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Faith

St. Louis Pastor Announces His Own Gun Buyback Program…for Children’s Toy Weapons

Feb. 25, 2013 12:35pm Erica Ritz

St. Louis Pastor Rodney Francis Launches Toy Gun Buyback Program for Kids

(Photo: Shutterstock/Fanfo)

A pastor in St. Louis, Missouri is emulating local Police Chief Sam Dotson in implementing a gun buyback program in his community. The only catch? It’s not for actual guns, but for toy weapons children have accumulated.

Pastor Rodney Francis of the Washington Tabernacle Baptist Church says children and their parents will be able to bring fake guns, swords, and other violent toys to the church this summer, where they can trade them for something more “wholesome.”

“My wife and I feel that we need to do everything we can to not allow our kids to get exposed to this too early. They’re going to get exposed to it, but we can protect them early on so they don’t get a distorted view of what those can do to the human body,” he explained to local CBS affiliate KMOX.

“We want to engage the culture of violence and one of the strategies that we thought we might be able to use is to educate parents about the danger of allowing kids to continue this access to toy guns and playing with toy guns.”

While people on both sides of the political spectrum agree that it’s best to limit the amount of violent movies and video games children are exposed to, the program is likely to ruffle some feathers for conflating guns and gun violence. It seems to teach children that guns are only for violent criminals, and should be turned over to the proper authorities.

The move follows a slew of disciplinary measures across the country against children who referenced toys guns at school, made gun signs with their hands, or threw an imaginary grenade at pretend “evil forces” during recess.

Front page image courtesy of Shutterstock.

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Comments (85)

Clownzilla
Posted on February 25, 2013 at 1:47pm
If they do this then they might as well go the extra step and implement a testicle buyback program.

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- Crus8r
  Posted on February 25, 2013 at 2:03pm
  Agreed Clownzilla, it’s just like Adam Carolla says, in 50 years, we will all be chicks! If I attended that church, I would stand up on Sunday and give the good pastor a piece of my mind and then promptly find a Church that actually teaches biblical pricipals from the pulpit.
  
  Report this comment
- rangerskippy
  Posted on February 25, 2013 at 2:32pm
  I think someone might want to enlighten this moron that in the 1950s, the favorite toy of every boy was a Fanner 50 cap gun from Mattel. Their favorite shows on TV were all westerns and everyone d on these shows had a gun.
  
  Back then, these kids with the toy guns did not go to school and shoot up their fellow students. Back then, anyone could go into a hardware store and purchase a military M1 carbine, 20 and 30 round magazines, and a case of ammo for 40 bucks, but no one was doing mass shootings at schools.
  He would do well to figure out the mass majority of teen shootings are inner city black on black shootings. In cities like LA and Chicago, 70% of all murder is all gang related. Last year blacks made up 12.5% of the population, and did 50% of all murders.
  
  Of the mass murders (they are very rare), the freakish heathen that are carrying these out are not running around playing paint ball, doing marksmanship with the 4H, CMP, Boy Scouts, or NRA. Instead, these kids are avid video gamers who sit in front of the screen for hours each day, getting points for slaughtering other people in games like Halo. They are also the Goth sorts like Adam Lanza who are into the new wave freakish music or into the gangster rap.
  
  No one wants to speak truth, and they are all playing a political correct game. Our violent crime in America is intrinsically tied to welfare. If you want to cut down murder and crime, start systematically getting rid of welfare, food stamps, federal housi
  
  Report this comment
- Witness1974
  Posted on February 25, 2013 at 2:35pm
  Part of the wussification of American men program.
  
  Report this comment
- turkey13
  Posted on February 25, 2013 at 3:37pm
  I bet he will squeel like a stuck pig if gangbangers break into his home and rape his wife and rob them and do harm to their kids. My 3 sons were taught from the first time they got a toy gun not to point it at someone or they would be punished. Their grand father bought each one a Chipmonk (a single shot bolt action rifle) My sons have taught my 4 grandsons the same thing and as they reach age 5, I buy each a Crickett which is the new name. One of my grandsons hit the target almost in the center the first time. My grandsons only get to shoot with adult supervision.
  
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- turkey13
  Posted on February 25, 2013 at 3:45pm
  In October of 2012 a 12 year old girl home alone during fall break would have come to a bad ending if her mother had not let her play with toy guns and then real guns. She called her mother that a man was ringing the door bell and knocking on the door and was persistant. The mother told her daughter to get her Glock pistol and the phone and get into the hall bathroom closet. While on the phone talking to the 911 operator they heard him break in and 6 minuets later the girl saw the door knob turn. The police arrested him out front with a stomach wound. This happened at Durant Oklahoma.
  
  Report this comment
- sam1064
  Posted on February 25, 2013 at 7:44pm
  nah, cant buy something that do not exist. Only Hillary Clinton has any testicles left.
  
  Report this comment
- cgnick
  Posted on February 25, 2013 at 9:39pm
  While I have always been pro second amendment, I used to tell my kids that they couldn’t play with toy guns or knifes. I thought that if they get ahold of one of my guns (which are always locked up) they would think it was a toy and possibly hurt someone. It never worked. They would knives and guns out of Legos, they would bend their action figures in half and pretend it was a gun, their imaginations are just too creative. Not to mention finger guns. We eventually decided to let them have toy guns. Though they are not allowed to have ones that look real. They have so many different Nerf guns and bright colored cap guns and really hasn’t been an issue.
  
  Report this comment
- EduardoJRivera
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 7:23am
  I bet George Soros has some influence in this church, either via donations, interest groups, or something. Just follow the yellowish brown trail on the ground and the foul smell.
  
  Report this comment
- redfish52
  Posted on February 26, 2013 at 10:54am
  What’s left, Lawn Darts? No wait…
  
  Report this comment
IMCHRISTIAN
Posted on February 25, 2013 at 1:40pm
Maybe if a woman is about to be raped and do the pee thing and have a ballpoint pen she can scare the raper to death. Then there goes our pens. After all you (the weapons) are guilty until proven innocent

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Plutos_Pal
Posted on February 25, 2013 at 1:37pm
I agree. Toy guns are a bad idea. Kids should be exposed to real guns early and often.

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- MK2
  Posted on February 25, 2013 at 2:42pm
  I agree my oldest shot his first squirrel a age 5 with a .22 now he serves his country and anyone who serves with him in battle has a better chance of coming home alive and not in a body bag due to the the fact that he has fired 1000′s of rounds by the age of 18
  
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- battles
  Posted on February 25, 2013 at 4:48pm
  Also here. I was born with a pistol in one hand and a rifle in the other and several shotguns within reach. Was taken to the oil field continuously and put to shooting various objects. My favorite was shooting minnows out in the irrigation canals south of Houston. I and all my friends were avid cowboy and Indian players. We used to actually shoot each other, with rubber band guns. We even use to shoot at each with rubber band finger guns in school. Horror of horror! We were truly a gun loving evil bunch. As much as we played with toy guns, we should all have been executed years ago for our heinous crimes. Tell me that American society has not fallen into a mass hysterical psychosis.
  
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WiseFox
Posted on February 25, 2013 at 1:21pm
Pastor Francis, how are you going to “buy back” those little hands and fingers that the children use to “make” guns? Give me a break!

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freestaterev
Posted on February 25, 2013 at 1:18pm
At the church I go to we have a sign (invisible albeit) that reads “Useful Idiots Not Allowed”…

Instead of doing a toy gun buy back, they should do a take your kids and serve program. When parents steer their kids out of the basement from playing video games all day, and get them to ride bikes, go hiking, fishing, sports, and a little healthy dose of yard work, we don’t have to worry about toy guns.

Some of my favorite memories involve my cowboy-style “six shooter” cap gun. My friends all grew up to be healthy, principled men who work hard, serve their communities, and are not violent criminals. As usual, it is not the guns (real or toys), it is the spiritual state of our families.

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- Southernlady76
  Posted on February 25, 2013 at 2:36pm
  I couldn’t agree more my brother loved his toy pistols and wanted to be a cowboy lol we joke and tell him he wore those toy pistols and holster until he was twelve and he got married not many yrs past twelve!just out of high school…but the reason i share this story is..these toys pistols messed him up sooo bad that this man and his toy pistols turned out to be a “man of God”!! a pastor!!and he even tells this story of he and his love of toy pistols n many of his sermons…my 2yr old grson is just like his uncle he loves to play cowboy!!now I don’t think (not judging just stating)this pastor has read the Bible on God’s wrath-he would say-kill the cattle,women,children and men-i often wondered on the killing of children when i first got saved now i know it was so the children could not grow up and rise up against them makes sense to me now.i am not saying murder is right by no means but i am saying gosh let kids be kids!!this is just going a bit too far!! I think there r some more unmoral things n our nation that we need to be standing up for or against should say-for the ones who are going to do wrong will always get the guns to do so-and we have the right to defend ourselves! playing wt toy guns is not the problem or the root of…this is a sad day if this is reporting the news!and a sad day for children n our country.
  
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Armyof One
Posted on February 25, 2013 at 1:17pm
Kids who played with toy guns, played Cops and Robbers, played Cowboys and Indians, played Soldier…

…put men on the moon, defeated communism, imperialism, and fascism in WWII, destroyed the Kaisers army, found cures and vaccines for almost everything, built railroads and ships to take American commerce around the world, discovered powered flight, went to the bottom of the ocean and out beyond our solar system. Built cars the American way, built homes the American way, built businesses the American way, and opened our nations doors to those oppressed people from every corner of the Earth.

People who didn’t play with guns……occupy wallstreet and the white house.

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- rangerskippy
  Posted on February 25, 2013 at 1:24pm
  Army oF One
  
  outstanding comments
  
  Report this comment
- moreteaplease
  Posted on February 25, 2013 at 1:38pm
  AMEN!
  
  I can remember fighting the Russian invasion of my back yard with an M-16 in the early 70′s…and winning every time. I miss America.
  
  Report this comment
- normalmom
  Posted on February 25, 2013 at 1:40pm
  That is sooo true. That is such a good piece of reality that the pansy politicians can’t understand.
  
  Report this comment
- Wisdom7
  Posted on February 25, 2013 at 2:43pm
  Nice comments. I would also add this is just a continuation of the war on boys in this country.
  
  Report this comment
- integrican
  Posted on February 25, 2013 at 3:05pm
  How many remember this exchange?
  
  “Keeeew, keeew, keeeew…..I got you!….No you didn’t, you missed…..no I didn’t, I got you…..keeeew, keewww ……I GOT YOU THAT TIME!!!!
  
  Report this comment
cassandra
Posted on February 25, 2013 at 1:17pm
pastor excuse me but you need to go after hollywood , violent rap music and video games

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wilbstal
Posted on February 25, 2013 at 1:11pm
Pastor, hmm dont you mean Pisstor? I had cap guns when I was a child and now I have a real 45 long Colt to make some (Liberal that is for violating 2nd amendment rights) Mkae his or her day. Thank God for Guns or evryone that is non American and voted for Obama the Communist. What a great life it is that we can shoot the bastards as they come to Violate your rights. life is great and good, and fair

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progressiveslayer
Posted on February 25, 2013 at 1:11pm
Hey Pastor you wouldn’t be one of those men of the cloth similar to Jessee Jackson or Al Sharpton now would ya? That’s what I thought now stop being so foolish and talk about a topic you have some knowledge on.

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- ImChiquita
  Posted on February 25, 2013 at 2:08pm
  That’s what I was thinking, too.
  
  Report this comment
BelowReality
Posted on February 25, 2013 at 1:10pm
Why St. Louis? You’re making us look like absurd idiot liberals. Missouri is a very pro 2nd amendment state, but I guess if enough progressives gather in a city, it’s enough to make everyone here look bad.

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- wilbstal
  Posted on February 25, 2013 at 1:13pm
  These Liberals will be purged when the poopey hits the fan, they are well known and cant hide
  
  Report this comment
- Plutos_Pal
  Posted on February 25, 2013 at 1:43pm
  Um, isn’t Missouri where a bill was recently introduced to confiscate so-called “assault weapons”?
  
  Report this comment
- normalmom
  Posted on February 25, 2013 at 1:44pm
  We get quite a few moving from Seattle and California ruining Eastern Washington they are trying to infiltrate everywhere.
  
  Report this comment
BenInNY
Posted on February 25, 2013 at 1:04pm
There was a moment there while reading the headline that I thought “wait, louis pasteur died in the 1800′s…”

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- rangerskippy
  Posted on February 25, 2013 at 1:09pm
  it took me a second, but when I got it, I must say I laughed.
  
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FiscalBill
Posted on February 25, 2013 at 1:03pm
The 1950′s called. They said you were retarded.

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matt_c
Posted on February 25, 2013 at 1:02pm
I had “violent” toys. Guns, swords, and plenty of action figures with tanks, lasers, guns, swords and other weapons. I’ve also seen violent movies and played violent video games before I was of the proper age to do so. I have zero desire to harm or kill anyone and I’m actually rather squeamish when it comes to real injuries and even some especially graphic fake ones. I should be a violent monster, but somehow I’m not. I guess there’s something wrong with me. Ah well…

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Uechi
Posted on February 25, 2013 at 12:59pm
Another idiot is heard from in St. Louis, Calling yourself a preacher, pastor, reverend or priest doesn’t mean you have the brains God gave pi$$ ant.

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Gonzo
Posted on February 25, 2013 at 12:59pm
If we buy back all the “Battleship” games will the Navy cease to function? Oh my, I hope the Chinese don’t find out about this!

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- SquidVetOhio
  Posted on February 25, 2013 at 1:09pm
  So since he is so offended by violence, I wonder what he preaches about on Easter morning. I’m guessing the horrid torture and crucifixion of Jesus would be too much for him. Or Samuel hacking Agag to pieces. In fact, how does he stomach reading the Bible at all?
  
  Beat it you wolf in sheep’s clothing.
  
  Report this comment
- The-Monk
  Posted on February 25, 2013 at 2:05pm
  Hi Gonzo,
  
  I wonder what he’ll give me for my old Rock’em Sock’em Robots?
  
  Report this comment
- Gonzo
  Posted on February 25, 2013 at 5:29pm
  Keep it Monk! That was fun as heck!
  
  Report this comment
BannedByHuffpo
Posted on February 25, 2013 at 12:58pm
Turn back the clock to the 1950-60s.

Kids were watching a steady diet of Hopalong Cassidy, Roy Rogers, Wild Bill Hickok, Cisco Kid, The Lone Ranger, and Rifleman, while their dads were watching Gunsmoke, Have Gun-Will Travel, and Bonanza. EVERY boy had a capgun, and if you were lucky, it was one of the fancy Mattel Shoot-n-Shell guns that you could fire spring loaded plastic bullets at your toy cowboys, indians and army men.

Even being subjected to all this TV “violence”, the boomer generation didn’t come of age as crazed killers. We played with toys and got it out of our system at a young age, unlike all of today’s punk gangstas whose first “play” gun is a Glock.

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Countrygirl1362
Posted on February 25, 2013 at 12:57pm
Seems that the generations that grew up with toy guns, playing cop and robber and shoot them up had a whole lot less gun violence than the generations that did not have these things.

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- beeboop
  Posted on February 25, 2013 at 1:04pm
  Good point.
  
  Report this comment
- wilbstal
  Posted on February 25, 2013 at 1:18pm
  yes those toys were more safe than the video games and Kids seeinf Obama on TV no wonder they kill Obama is scary bastard
  
  Report this comment
- chips1
  Posted on February 25, 2013 at 1:24pm
  It’s called “shoot’em” ups.
  
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rangerskippy
Posted on February 25, 2013 at 12:57pm
Someone might want to enlighten this moron that in the 1950s, the favorite toy of every boy was a Fanner 50 cap gun from Mattel. Their favorite shows on TV were all westerns and everyone carried a gun.
Back then, these kids with the toy guns did not go to school and shoot up their fellow students. Back then, anyone could go into a hardware store and purchase a military M1 carbine, 20 and 30 round magazines, and a case of ammo for 40 bucks, but no one was doing mass shootings at schools.
He would do well to figure out the mass majority of teen shootings are inner city black on black shootings. In cities like LA and Chicago, 70% of all murder is all gang related. Last year blacks made up 12.5% of the population, and did 50% of all murders.
Of the mass murders (they are very rare), the freakish heathen that are carrying these out are not running around playing paint ball, doing marksmanship with the 4H, CMP, Boy Scouts, or NRA. Instead, these kids are avid video gamers who sit in front of the screen for hours each day, getting points for slaughtering other people in games like Halo. They are also the Goth sorts like Adam Lanza who are into the new wave freakish music or into the gangster rap.

No one wants to speak truth, and they are all playing a political correct game. Our violent crime in America is intrinsically tied to welfare. If you want to cut down murder and crime, start systematically getting rid of welfare, food stamps, federal housing….

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MrObamablows
Posted on February 25, 2013 at 12:55pm
Stop calling this guy a pastor please! He is just trying to get his church members up so he can collect more money!

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StudyYourHistoryB
Posted on February 25, 2013 at 12:55pm
How bout a buyback your crooked politician program. Any politician who swears to uphold and defend the US constitution then does the opposite should be immediately removed from office, all money or property they may have collected from the taxpayers during the term they failed to follow the law in should be returned to the treasury and the American people. Pastors who choose to stand on the side of evil will see their congregation shrink and their sheep go astray.

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SpeakSoftlyAndCarry
Posted on February 25, 2013 at 12:54pm
Hey “preacher”, what are you going to do about the kids that don’t want to sell you their toys?…shame them, villainize them, then maybe instruct their parents take their toy weapons by force? You know if you would forget about ridiculous PC activities and actually do your job and TEACH the Word from the pulpit like you are supposed to, then you won’t have to worry about the kids in your congregation growing up violent!

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ROB RAGE
Posted on February 25, 2013 at 12:54pm
My 10 year old Grandson said they can have his toy guns and BB gun when they take them from his cold, dead hands~~Yes Grandpa taught him well~~

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BehindTheMouth
Posted on February 25, 2013 at 12:48pm
I was hoping it was a cash-payout. My kids have a shitload of those nerf guns

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- chips1
  Posted on February 25, 2013 at 1:15pm
  Many of those guns are collector items. He is going to make a fortune. Don’t sell your memories of Ancient America.
  
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objectivetruth
Posted on February 25, 2013 at 12:44pm
I’d like to start a buy back a preacher program.Whereby any of them who are liberal or are for gun control can be bought out of their contract and removed from the community.The biggest endangerment to children today are those who do evil under the guise of good.This preacher fits the bill.Maybe it might be time to introduce him to small children who know what a real gun is.Know how to use it and when not to use it.You know children who have been taught right from day one.
Oh Who knows maybe he is one that wants the adults and kids disarmed so his later molestation won’t have any inpediments.

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progressiveslayer
Posted on February 25, 2013 at 12:40pm
What’s a violent toy? Come on pastor pull your head out and live in the real world. A toy gun is an inanimate object and does nothing on it’s own. It’s only when a whacked out liberal gets his grubby little hands on one that makes it dangerous.

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