Machine Guns in the Park

I love my new park
It has two half basketball courts.
A lake.  
A wide u-shaped fountain,
where one can sit on benches
comforted by the sound
of rivulets of water cascading down stone.
 
That is as long as one isn't interrupted by the staccato of machine gun fire
 
Fake is better than the real thing.
Far, far better.
But a plastic machine gun  
complete with real sound effects! (sans the tortured, terrorized screams of innocent people- maybe that costs extra)
in the hands of a four year old
is disconcerting.
Irresponsible
Unnecessary
Absofuckinglutely idiotic.
I'm not one to throw around the word grooming.
But yeah.
It's grooming.
 
"I grew up with toy guns" you say
"And I came out just fine"
Oh, did you now?
Yes, a lovely person you are,
with all your thoughts and prayers.
Here's my thoughts: your prayers are self-serving narcissistic nonsense.
Want to show you care?
Support sensible gun control.
 
"They're coming for our guns" you wail
Yeah, well your ilk is coming for our loved ones.
 
 
I tried to ignore the simulated sounds of violence
 
Aw, look at the dog rolling in the grass"
Rat-a -tat-tat-tat
Oh, look at those pretty yellow leaves against the bright blue sky
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat
I tried to outwalk the sound
only to receive a slightly fainter Rat-a-tat-tat
 
I wondered how a veteran would feel hearing that sound.
Or one of the many who have lost loved ones to senseless gun violence.
 
But go ahead
Buy your kid a superfluously packaged plastic machine gun.
 
Tis the season