The Nation - News from Jan. 1, 1988

The sale of realistic-looking toy guns would be banned in Boston under an ordinance approved 9 to 3 by the City Council. Mayor Raymond L. Flynn will review the ordinance before deciding whether to sign it, his spokesman, Arthur Jones, said. The ordinance was sponsored by Councilman Thomas Menino, who said it could reduce the risk of accidental shootings. In California, a teen-ager playing with a toy gun was shot dead by a police officer who thought the gun was real. One of those opposing the measure was Councilman James Kelly, who said it was “one of the most ridiculous ordinances that has come before this body. It is only out of my enormous respect for the maker (Menino) that I’m using restraint in not laughing at this ordinance.”