Recently, the world has been shaken by the new release of Apple's new operating system, iOS 10. There are multiple new features to iOS 10 that nearly every user has instantly fallen in love with, from the new, snazzy messaging system to the notification center to the new method of unlocking your iPhone. Many users instantly noticed a change in the emojis offered by iOS 10. There are now more women doing activities, men doing different activities and a new appearance to the facial features of most emojis; however, there has been one emoji that certainly seems to have iPhone users riled up, and that is the removal of the pistol emoji and its replacement: a green water gun emoji.
There really doesn't seem to be any surefire reasoning as to why Apple removed an emoji that was easily one of the most popular emojis behind the smileys, hands, eggplant and peach emoji. In the past, Apple has denied requests for a rifle emoji as they are pro-gun control; however, the removal of the infamous black pistol emoji was the line in the sand for a lot of users. Previous operating systems from Apple still included the emoji, and other operating systems from other phones, such as Microsoft, still contain the emoji that so many people have come to know and love.
The real question striking a lot of users is, of course, "why?" Is it simply because Apple is pro-gun control? Is it because so many people nowadays are so easily offended? Is it due to the increase in gun related crimes and recent shootings? Is it because Harambe was shot with a gun and not a water gun? The world may never know; however, I do know that my generation has become increasingly sensitive over matters such as this, and a lot of millennials seem to be completely anti-gun, even if said gun is just a collection of pixels used in messaging systems. Another point is that a gun emoji can, in no way, shape or form be threatening-- like I said, it's a digitized weapon. It's not real and it can't actually cause physical harm to any being by them typing one simple emoji. Besides, they didn't remove the bomb emoji, the sword, the hammer or the knife, so why the gun?
Overall, it seems that many users are dissatisfied and frankly angered just at the fact that Apple decided to nix the pistol emoji, not just because it was emoji many people came to know and love, but because it was Apple slyly inflicting their political views upon any user that updated their iPhone to the newest operating system they had to offer. While many feel that there needs to be stricter gun laws and less accessibility to guns in America, the iPhone and its operating system is not the way to enforce gun control, as it in no way actually enforces gun control. So, Apple, please bring back the pistol emoji - it's simply for the best.