Are Kinders more dangerous than guns?
Won’t someone please think of the children?
I don’t understand the gun mentality in the US. I try to be empathetic, to see it from the other perspective. But I can’t. The only perspective I can see is that of the parents and children whose lives have been ripped apart by gun violence and easy access to guns. I read the suggestions from the NRA and others that the solution lies in arming yet more of their citizens and I am fearful for the future of America’s children.
Last night, Charlie brought home a little treat for me and for Little Man – a Kinder Surprise each. That delicious chocolately Kinder egg, with a little toy inside. A favourite from my childhood, and a growing favourite for Little Man. And I couldn’t help but shake my head as I looked at my Kinder and thought “How is it possible that I could be fined for attempting to bring a Kinder egg into the US because of the danger it poses to child safety – and yet when I spent a few months in Colorado back in 1999, shortly after the Columbine High massacre, there were guns openly available for sale in my local Walmart?” Are Kinder Surprises really more dangerous than guns?
There’s no doubt they pose a choking hazard to the under 3’s. According to Wikipedia, there have been two recorded fatalities worldwide due to choking on pieces of the toys in Kinder eggs. I don’t mean to belittle what a tragedy that must have been for the families of those children. But to put it in perspective, Kinders have been available for sale since 1973. How many children worldwide have died from gun-related incidents in that time? Too many to count?
So I just don’t get it. How can a country be so fearful of injury to its children that it would deny them access to the exquisite childhood joy that is a Kinder Surprise, and yet so many in that same country seem totally blinkered as to the inherent danger to their children of such a liberal gun policy? I don’t think I’ll ever understand it. Give me the right to eat Kinder eggs any day over the second amendment.
Such a great post. I’m really not sure how anyone could possibly make a sensible argument against that!
Thanks Kate. It just seems bizarre to me.
Maybe they should sell kinder eggs next to guns with a sign that says ‘you can have one gun or one kinder, but not both’ I’m sure most people would choose chocolate! Xx
I know I would!
I seen thi age ago but was nah no way could it be true. Really is a mad world! x
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Yup! Crazy! 🙂
Great post Lisa. It really is another world. They really have got themselves into a bind over there where its imbedded into the culture. It’s so hard to understand how they can’t make the connections. This business of “well, it never would have happened if one of the teachers was armed” stuff is just crazy.
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All I see happening if teachers are armed is that it’s just a matter of time before a teacher goes on the rampage…
What is really scary is looking at the following numbers:
US Population – 311,591,917
NRA members – 4,300,000
So how does a group, of which only just over 1% of the population are members, have so much influence.
The answer to that is easy – money. And there’s money in guns!
NRA membership figures upper bounds are more likely about 3 million. Still relevant to your point though.
http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/01/nra-membership-numbers
Spot on with this post! Sadly, this sort of clarity is too rare in the U.S. gun debate.
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Maybe that’s what happens when you are denied Kinders in your childhood? 😉
Time now you put into practice what you are preaching.
Get organised for the next elections.
I’ll be a little busy changing nappies don’t you think? 🙂
Nice article but not 100% true. Kinder Eggs are banned because of an old FDA law from 1938 that prohibits non-food items to be completely enclosed in food items.