WASHINGTON – A United States (US) gunmaker has triggered controversy by selling a kit that makes a real Glock gun look like a Lego toy pistol, at a time when hundreds of children are falling victim to shootings.
The Danish manufacturer of the building blocks has sent the Utah-based company, Culper Precision, a demand to stop producing the red, blue and yellow covering for handguns.
“Our organisation reached out to Lego, which then sent a cease-and-desist letter to the reckless gunmaker,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Mums Demand Action, which advocates for stricter gun control.
The gunmaker was marketing the pistol as “Block19”, which sold for between US$549 and US$765. The colourful brick design gives the semi-automatic weapon a strong resemblance to a Lego toy.
“Here is one of those childhood dreams come to life,” said Culper Precision in an advert for the gun on Instagram posted on June 24.
“Guns are fun. Shooting is fun. 30 rounds full auto is fun,” it said on its website.
Watts, who stressed that “unintentional shootings have risen by 30% in the past year”, told the Washington Post her first reaction upon seeing the gun was that it is “sick and children will die”.
She said this year alone, there have been more than 165 accidental shootings by children in the US, according to Everytown. Last year, 142 people died as a result of accidental discharges by children or minors, said the same group.
Culper Precision CEO Brandon Scott confirmed to the Washington Post that he has received Lego’s formal notice, saying the company has decided to comply, after selling fewer than 20 of the items.
The controversy comes at a time when President Joe Biden has made the fight against the “epidemic” of gun violence one of his priorities.
The Democratic president last month presented measures to limit the circulation of firearms at the federal level, but Congress is deeply divided on the issue and the Democrats are struggling to push legislation through. – AFP, July 14, 2021
