European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 19, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday december 19, 1993 . The stars and stripes Page 11fresh shots fired in toy gun debate new York apr just before Christmas you could have fired an a of a stinger the ultimate electronic missile launcher Down the toy gun aisle of a toys Quot a Quot us store in new York and not hit anybody. The rest of the store was bedlam parents hovering two and three deep around the latest Barney or Barbie doll snapping up legos and transformers video games and toy trucks. The toy gun aisle All but deserted. It might be tempting to attribute the Calm to the recent exhortation by or. Joycelyn elders the . Surgeon general for parents not to buy toy guns this Christmas. But it is just As Likely a statement about new York tastes and the generally Small Niche that toy guns hold in the Overall toy Market. Industry insiders say they expect elders comments to have Little or no effect on nationwide sales of toy guns. A what our research has shown is that to a Large degree what kids receive is what kids want Quot said de Roth vice president for toy services at the Ned group a Market research company in port Washington . And some kids especially those in the South and Southwest want Quot hot shot Radical revolvers Quot a Auto fire Cap guns Quot or a combat Force Quot military pistols to name just a few of the weapons in this years Christmas Arsenal. Like others who keep an Eye on toy sales Roth said it was too Early to Tell How toy guns would fare this Christmas. But he said there was no evidence of a downturn and no reason to believe that elders Appeal would be taken to heart. Toy guns account for less than 3 percent of the $17 billion spent on toys in the United states last year and half or More of the toy gun sales were for water guns which Many people consider less pernicious. Toy Guris have been controversial for decades and elders is the latest in a Long line of educators psychologists and parents to denounce them. Even before her remarks a Church Leader in St. Petersburg fla., called for a Boycott of toy guns this Christmas. But their role As bogeyman has shrunk compared to other violent influences a television movies and video games in particular elders comments were quickly lost in the juror Over subsequent remarks in which she said she was open to the idea of legalizing drugs. A How Many parents do you think would be in favor of that Quot asked Jodi Levin a spokeswoman for the toy manufacturers of America. Still elders denunciation of toy guns was not lost on those with a Strong interest in the Issue and she May have helped reopen the debate. A a in a say she a right on target Quot said a Cdr. Toy Quot Ste Vanne Auerbach director of the nonprofit Institute for childhood resources in sail Francisco. Quot childhood is a time to play with sports and erector sets and trains and adventure games. I think if we allow kids to play with guns we Are robbing them of their childhood because we Are just introducing the misery and violence of the adult  Brian Sutton Smith a professor emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia who is considered a leading expert on children a play said he was no advocate of toy guns but did no to believe they were a serious problem either a a in a much less in favor of real guns Quot Sutton Smith said. Concern about toy guns amounts to a cultural hysteria by people grasping for solutions to violence he  the research seems to show that when playing with toy guns kids play More aggressively a sure Quot he said. A a there a no indication they then turn More  the toy gun aisle at a toys a or Quot us store in new York is quiet but in other parts of the country notably the South and Southwest toy weapons Are popular among children. Gun ban Portland Maine apr life has gotten better in the projects since the Early 1970s, when the Post office refused to deliver mail and firefighters  enter without a police escort. Now some tenants fear things will deteriorate it a 1975 ban on guns in the projects is struck Down. In a Case that could have implications far beyond Portland the National Rifle association is challenging the ban on behalf of a couple from Sagamore Village one of the City a 10 projects. The Era contends that the Portland housing authority Rule discriminates against people simply because they Are poor. After the lawsuit was filed the housing authority conducted a door to door Survey in the projects Ana found that 83 percent of the households questioned supported the ban. Among those in favor was Tammy Wolf who helped conduct the Survey. Clutching her 4-month-old son Martez Wolf said she fears for the safety of children in the projects if tenants Are again permitted to possess guns. A it s changed Here for the better Quot she said. A hopefully we can keep it that  another tenant Tammy Rice said she too worries about accidents involving children and about neighbourhood disagreements that could escalate and end in tragedy if guns Are readily available. But Charles Sinclair who stays with friends in Sagamore Village in weekends said gun ownership is a Basic right. Tenants a should be Able to have a gun in the House if they think they need it to protect heir family he said an Era Cap on his head. Sagamore Village built during world War u to House shipyard workers has 200 units housing about 520 peo Kle. Most Heads of households Are female. Tenants Are required to sign a lease provision that bars guns on housing authority property. They can still own guns As Long As they Aren t stored at the City s projects which House roughly 2,700 of Portland a 62,000 residents. The clause was introduced in response to a surge in gang activity during the Early 1970s. The ease was heard last week in state Superior court and is awaiting a decision from a judge. According to testimony in the Case assaults arson vandalism and other crimes in the projects escalated at one time to the Point that mail carriers and firefighters feared for their lives. .52% of older men found impotent Washington up1 More than half of men Between 40 and 70 years old Are impotent mostly because of heart disease medications or other underlying problems. Based on a study of 1,709 randomly selected men in the Boston area researchers estimated that 52 percent of older men have minimal moderate or Complete impotence. French report superconductor Advance Washington a French scientists say a material they built atom by atom conducts electricity without resistance at minus 10 degrees f. If this is confirmed by other studies it will be the warmest superconductivity Ever achieved experts say. Resistance retards the flow of electricity through a conductor such As Copper wire. Superconductivity would allow transmission of Power for Long distances with a minimum loss of efficiency and prevent damage to electronic equipment because of the heat generated by resistance a researchers at the Cote sup6rieure de physique it de chime Industry icicles de la Ville de Paris report in the journal science that they achieved High temperature superconductivity in a material they created atom by atom in a vacuum Cabinet. Science said the group made the material of layers of cop per oxygen sandwiched Between layers of Bismuth strontium Calcium and oxygen atoms. Using Small batches of the material the French researchers introduced an electrical current and then dropped the temperature. A material made of eight Copper oxygen layers became a superconductor when its temperature reached about minus 10 degrees f. Samples with three to eight Copper oxygen layers also showed signs of superconductivity but at lower temperatures. A report on the study was published Friday in science the Lead author is Michel leagues