New Yorkers Against Gun Violence has launched a campaign begging Apple to get rid of the gun emoji because that will “show America wants stricter access to real guns” and then fewer people will be murdered or something.
The “Disarm the iPhone” campaign video begins with the declaration that “with 33,000 American deaths a year, gun violence has become a losing battle” but that “there’s something we can do:” tweet at Apple CEO Tim Cook “and ask to have the gun emoji removed.”
“We realized that many Americans unknowingly carry a gun with them every day. The one that was given to them without a background check: the gun emoji,” the group states in an open letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook.
#related#According to a statement from Leah Gunn [haha!] Barrett, the group’s executive director, the “gun emoji has taken root in our culture and our digital conversations,” and so we must “all call on Apple to get rid of the virtual gun and publicly join our call for universal background checks on all gun sales.”
It’s unclear whether or not the group would be willing to consider less extreme measures such as requiring background checks in order to be able to have a gun emoji on your phone.
There have been 0 reported deaths due to gun emojis.