Games children play

(From "Toys Are No Joking Matter")

I'm 56 and for 25 years I've been teaching children so I think I know their psychology. I want to take issue with Holger Zscheyge's "What do you think about toy guns?" In his article he wrote: "Our country produces weapons for children's games. I mean toy pistols, submachine guns and such war game as "Sea battles." Of course these weapons are not real. They are made of plastic. Nevertheless, they greatly influence the way children think. Don't children have more interesting games than those arousing a desire to kill one another?"

Children of my generation had no toys. But we used sticks and tree twigs to make toy rifles and automatics and played at war anyway. My peers experienced war firsthand and some fought**.

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* to capitalize on– извлекать выгоду из чего-л.

** My peers experienced war firsthand and some fought. – Мои сверстники испытали войну на себе, и некоторые воевали.

We hate war because we know what it is, but we aren't very worried about toy guns. Toys are not the point.* It's a child's upbringing that counts. Did they become nazis in Germany because they played with toy weapons? They were raised and educated on a planned and efficient basis of Hitler's thugs.

In the 20s and 30s fairy tales were not published in this country. They were thought to distract children from reality. But fairy tales continue to exist and be enjoyed.

So long as there are armies, weapons, military parades and military service, there will be war toys. So long as boys must protect their land, they will play at war.

So we adults should fight against real weapons – not toy guns. This is the only way to save from war, violence and death.

I do agree with Zscheyge on one point. He asks: "Don't children have more interesting games than those arousing a desire to kill one another?" I can only say with bitterness that for boys our toy industry offers no other toys. Visit any children's shop and you will see plastic and metal pistols, submachine guns and tanks. Nothing else. So parents have a very limited choice.

Assignments:

1. Look through the text and in a few sentences say what it is about.

2. Read the article again and say which point of view youagree with. Speakon your own pointof view on the issue.

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* Toys are not the point. - Дело не в игрушках.