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May-June 1997: [Editorials: Disarm Police] [Turmoil in Tabasco: Maya vs. Big Oil] [A Day without the Pentagon] [Youthpeace Meets Toymakers] [Activist News] [Activist Reviews: Women in Media]

YOUTHPEACE MEETS THE TOY MAKERS
By Malkia M’Buzi Moore

WAR TOYS made up the only item on the agenda at a meeting last Feb. 21 between members of YouthPeace and executives of the Toy Manufacturers of America. Former Freeman intern Jacqui Vukman, YouthPeace activist Paul Bendich and I met with the president of the company, two publicists and an attorney to give them petitions signed by more than a thousand people protesting war toys.

The toy manufacturers’ response to our presentation of the petitions surprised us. Previously, Stop War Toys representatives have met with much less fanfare; usually the president’s secretary takes the petitions and promises that the president will get them.

The Campaign to Stop War Toys was begun in 1985 by WRL New England, which held yearly demonstrations at an international toy fair through the late ‘80s. For 10 years, the League worked hard at spreading the message and getting petitions distributed both nationally and internationally.

Then, last November, the Campaign to Stop War Toys became a part of International YouthPeace Week, a week of education, action and celebration by and for youth to ensure their safety and stop their militarization. Toward that end, counter-recruitment, police brutality, the death penalty and other peace and justice issues gave young people and their supporters a chance to voice their concerns and make their actions concerted ones. The coalition efforts produced wonderful results that we hope to build on for this year’s observance. The devastation and danger of war toys continues to be a key component of International YouthPeace Week, and our grand reception by the Toy Manufacturers reflected the week’s work.

We sat down at a beautiful, oval conference table and explained the YouthPeace Program and International YouthPeace Week. We told them about the growth of the Campaign to Stop War Toys: We presented 1,206 signatures on petitions that came from 11 states and four countries. We quoted stories and figures from the "Fact Sheet About Toy Guns" put out by the Epidemiology Center in Sherman Oaks, CA: In 1983, an Orange County, CA, police officer shot and killed a five-year-old boy who had a toy gun in his hand; in 1991, a California grandfather, mistaking his gun for his three-year-old grandson’s toy gun, shot and killed the child while they were playing; in 1994, toy guns were reportedly used in 329 felonies in New York alone. When I mentioned how glad I was that there were no war toys in the displays on the walls facing me, someone said not to turn around—GI Joe was right behind me, aiming his rifle directly at me. I quickly touched my broken rifle pin for reassurance.

TMA president David A. Miller said that he himself never let his children play with toy guns; but toy manufacturing, he pointed out, is a business and the profit margin has to be its main concern.

I thought about the facts that over 50 percent of television cartoons have been found to glorify violence—with an average of 25 acts of violence an hour—and that 75 percent of video games are combat oriented. Violence must be very profitable, I thought. But Miller said he was satisfied with the measures TMA takes to manufacture safe toys, noting the bright colors required for toy guns which should keep police from mistaking them for real guns.

Then the TMA staff explained the concept of safe toys to us. The public relations director defined safe toys and safe play (as did the many pamphlets scattered around) as incorporating: choosing toys according to a child’s age, interests and skill level; adequate parental supervision; and toy maintenance. But stopping the production and distribution of war toys formed no part of their safety concerns; as long as the toy guns they make don’t fall apart, they’re fine.

It was at that point that the TMA’s attorney awoke from a light slumber to ask if we were the same War Resisters League that was around during World War II. Yes, we said, that was us. He asked if we thought it was wrong for the United States to fight in the war. Yes, we said, we are opposed to all war. He seemed to shiver as he shook his head.

The TMA staff showed genuine interest in Jacqui’s plans for graduate studies, as well as Paul’s college applications and choices and other YouthPeace projects including our ‘zine, DMZ, and the Organizers’ Training (see page 24).

After assuring them that expanding the definition of safe toys by excluding war toys would be a wise and wonderful thing to do in light of the facts and the petitions before them, we thanked them for their time and left. Some days later, we sent a letter thanking them for taking the time to meet with us and accept the petitions against war toys personally. The letter urged them to take actions to stop manufacturing and distributing war toys. We are eagerly awaiting their reply.

The Nonviolent Activist is published bi-monthly by:
WAR RESISTERS LEAGUE
339 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10012. (212) 228-0450, fax (212) 228-6193, e-mail:wrl@warresisters.org.

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