BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- A Birmingham activist is urging officials to ban the sale of toy guns within the city limits.

Just days after his protest of a grand jury declining to indict a white Ferguson, Mo. police officer in the shooting of a black teenager, Frank Matthews is launching another campaign aimed at shunning the use of toy guns by children.

Toy guns have gone beyond child's play to glamorizing violence and even begin mistaken for real weapons, Matthews argues.

"One of the ways that we could end that is by eliminating toy gun manufacturing, as well as sales of toy guys in America," Mathews said.

Mathews, head of the Outcast Voters League, said he'll bring his proposal to the Birmingham City Council and ask the Public Safety Committee to consider the request.

Matthews cites the recent police shooting of a 12-year old Cleveland boy as the latest example of why toy guns should be banned.

Tamir Rice had a BB gun that looked like a real gun when a police officer shot and killed him after he reportedly brought the gun from his waistband. The gun did not have the orange tip at the barrel that usually identifies toy weapons.

Matthews today begins a tour of Montgomery, Atlanta and several cities in Ohio, his home state. Matthews will collect toy guns that will be destroyed.

"Nothing stops a kid from using his money from allowance to buy what he wants. If we don't have this on the shelves, that eliminates the temptation to even buy them. It's not a panacea but it can be a start."

Matthews compared his proposal to current city ordinances that ban texting and driving and smoking in public places. While some of those rules are violated, the ordinances at least set standards and encourage changes in behavior, Matthews said.

"We have to think long term," he said. "Going forward, what we do now creates an America for tomorrow. It has to start somewhere."