Zinke Highlights Department of the Interior's Mission By Installing Video Game in Employee Cafeteria

I’m all for expanding access to public lands for hunting and fishing. I like that Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is making an effort to acknowledge the role sportsman play in conservation. That said, this is a pretty dumb way to raise the issue.

Nothing says “conservation” like a video game in which you blast every deer in sight competing for a high score.

The department announced the cafeteria’s temporary new addition Tuesday, saying it is part of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s “latest initiative to reemphasize hunting and fishing” at the department.

“Having the ‘Big Buck Hunter Pro’ arcade game will get many employees involved in sportmen’s season, in turn furthering the department’s mission of wildlife and habitat conservation,” the statement reads.

Genius. Video games are well known for getting people interested in pursuing strenuous outdoor activities. This plan can’t fail.

NASA will likely follow suit and have its employees playing Asteroids to get them interested in outer space.

And let’s be honest, we really do need to provide federal employees more opportunities to get paid for doing pointless and unnecessary things.

To highlight #sportsmen contributions 2 conservation I installed Big Buck Hunter in the employee cafeteria. Get excited for #hunting season! pic.twitter.com/gLxpAqEzpm

— Secretary Ryan Zinke (@SecretaryZinke) September 19, 2017

Casey at @USFWS bested me today in the #ShotgunShowdown. More practice is in order. Awesome to see employees excited for #hunting season! pic.twitter.com/vo7EZRBns8

— Secretary Ryan Zinke (@SecretaryZinke) September 19, 2017

Employees went head to head today in the first ever #ShotgunShowdown at @Interior Highlighting our mission to expand access for #sportsmen pic.twitter.com/yZGPxEg5Z4

— Secretary Ryan Zinke (@SecretaryZinke) September 19, 2017

@SecretaryZinke #shotgunshowdown pic.twitter.com/zDz9LOAsMv

— LET (@nrxd69a) September 19, 2017

This idea isn’t all bad though. The focus on guns and killing wild animals will probably yield some entertaining reactions from PETA and the anti-gun crazies.