Popular Danish toymaker Lego has issued a cease-and-desist order against a Utah-based gun shop, which sold a type of Lego handgun that resembled Glock, a semi-automatic pistol.
Reports cited that a group of mothers who advocated against guns informed the toymaker of the Lego handgun at Culper Precision. This 30-year-old store specializes in building, customizing, and modifying firearms and accessories.
Shannon Watts of Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gun Safety said that the Lego handguns are sold as kits priced between $549 to $765. It comes with red, yellow, and blue bricks similar to actual Lego toys. Culper Precision even marketed the handguns as a "childhood dream come to life" and shooting on "30 rounds full auto is fun" on its social media accounts.
'To Aggravate Mom'
According to The Washington Post, Culper Precision launched Block19 in early July and stated on their website that they "wanted to flip the script to aggravate Mom." The company also said that the U.S. Constitution protects the right to have a gun.
However, after receiving the cease-and-desist letter from Lego, Culper Precision decided to pull out the Lego handguns from their inventory and removed the product from their online store. Brandon Scott, the gun shop's president, said that their lawyers advised them that Lego had a strong case against them if they kept selling Block19.
Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence lawyer David Pucino said that there are generally no laws in the U.S. stopping gun makers from making firearms that look like toys except in New York, where guns disguised as other items are against local state laws.
In a separate statement, Culper Precision said they are "grateful for the attention" generated by Block19. However, anti-gunners will always have the leverage to discuss "why guns are bad" and fail to acknowledge innovation.
The company stated that they developed Block19 for the enjoyment of the sport of shooting and marksmanship training.
Gun Violence Continue to Increase
The Gun Violence Archive cited that 5,137 teenagers and kids were injured or killed due to gun violence in 2020. In 2018 and 2019, these numbers were below 3,800. Meanwhile, the Children's Defense Fund studies showed that guns killed more children younger than five years old from 2008 to 2017 compared to officers on duty.
The crisis against guns has gotten so bad that Amnesty International warned travelers in 2019 to exercise extreme caution if visiting the United States because there is a human rights crisis in the country due to gun violence.
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Despite the rising numbers, the purchase of guns also increased in the U.S., where 23 million citizens became gun owners in 2020. Gun ownership was only at 14 million before the pandemic. Experts are expecting that 2021 will be another record year in sales for firearms in America.
In June, President Joe Biden laid out measures to limit the circulation of guns, but Congress is divided on this issue because some lawmakers support gun ownership.
