OMG! A Gun Emoji! On My iPhone! OMG!

July 31, 2015

We checked the calendar and tomorrow is August 1, not April 1. So apparently New Yorkers Against Gun Violence is actually serious about their #DisarmTheiPhone hashtag campaign. Who? You may remember NYAGV as the geniuses behind the fake New York City gun store stunt back in March. On the heels of that PR triumph, now they want the world to know there’s something we all can “do” about gun violence. Even if what they want you to “do” is nothing more than a useless, feel-good symbolic gesture. Which, when you think about it, applies to 97.4% of the civilian disarmament community’s efforts . . .

So what’s the point? NYAGV wants you to tweet your disapproval of that little revolver’s presence in your smart phone so Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, feels the heat of public disapproval and zaps the gun icon on some subsequent iPhone software update. Because, after all, it’s the gun we all carry. #justshootme

56 COMMENTS

Mk10108 July 31, 2015 At 17:03

How many guns did NYAG take away this year…ZERO….how many bought guns this year…over A MILLION.

Sooooo. NYAG…SCREW YOUSZ.
Lone Ranger July 31, 2015 At 17:05

These same people probably have zero problems with the guns that are shown in nearly every television program… the guns in games, etc.

In other words, they have zero credibility.

Come to think of it, if there was a Mohammed Emoji they would probably have a fit about that too as being insensitive.
- Radian jikey April 7, 2024 At 04:32
  
  A gun related mobile ringtone and gun wallpaper app for iphone and android. Tons of gun sound effects ringtones and gun live wallpapers to download for free in Gratis ringtones samsung for iphone! You can find gun ringtones and wallpapers you like Just like 9mm pistols, automatic rifles or submachine guns etc.
Alan Longnecker July 31, 2015 At 17:07

#GiveUsMohammedEmoji
Bobiojimbo July 31, 2015 At 17:13

This is why twitter account is inactive and collecting digital dust.
AlanInFL July 31, 2015 At 17:16

What no Glock emoji
- Stinkeye July 31, 2015 At 19:16
  
  You’d have to be pretty careful not to make it look too much like a Glock or Gaston’s lawyers would probably be all up your ass.
Gunr July 31, 2015 At 17:19

Replace the gat with a couple of Tampons! When people bitch, just tell ’em it’s a couple of White Owl cigars.
Spectre_USA July 31, 2015 At 17:28

Well, lookie there, I never use the danged things, but on the same page, objects and symbols,
there is a bomb with a smoldering fuse, a syringe dripping blood, and smoking cigarette!

OH THE HUGE-MANATEE!

Some people just go way out of their way to be offended…
PeterW July 31, 2015 At 17:32

#iDon’tBuyFascistAppleProducts
PeterC July 31, 2015 At 17:33

Almost makes me want to buy a smartphone. I said “almost.”
- Marcus (Aurelius) Payne August 1, 2015 At 13:01
  
  Come join us…everything floats with a smart phone…
  - M60E3 August 8, 2015 At 13:23
    
    “We’re the (brain) dead kids..
    
    I do very much hope most of you here get the reference..
Jeff the Griz July 31, 2015 At 17:37

Too much stupid…. my head hurts…
TwinReverb July 31, 2015 At 17:45

So what? The emoji don’t kill anyone or make anyone want to kill anyone.

But if they remove it from the iPhone, hey, just one more reason to use an Android. 🙂
Dustin July 31, 2015 At 17:49

That’s why iPhones aren’t really smart phones… The stupidest people seem to have them… It’s kinda like Glock…

And before the flametrolls who can’t read get their knickers in a twist; I didn’t say everyone who has an iPhone is stupid. The product is intended to appeal to the stupid and irresponsible. Smart people might end up with one here and there even though that’s not the target demographic. Same for the Glock comment… These are products that seem to attract a certain kind of people, that doesn’t mean all owners of such products are stupid. It’s just an eyebrow-raiser.

If somebody owned both an iPhone and a Glock, I’d probably not bother checking to see if they were one of the exceptions to the rule…
- Gunr July 31, 2015 At 19:07
  
  Take away their Glock, and get them a Jennings.
- Katy July 31, 2015 At 22:14
  
  Curious to know more about why you feel that way. Both my Glock and my iPhone are simple tools that require little to no maintenance to remain in peak working condition. If you know what you are doing, you can fiddle with them, though, to do a lot of tinkering.
  
  In the either case, I’ve never had a reason to question the reliability or worry if it would do its thing. Isn’t that something we all want?
  - JR_in_NC August 1, 2015 At 08:36
    
    I think part of the point is that “reliability with little or no maintenance” is at best an illusion.
    
    Engineering is all about compromise. When a complex machine is engineered to be accessible to those unskilled in the use and proper maintenance of, one HAS to ask what compromises were made to make it so.
    
    The complete and total debacle that is Microsoft speaks volumes to this. MS’s “engineering” of computer OS’s has effectively stalled computer advancement for at least 20 years now. OS’s in place prior to Windows 95 (the first real “for the masses” version) were FAR more advanced than anything MS has produced since.
    
    That’s just one example. The list of similar examples…in both electronics and mechanic systems…is huge.
    
    (PS: Point being MS is a marketing company, not an engineering company, no matter what their MARKETING has people believe).
  - Marcus (Aurelius) Payne August 1, 2015 At 13:04
    
    I think he’s commenting on the fan boy mentality that many have towards those products.
BrickFrog July 31, 2015 At 17:49

This is the second post today with the “OMG!” bookends on the title…
I know it’s only the internet, but come on already. You can write better than this.
- JasonM July 31, 2015 At 18:55
  
  OMG! He’s right! OMG!
  - Ralph July 31, 2015 At 19:24
    
    I suggested “Holy Sh1t! Holy Sh1t! ” But I was voted down.
  - Dan Zimmerman July 31, 2015 At 22:40
    
    Heh.
- Swarf July 31, 2015 At 21:16
  
  It’s a thing here.
  
  It’s reached the end of its useful life, but RF still seems to like it, so there you go.
  
  See also: “make the jump.”
NYC2AZ July 31, 2015 At 17:50

Just when you thought Peak Derp had been achieved, another derptastic slacktivism hashtag to prove there is no limit to their derp.
- Dustin July 31, 2015 At 17:49
  
  Derp Powers, activate! Form of: DERPATRON!!
  
  I swear, it happened in my head as I read it…
- Stinkeye July 31, 2015 At 19:21
  
  Peak derp is a myth. Derp supplies are virtually infinite. If we could find a way to convert stupidity to energy, we could solve most of the Earth’s problems almost overnight.
  - Marcus (Aurelius) Payne August 1, 2015 At 13:06
    
    Or accidentally vaporize the earth. The stuff seems super volatile to me.
TwinReverb July 31, 2015 At 17:54

Better get rid of that ice cream emoji too, that might make people fat 🙂
SkyMan77 July 31, 2015 At 17:54

This is a shining example of just how warped these people are… They’re at war with reality; symbolism and the corruption of language are there weapons.

We own the high ground though as the truth is (and will continue to be) on our side… Carry on good people of the Gun…
- SkyMan77 July 31, 2015 At 18:01
  
  Their weapons… apologies didn’t get that one in time…
Siris July 31, 2015 At 18:07

Lord help us if they found a rebel flag emoji.. That might cause mass spontaneous combustion of heads…

I’m still wiring on the AR emoji
Revolvers belong in museums and ranges for fun.
Who carries 6 rounds anymore when the XDM holds 19 9mm
16 .40?
- Dustin July 31, 2015 At 18:10
  
  “Lord help us if they found a rebel flag emoji.. That might cause mass spontaneous combustion of heads…”
  
  Sound like a great reason to create one.
- TX Gun Gal July 31, 2015 At 19:08
  
  Semi Auto pistols are for range fun. My Ruger LCR .38 loaded with hollowpoint rounds is my EDC/home carry. Why? because never had it stove pipe, FTF, and damn accurate with it!
  - David B July 31, 2015 At 19:54
    
    I had an LCR jam on me. Not the gun’s fault (cheap Turkish reloads), but it was an eye opener for me. Also had my S&W model 28 go belly up on me once. Something had messed up internally. All were fixable but revolvers aren’t always perfection. In the case of the Smith, I had just used it to clear the house when I heard a bump in the night. Scratch that: my wife heard a bump in the night and she thought that she should awaken me out of a great sleep and completely mess with my circadian rhythm. After clearing the house, I realized that my heater wasn’t heating.
JR Pollock July 31, 2015 At 18:12

They need a ‘hand clutching pearls’ emoji…
ANdrew Lias July 31, 2015 At 18:22

The semi auto version of this emoji was limited to 10 round emoji magazines, then it was registered then it was confiscated. It was pretty easy actually since they’re “smart” and they have a distinct “fingerprinting” added at the factory and tracking devices built in.
KMc July 31, 2015 At 18:28

That idea made me throw up a bit in my mouth….
Jim R July 31, 2015 At 18:32

No doubt in my mind Apple will pull it if they make even a moderate fuss.
Bort July 31, 2015 At 18:48

The pistol emoji is part of the official Unicode spec (http://www.unicode.org/emoji/charts/full-emoji-list.html#1f52b), so their beef is with the Unicode Consortium, not Apple.
- JasonM July 31, 2015 At 18:57
  
  Apple could change how they display that character in their character set. But I doubt they will.
  - Bort July 31, 2015 At 19:08
    
    Microsoft uses a ray gun. Incidentally, Apple has yet to implement U+1F595, “reversed hand with middle finger extended”.
JasonM July 31, 2015 At 19:07

I just used that emoji a couple days ago.

Next they’ll ask to remove words like “gun” and “firearm” from the wiktionary, articles on wikipedia, and videos on youtube. The internet equivalent of Newspeak.
I’m sure the Recdep will rectify all the websites, and Miniluv will joycamp the oldthinks who don’t bellyfeel this goodthink.
Pantera Vazquez July 31, 2015 At 19:24

Guess next victim wil be Android as it has 1911? and it
Has sh!t ? . For the children™
WRH July 31, 2015 At 19:56

????????????????
Ha ha ha…. Android y’all….
Grindstone July 31, 2015 At 20:05

How about we tweet our disapproval that there isn’t a semi-auto pistol emoji?
- jlottmc August 1, 2015 At 10:28
  
  My LG has one, looks like a Tokorev variant. This made me go looking for stupid things my phone has and does. Why do we care again?
Galtha58 July 31, 2015 At 20:42

This is one of the stupidest ideas I have seen so far in the anti-gun movement. They must be very desperate.
- SmoogleStein August 1, 2015 At 01:09
  
  What else would you expect from the most vile, ignorant and emotionally immature people in modern times?
Gabe July 31, 2015 At 21:40

Imagine the outrage if there was a dead lion emoji
American July 31, 2015 At 22:29

This is a joke, mocking the disarmament idiots, right?
SmoogleStein August 1, 2015 At 01:05

What about the knife and baseball bat emoji or do they think the only way to stop a beating heart is by ballistic means?
GRDrane August 1, 2015 At 06:40

That start a ArmTheIPhone campaign. I want a AK,AR, and Glock emoji!! Who uses a revolver these days? (Sarcasm, I own a Airlight.)
James St. John August 1, 2015 At 11:47

??????
Jon August 1, 2015 At 22:19

The revolver is the only emoji i use. They should add a 1911, AR 15 , and AK 47.??????????????????????????????????????????????????