One avenue for accomplishing this is to have a half page article on Quakerism from someone in the Quarter included in each month's Notes to Parents. This one, by the Clerk of Salem Quarter, is the first in the series. We at Mickleton Meeting are concerned that the toys we give our children serve as models for their behavior. Violent toys encourage children to be violent. What a child practices often becomes habit.
Quakers are a nonviolent lot.
Not only do most Friends promote peaceful alternatives to war, many of us also oppose the death penalty. The aim of the Quaker life is to give people that state of inner peace where war, violence and injustice cannot exist. Our meeting members read about programs where children are given a nonviolent toy in exchange for trading in a toy gun, and we decided to offer such a program. As we selected and wrapped the toys, we became so filled with the spirit of giving that we plan to offer this program again next year. We are truly grateful to the children who turned in their guns and are prayerful that this action may in some way direct them toward peaceful choices in their life journey.