Castanet

Some media and public observers are shaking their heads and sighing at the National Rifle Association's latest public move.

One month after a tragic shooting in Newtown, Connecticut that killed 20 children, the NRA has released a target practice video game rated ages four and up.

The game, entitled Practice Range, says it offers access to news, educational content and safety tips on guns. The game also offers target practice with nine possible firearms, including an MK-11 sniper rifle and an AK-47.

NBC News noted the game's release comes after the NRA's Executive Vice President condemned video games for promoting violence.

The game has no human targets, however, Think Progress argues the targets are shaped like coffins. At least, they're upright shapes with red areas where the head and heart are located on a human.

One comment on the games page in the Apple store calls the NRA "monsters."

The debate over the game comes at the same time as residents of Spooner, Wisconsin, reconsider whether it's a good idea to have a gun show at an elementary school. The local newspaper, the Spooner Advocate, reports that a gun show hosted at Spooner Elementary School for the last 20 years is causing a debate in the wake of the Newtown shooting. The Indianhead Rifle and Pistol Club, which hosts the event, is supporting the event on the grounds that the club donates some of the proceeds to the school.

In a discussion on the newspaper's Facebook page, some users posted they have always thought bringing guns to an elementary school was in poor taste.

Gun associations, certainly the NRA, have not shied away from controversy in the past. They dove right into it this time and the media storm is already gaining speed.

A game aimed at gun safety I could have understood, but this is just stupid.

Sheesh - it's a target shooting game - big whoop - and not a particularly good one at that. There is no violence in it at all. It does give safety tips during the game and provides a way to get extra information on certain facets of the NRA. Sorry, can't see why there should be any fuss over it at all. People are so strange.

But it has guns, so you're teaching young kids how to kill humans because guns have only one purpose - it's to kill kill kill! It`s already been established that seeing guns traumatizes kids. Games with guns turn them into maniacs and killers. Also, republicans.

There was a game at Scandia kids loved that was target practice. Wasn't a real gun but still....

do you get bonus points for locking you gun away safely?

Captain Awesome wrote: Games with guns turn them into maniacs and killers. Also, republicans.

Okay, maniacs and killers we can deal with - but more Republicans ? This is getting really scary !!!

give give them Jarts

Mass school shooting - NRA blames video games and not guns.

Next move for NRA - produce video games and promote guns.

Perhaps next the NRA will pressure congress to require basic training skills and hand-to-hand combat techniques for kids ages 7-14.

...because the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a kid with lethal combat training.