An Annapolis alderman wants to ban outdoor use of...toy guns. She actually organized a toy gun buyback program a few years ago, too. Still, the proposal does raise a number of interesting questions:

1. Will violators be allowed to pay their fines with Monopoly money?
   
2. Did she use Channukah gelt for the buyback?
   
3. Will toy gun dealers sell pink guns and shoe-black in separate kits?
   
4. Under strict liability, does this make the shoe-black manufacturers liable?
   
5. "Guns aren't toys," even when they're toy guns. Can she distinguish between guns and poodles?
   
6. Does she also think skeets are an endangered species?
   
7. Maryland is having a big slot-machine debate of some kind right now. Does she hold dreydels responsible?
   

Three days after Fathers Day, Mrs. Carter (whose own son is 38) claims that fathers will probably be the biggest obstacle to her proposal, giving mothers very short shrift when it comes to common sense. A bigger problem is empty-nesters like herself, who try to adopt entire city populations without filing the proper paperwork.