War Toys

‘Tis the Christmas season again and the toy manufactureres are touting their wares as they ever have since Christmas began. For the last couple of years I’ve noted an invasion of war toys in the Christmas toy market. I find this most strange during the Christmas season, the season of peace on earth and good will towards men.

The recent rash of war toys features some of the following: G.I. Joe Mobile Command, Phantom X-19 Stealth Fighter, G.I. Joe Cobra Bug, Iron Grenadiers D.E.M.O.N., G.I. Joe Figures (fully articulated, highly detailed includes weapons and accessories), Rolling Thunder (8-wheel devastator with scout vehicle and figure (ages 5-up) and the list grows.

There’s an apparent attempt to glorify war in these toys, and the more realistic detail the better. Since the toy manufacturers are bent towards more realism in their products, I would suggest they go several steps further. In addition to their plethora of realistic war toys currently on the market, I would suggest they add toy body bags, soldiers returning from battle minus arms and legs, toys of mothers and fathers, wives and children and other loved ones mourning the loss of soldiers who never return, toy replicas of devastated cities in which hunger and disease are rampant following a bombing, and last but not least, a toy replica of the planet Earth completely devastated following a nuclear holocaust.

War toys and Christmas just don’t make sense.

S.M. ROSEN

Newbury Park