The National Rifle Association must have a media mole inside its executive team directing the organization to conjure up the most incendiary policies imaginable. Today, the NRA released a mobile first-person shooter game for Apple’s iOS, suitable for children as young as 4 years old. Just in case that didn’t offend enough people, children can purchase military-grade assault weapons for the price of a pack of gum, if a simple pistol doesn’t satisfy their young trigger fingers.
Apple rated the game suitable for children 4+ because the app is entirely devoted to non-human targets, like practice dummies and skeet disks. Additionally, NRA: Practice Range offers a litany of insightful gun safety tips, such as this gem: “Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.”
All of this may be perfectly defensible in the name of proliferating gun safety. Or, in the words of the official game description: “It strikes the right balance of gaming and safety education, allowing you to enjoy the most authentic experience possible.”
But, why (why?!?!) would the NRA profiteer from the very assault weapons its attempting to protect by charging children money to purchase them? The meager amount of profit made from allowing children to purchase an AK-47 or MK-11 sniper rifle for $0.99 just can’t be worth the public condemnation.
Aside from the very reasonable debate America should have about gun rights, this could quite possibly be the dumbest PR move I’ve ever seen from any organization.
Dear commenters, go wild.