TOY GUN CONTROL on parade: New York fines retailers $300K for selling TOY guns to NY residents

(NaturalNews) Even avid Second Amendment supporters understand the need for some reasonable restrictions regarding the ownership and carrying of firearms, but a great many restrictions that are currently being imposed by a number of jurisdictions are not just anti-gun in general, but absurd in practice.

Such as New York City's policy of regulating even toy guns.

As reported by the Washington Free Beacon, the progressive authoritarians who run the Big Apple are forcing online retailer Amazon, brick-and-mortar retail giant Walmart and others to pay more than $300,000 for sales of toy guns.

The fine – er, "settlement" – is the result of an investigation by the state's Attorney General office, where officials sent letters in December instructing the retailers to cease and desist because they were in violation of strict laws regarding children's toys.

"State law prohibits the sale of imitation guns in realistic colors such as black, blue, silver, or aluminum, unless it has a non-removable one-inch-wide orange stripe running down both sides of the barrel and the front end of the barrel," said said a letter from Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman. In NYC, all toy guns have to be neon-colored.

Walmart: statewide ban

Retailers targeted by the state AG's office included Walmart, Amazon, K-Mart, Sears and ToyArsenal.com. The settlement was announced August 3, and will entail "collective civil penalties of more than $300,000," according to The New York Times.

No word yet on whether NYC or the state of New York plans to ban books and magazines and television shows that mention or feature guns – or toy guns.

Because of the forced settlement, ToyArsenal.com has placed a disclaimer on its site that reads: "New York Residents, Your State Now Prohibits The Sale of Toy Guns. Any NY Toy Gun Order will be cancelled." The company sells a "BIG Futuristic Electronic Machine Pistol," a cap gun in the shape of an Israeli Uzi, and a toy grenade launching bazooka.

The NY AG office said officials were troubled by their findings during there investigation into toy guns.

"Some of the toy guns discovered during the investigation are advertised as 'realistic looking' and 'full size,'" the office said. "Since they lack the orange striping down both sides of the barrel as required under state law, these imitation assault rifles, shotguns, and pistols closely resemble dangerous weapons, and could be easily mistaken for real weapons by law enforcement and civilians alike."

NY officials say the ban on non-neon toy guns is due to deaths in the past related to realistic looking toys. The AG blamed four deaths over the past 18 years in NYC on toy guns.

Here's an idea: Don't point toy guns at cops

"When toy guns are mistaken for real guns, there can be tragic consequences," said Schneiderman. "New York State law is clear: retailers cannot put children and law enforcement at risk by selling toy guns that are virtually indistinguishable from the real thing."

Walmart has been in the state Attorney General's crosshairs before over the sale of toy guns. According to the AG's office, that investigation into in-store sales of such toys resulted in a court order that prohibited the retail giant from selling toy guns in the state, period.

But, as the AG's office noted in its press release announcing the settlement:

It now appears that those sales have moved to the online marketplace. This new investigation reveals that many prohibited toy guns, priced from less than $10 to as much as several hundred dollars, can be easily purchased online and shipped into the state. The recent investigation also uncovered that at least one retailer is selling illegal toy guns in its stores.

It's understandable that police could be, and have been, fooled by toy guns. But perhaps a better solution is to teach children not to point them at officers rather than ban them altogether, which seems to be "The Solution" to everything a progressive leftist disagrees with.

Read about other ridiculous gun control laws at GunControl.FETCH.news

Sources:

FreeBeacon.com

AG.NY.gov

NYTimes.com