A curious thing happened in the last 10 years with video-games… They continued to improve in visuals and complexity. Along the way someone had a great idea to make a few war games set in the modern time with modern weapons. A legion of gamers (both young and old) have been exposed to modern firearms and related accessories vicariously through video-games. Many of them grow curious with the equipment in the games and start looking at the plethora of designs available to them.
My favorite firearm was a gun called the P90 introduced to me through Counter-Strike in the late 90s. I started watching YouTube videos of the various pieces of equipment I used in the game. I learned that (at the time) I could not purchase a P90 as it was not available to civilians. I also learned of something called the assault weapon ban… and that I could still buy a functional AR15 or AK47 during said ban. Eventually dad stopped by a gun-shop and purchased an honest to goodness AK-47. I was floored when I got to take this gun to the range and enjoy shooting a modern piece of military equipment in civilian legal format. First job? Bagger boy. First thing I purchased with that job? A used AR15 from my uncle’s friend.
More modern video games allow the player to unlock different exotic weapons and upgrade them with red dot sights, ACOG’s, Suppressors, compensators, ect… Every time I play battlefield 3 (usually at 5 in the morning before the kids get up) I think about how somewhere this very video game is bringing us another gun-owner who’s only interest lies with modern military weaponry. He (or she) is young and connected and our gun owning community grows yet stronger. He (or she) can just as easily be a minority inner city kid who learns and understands the second amendment better than many Elmer Fudd’s out there. He (or she) is likely to take friends out shooting who themselves have never handled such equipment and there another seed is planted.
Video-Games have become an unlikely ally to gun owners. We have a growing population of youth who cherish their weapons and they become snarling political watch dogs anytime Washington wants to pass feel good legislation. Ladies and Gentlemen, we are on the brink of a new wave of fanatical gun-owners who are politically active keyboard commandos. Fuel the fire and take a young person shooting. If you own a gun store let the young man handle a few of the exotics that he has used in video-games. Encourage, encourage, and encourage some more. The more of our youth we responsibly get behind the trigger… the more our power grows.
Thank you Electronic Arts and Activision.
You mean so much to us and you didn’t even know it.
Edit: Do you feel that games have helped or hindered the second amendment? Join the discussion on ARFCOM right now. Polling shows so far that modern war games have a sizable impact on steering individuals towards black rifles at roughly 30% of responders declaring that games made a moderate to high influence on steering them towards black rifles. Surprising results? Good results. 🙂
