# Wal Mart.. Gun section borders toy section

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-gun-section-borders-toy-section/220430>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [December 22, 2003, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-gun-section-borders-toy-section/220430 "2003-12-22T08:30:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 7

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**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2003, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-gun-section-borders-toy-section/220430/121 "2003-12-27T20:42:00Z")

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I’m still waiting for someone to explain to me when Wal-Mart instituted a policy which prevented children from entering the area of sporting goods where the guns are displayed and sold.

Without such a policy, what difference does it make where the gun department was located? Next to toys, next to electronics, next to automotives, children can still be there – with or without adult supervision.

Therefore any “think about the children” argument falls flat on its face. The only way to make sure that Wal-Mart guns don’t pose any risk to any child in the store is to put them in an area where children are denied entry. The only (logical) reason remaining, therefore, to make an argument that guns need to be far away from the toys is the specious “kids shouldn’t see guns” thing that surfaced and was smacked down (rightfully) back on page one of this thread.

Does anyone have any _better_ reasoning?

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**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2003, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-gun-section-borders-toy-section/220430/122 "2003-12-28T00:11:11Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by TeaElle \*  
> \*\*Therefore any “think about the children” argument falls flat on its face. The only way to make sure that Wal-Mart guns don’t pose any risk to any child in the store is to put them in an area where children are denied entry. The only (logical) reason remaining, therefore, to make an argument that guns need to be far away from the toys is the specious “kids shouldn’t see guns” thing that surfaced and was smacked down (rightfully) back on page one of this thread.
> 
> Does anyone have any _better_ reasoning? \*\*

You’ve skipped over the one about discouraging children from associating guns with toys. It still seems like a good idea to me to have a buffer between toy guns and real ones, even if it’s only camping equipment.

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**Author:** ![Live\_Better\_Electrically](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@Live\_Better\_Electrically](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Live_Better_Electrically)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2003, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-gun-section-borders-toy-section/220430/123 "2003-12-28T17:54:17Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Why not put the guns and the dildos in the same display?

I hate when the toy dildos are placed right next to the real dildos. I think that confuses children.

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