Lifestyle

Congressman's Family Holds Guns In Holiday Pic Days After Michigan Shooting

by Erica Gerald Mason
Congressman Thomas Massie giving a speech with a gun in his hand
Bryan Woolston/Getty

Nothing says ‘happy holidays’ like a group of armed people standing ready underneath a Christmas tree

Knock, knock. Who’s there? Dog whistle. Dog whistle, who? Woof woof. And so it goes as Congressman Thomas Massie sent out a thoroughly MAGA spin on spreading holiday cheer.

Over the weekend, Rep. Massie posted a photo of his family cheerfully brandishing guns in front of their too-heavy-on-the-garland Christmas tree, along with the caption: “Merry Christmas! ps. Santa, please bring ammo.”

The member of Congress posted the holiday greetings just a few days after a deadly shooting at Oxford High School. The gunman, a 15-year-old who has since been charged with murder, took the lives of four students and injured several more. In a precedent-setting move, the teen’s parents were also charged with involuntary manslaughter for purchasing the gun for the teen.

In light of this tragedy, many online have called Rep. Massie’s post insensitive and an example of gun glorification.

Some wondered about the uproar from second amendment proponents if, say Rep. Omar posted a similar pic. “Can you imagine the backlash if, say, Ilhan Omar and her family staged a Christmas photo like Rep Massie?” a tweet reads.

“To the Massie family, Here in Michigan our hearts are broken; our children are terrified,” another person tweeted. “Our schools are closed because of copycat threats. I await your post on the sanctity of life. Shame on you.”

One Twitter user was banned for photoshopping…ahem…oversized sex toys over the weapons. “Just got out of Twitter jail for sharing a pic of Rep. Thomas Massie and his family holding dildos instead of guns,” the tweet reads. “Because tweeting a photo of 7 people holding guns after a mass school shooting is fine, but dildos… now that’s just too much. ‘Murica.”

Another user questioned how the original post made it past Twitter’s terms of service.

As of post time, Massie has not issued a statement about his Christmas card.