 2014 #74

It's all over the news locally. FarPoint Aug 2014 #82

I'm so very sorry for your loss. FarPoint Aug 2014 #30

"He didn't really want to be looked at and when people did look at him, he was pointing the gun jtuck004 Aug 2014 #14

he was threatening people in the store with this "toy" TorchTheWitch Aug 2014 #20

My guess Egnever Aug 2014 #33

/thread Separation Aug 2014 #37

If there was a panic, it was incited by those two 'concerned' citizens BklnDem75 Aug 2014 #41

I agree. savalez Aug 2014 #54

George Zimmerman packaging... FarPoint Aug 2014 #86

What you say makes a hell of a lot of sense. Number23 Aug 2014 #97

The full story comes out LittleBlue Aug 2014 #48

Wow, you believe the report hook line and sinker. savalez Aug 2014 #52

Good post. cwydro Aug 2014 #83

Many customers in the store. FarPoint Aug 2014 #114

Careful RandySF Aug 2014 #26

Oh, not at all. Please do continue. Many views. nt Eleanors38 Aug 2014 #98

Incitement by a the couple who called 911...overreaction by cops KeepItReal Aug 2014 #28

The guy who called 911 is ex military.... FarPoint Aug 2014 #29

Ex military who couldn't tell the difference between a toy and real gun? BklnDem75 Aug 2014 #35

He thinks he is a hero. FarPoint Aug 2014 #36

Crossman models the gun to look real...that's basic to the jingoism HereSince1628 Aug 2014 #39

it wasn't a toy, it was an air rifle rollin74 Aug 2014 #72

It's sold in the toy area and not behind a counter. FarPoint Aug 2014 #84

I thought the gun the victim was holding was from Wal-Mart, that he picked it up in the store? cui bono Aug 2014 #76

He did not bring the toy gun into the store. FarPoint Aug 2014 #80

he was waving it Niceguy1 Aug 2014 #31

According to one source Beaverhausen Aug 2014 #46

My grandson is black gwheezie Aug 2014 #32

Not only do I expect them to be able to liberalhistorian Aug 2014 #43

I didn't play with toy guns a lot as a kid justiceischeap Aug 2014 #45

This fits here, too libodem Aug 2014 #44

Oh, that is perfect! liberalhistorian Aug 2014 #47

Do you not have a Facebook page? cui bono Aug 2014 #77

A police officer told me, in the last few weeks, nilesobek Aug 2014 #49

Well it was the suggestion of many of people here on this site. dilby Aug 2014 #51

what a surprise, when the government puts ads out begging people "see something, say something". unblock Aug 2014 #57

There was an open carry, call 911 movement NutmegYankee Aug 2014 #79

I'd call it the inevitable result of open carrying... truebluegreen Aug 2014 #103

I chimed in because people were attacking the person who called police as a racist. NutmegYankee Aug 2014 #105

OK. truebluegreen Aug 2014 #110

I heard a report on the radio this morning......... BronxBoy Aug 2014 #59

Yes. Good points all. nilesobek Aug 2014 #61

I am pretty sure they don't have BB Guns in the toy aisle. dilby Aug 2014 #50

Wrong, they are in an isle. savalez Aug 2014 #93

Thanks for proving my point. dilby Aug 2014 #94

Oh that's right! savalez Aug 2014 #96

Just what happened to the Federal Mandate on orange tips??? Historic NY Aug 2014 #56

It's complicated pokerfan Aug 2014 #71

Airsoft guns are toys. Pellet rifles are not. NutmegYankee Aug 2014 #81

Here is a picture of the air rifle in question Lurks Often Aug 2014 #58

NOT a toy gun. It is a real air rifle that fires lead pellets. MineralMan Aug 2014 #62

And where did I say it was a toy gun? Lurks Often Aug 2014 #63

I neither said nor implied that you called it a toy. MineralMan Aug 2014 #64

It certainly came across that way Lurks Often Aug 2014 #66

Well, you certainly interpreted it that way. MineralMan Aug 2014 #69

This was NOT a toy gun, sadly. MineralMan Aug 2014 #60

Aren't these usually boxed up??? BronxBoy Aug 2014 #65

Yes, of course they are. MineralMan Aug 2014 #67

Other links on the local site stated that he didn't have it when he entered, and NutmegYankee Aug 2014 #78

Cops are the most dangerous people in America (nt) Inkfreak Aug 2014 #73

I've handled unboxed pellet guns in Walmart before NickB79 Aug 2014 #85

pic of rifle (from article) yodermon Aug 2014 #88

Officer's "second" shooting victim in 5 years CincyDem Aug 2014 #89

WE WORK FOR YOU!! DiverDave Aug 2014 #99

Walmart should be forced to post a warning: avebury Aug 2014 #101

And they should put orange tips on the muzzles of toy guns marshall Aug 2014 #104

Pellet rifles can't have orange tips. NutmegYankee Aug 2014 #106

Pellet air rifles are not toy guns. MineralMan Aug 2014 #107

Look at the velocities on these in the newpaper photo NutmegYankee Aug 2014 #108

Some air rifles do generate that kind of velocity. MineralMan Aug 2014 #109