Should people still be manufacturing, selling or buying 'toy guns'??

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I saw this little boy carrying a huge toy sub-machine gunon the bus today. His mother was carrying a miniature gun too (you know those ones that have also been made into lighters, you may have come across one). The way things are these days with knives and weapons being a problem and war in the world, it was no doubt that it was quite uncomfortable for others as everyone was looking at them in surprise itching to say something. I do not think buying kids toy guns is good as they imitate shooting and in turn violence that they come across on TV or on video games(they do this without the toy guns too so why encourage it?) and I wonder if this is what causes some kids to grow up thinking this is ok and whether this instigates it in anyway. Are you ok with this? Aren't there suitable alternatives or other games little boys can play? What do you think of this? Should people still be manufacturing these toy guns? Should people still be selling these toy guns? Should parents be buying these guns? Should kids be playing with these toys? Is it just a bit of harmless fun or could encourage violence?