Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie sent out his family Christmas card Friday and it has provoked OUTRAGE amongst all of the usual suspects. Rep. Massie, who’s long been known as one of the Second Amendment’s strongest defenders in Congress, is being pilloried by civilian disarmament types and those on the other side of the aisle for having the temerity to issue the holiday greeting only a few days after the Oxford High School shooting.
Never mind that the photo was probably taken a month ago. Or the fact that, had the Oxford shooting not happened at all, the same people would still be expressing horror at the picture. So…the ordnance-heavy Christmas card has presented anti-gun types and the media — but I repeat myself — with an easy target.
From Slate . . .
Many were quick to criticize Massie, a staunch guns advocate who represents a solidly Republican district, including fellow lawmakers. Rep. John Yarmuth, a Democrat who is also from Kentucky wrote: “I promise not everyone in Kentucky is an insensitive asshole.” He noted that Republicans used to say it was “insensitive” to talk about gun violence after a tragedy. “Now they openly rub the murder of children in our faces like they scored a touchdown,” Yarmuth wrote.
The father of a victim in the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida also harshly criticized Massie for the photo. “That’s a huge part of the problem,” Manuel Oliver said on CNN. “I don’t know if they’re trying to be ironic, funny, or what, but it’s the worst taste ever.” Oliver, who had gone to CNN on Saturday to talk about his desire to meet with President Joe Biden said the photo “should teach us who should we elect, and not.” Fred Guttenberg replied to Massie’s tweet with a photo of his daughter who was killed in the Parkland shooting. “The Michigan school shooter and his family used to take photos like yours as well,” he wrote. Many others also blasted Massie on social media for his decision to post the photo so soon after a school shooting.
As someone once said, there’s no accounting for taste. If Rep. Massie wants to feature firepower in his Christmas greeting, that’s his prerogative. (NB Alec Baldwin: no fingers are on triggers and none of the guns are pointed at the photographer.)
Timing aside, we’re more interested in what the Massie clan is packing this holiday season. Can you identify all of the guns in the photo above? Enter your answer IDing each firearm in the comments below and we might be able to dig something out of our swag bag for the first correct response.
