So, apparently, little Prince George — son of Duchess Catherine of Cambridge (aka Kate Middleton) and Prince William — is deeply interested in law enforcement, which we think is pretty darn cute. He does have a rather serious demeanor, like his father, and would likely make a very good officer. But his play became public fodder when he was spotted toting a toy gun and pretend handcuffs. The event the royals were attending was innocent enough (and posh AF): The duchess relaxed with a friend and watched her husband compete in the Maserati Royal Charity Polo Trophy match in Gloucester, England, this Sunday while Prince George and Princess Charlotte romped in the grass. Let the royal-shaming begin.
Oh, it’s big news.
This perspective is inarguably a sobering one. It’s true that the future King of England is at no risk when he’s playing with a toy gun, but it’s not the same situation for all children.
But not everyone was horrified by Prince George’s choice of toy.
Prince George, 4, was clearly enjoying his plastic set of SWAT toys, which also included (*gulp*) a faux knife. This is the kid who only wanted a toy police car for Christmas, so we’re not surprised he looked positively delighted with his toy set.
However, context is everything, culturally speaking. While levels of gun violence in the U.S. continue to soar, the U.K.’s dominant political issues no longer include gun control, as handguns were banned in Britain after a horrific 1996 mass shooting at an elementary school. Not to mention even more powerful weapons (like ones widely available in the U.S.) have been banned in the U.K. far prior to the 1996 shooting, as reported by CNBC.
Is George setting a bad example? There are certainly deaths linked to fake and toy guns. There’s no denying this. How realistic is too realistic when it comes to toy guns? Should they even exist?
Wherever you fall in the debate, might we kindly suggest that Americans lay off the prince’s toy and get our own actual gun affairs in order, maybe.
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