Hollywood Popular Artists

Jun 27th 2012, 17:13

Do you know what the difference is between guns and bananas? Bananas have stricter regulations on them when it comes to trade. This is your cue to go, "Whahhh?"

That's why Amnesty International is doing a monthlong Bananafesto campaign that starts today (June 27), just in time for the United Nations to discuss arms control in July. The org will be asking the UN to make gun trade at least as strict as banana trade, and their planned event at Times Square was definitely be eye-catching. This morning people wore yellow shirts and passed out bananas. You can joke all you want about banana peels being dangerous to slip on but Amnesty International will also be broadcasting some stunning gun facts, like how a person dies every minute from a gun or how  500,000 people are killed every year from gun violence.

Even if you didn't make it to Times Square there are ways you can still make a diff, like signing Amnesty International's petition. The petition will be delivered to the UN on July 3. As it stands now, China, France, Russia, the US and UK are responsible for almost 90% of gun trade worldwide and the eased regulation of guns can mean these weapons get in the hands of anyone from dictators to child soldiers.

"As incredible as it may seem, there are stricter international regulations on bananas, dinosaur bones, and bottled water, than on guns and bullets," said Suzanne Nossel, executive director, Amnesty International USA. "The Obama Administration and other UN member states must seize this opportunity to stop irresponsible arms transfers. If we can adopt a strong treaty, we could save tens of thousands of lives and stop fueling armed conflicts."

Don't forget to sign the petition and spread the word that bananas are more heavily regulated than the trade of arms. You can brag to ya friends that you learned some crazy fact today -- a fact you want to change!

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