“The National Rifle Association, which has been critical of the gaming industry in the debate surrounding potential gun control legislation, has rolled out its own app where users can take target practice,” Bobby Cervantes reports for Politico.
“NRA: Practice Range, a new iTunes app released Sunday by the nation’s largest gun-industry lobby, offers users a shooting-practice feature, tips on safety training and a state-by-state gun law database,” Cervantes reports. “The free app dispenses standard gun safety mantras before the user can begin to shoot: ‘Use only the correct ammunition for your gun;’ ‘Never use alcohol or drugs before or while shooting;’ ‘Know your target and what is beyond it.’”

The app, rated for ages 4+, is free, Cervantes reports, and with In-App Purchasing, “It costs 99 cents to upgrade your firearm from a free M9 to a Beretta, a Browning or a Colt — and it offers indoor, outdoor and skeet shooting modes… Last week, after meeting with Vice President Joe Biden’s gun reform task force, the NRA slammed the White House for its ‘agenda to attack the Second Amendment’” and video games for ‘the marketing of violence to our kids.’”

it offers indoor, outdoor and skeet shooting modes…

To be fair, the only thing weird about this app is the age rating. 4 years old seems a bit young to be learning about guns, but maybe I'm being overly defensive. After all, I had a real toy gun when I was 4.

And how many people have you shot?

Hundreds. Well, actually more like a dozen people hundreds of times

Outside a game I have shot no one. The whole games and media are responsible is just a ploy to avoid the real reasons. Look at Canada and Europe, we all get the same games and films as the US and still do not have the fatalities of the USA.

Of course, Canada has a similar rate of gun ownership to the US and a fraction of the gun crime. This, far from saying that guns aren't the issue, suggests to me that the US *really* shouldn't be trusted with guns.