Australian Targets buckled under pressure from a Change.org petition earlier this week and decided to stop selling Grand Theft Auto V due to the game's depictions of sexual violence against womem. K-Mart's in the country have also stopped selling the game, despite it being perfectly legal in Australia to do so.
"It's a game that encourages players to murder women for entertainment. The incentive is to commit sexual violence against women, then abuse or kill them to proceed or get 'health' points," the petition reads.
It goes without saying that many aren't happy with decision and are accusing Target of censorship. Critics of the ban are quick to point out that shocking violence can be dished out to any character in the game, not only women, and that the killing of prostitutes is completely optional. In fact, players must go out of their way to do it.
That is, of course, beside the point for those wishing to have the game taken from store shelves. But what makes GTA V so different from the countless movies and books that also depict violence towards women? Those aren't being taking off the shelves. Some savvy Aussies are painfully aware of this, and are fighting back with a petition of their own, one that calls for Target to stop selling another book filled with violence towards women -- the Holy Bible.
"It's a book that encourages readers to murder women for entertainment. The incentive is to commit sexual violence against women, then abuse or kill them to proceed or get 'god' points - and now Target are stocking it and promoting it for your Xmas stocking," the counter petition reads.
See the similarities? The Bible petition uses much of the same language as the original GTA V petition, highlighting many of the various scenes in the Bible that depict horrifying violence against women and elaborating on what it teaches men in today's modern society.
"Books like this are grooming yet another generation of boys to tolerate violence against women. It is fueling the epidemic of violence experienced by so many girls and women in Australia - and globally," the petition states.
The petition for Target to put "ethics above profits" and stop selling the Bible currently has close to 7,000 signatures.
Is it likely that Target will own up to their double standard and remove the Bible from their stores? Not a chance in hell. But they just might realize how stupid they look and put the game back on sale.
