When did Lego sets turn violent?

When my son was born, he received a couple of LEGO sets. Even though he wouldn't be able to play with them for years, family and friends knew that my husband was a big LEGO fan and were certain that my son would be one, too.

And they were correct.

My son adores LEGO sets. He saves up his allowance for them. He pours over the sets that his Dad passed onto him. He ogles the big sets in the LEGO Store. And I have enjoyed seeing all the wonderful things that he builds with them - both with corresponding instructions and without.

One thing I haven't really noticed is that LEGO sets now include more weapons than they have in the past. Looking through the sets that my son owns, I can easily see how that has happened - the sets are more likely to be movie oriented than in the past. So, when you think of the sets that are getting licensed, it makes sense that weapons are included.

I am normally not in favor of guns as toys, but I find that I am OK with the smaller weapons in LEGO sets. I understand that children will explore conflict as part of any play. And if my son is going to play with a space-age gun, then I would rather it be just a small piece of a major build.

Have you noticed an increase of weapons in your children's toy sets? Tell me in the comments.