On Saturday, US Republican Congressman from Kentuky Thomas Massie posted a Christmas family photo that stirred major controversy online.
As Thomas Massie's family posed in front of their Christmas tree all smiling and holding guns, in a pro-gun political message that the GOP representative posted on his Twitter account, online people were quick to flag the insensitive message in the tweet that comes only a few days after a fatal school shooting in Michigan.
Merry Christmas! 🎄
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) December 4, 2021
ps. Santa, please bring ammo. 🎁 pic.twitter.com/NVawULhCNr
Massie who is known for his pro-gun views captioned the photo "Merry Christmas! 🎄 ps. Santa, please bring ammo." in reference to more ammunition.
One of the first responses to his tweet was by Fred Guttenberg, father of slain Jaime Guttenberg who was 17 years old when she was killed in the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida in February 2018.
Dear World…Tom Massie does NOT represent most Americans!! pic.twitter.com/fDG21Q0IZe
— Laurie ❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️ (@Laurieluvsmolly) December 5, 2021
Fred Guttenberg reminded the KT representative of the tragic loss of his daughter and posted a family photo of his own featuring Jaime, who was one of 17 victims lost to gun violence in the United States.
.@RepThomasMassie, since we are sharing family photos, here are mine. One is the last photo that I ever took of Jaime, the other is where she is buried because of the Parkland school shooting.
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) December 4, 2021
The Michigan school shooter and his family used to take photos like yours as well. pic.twitter.com/MsQWneJXAp
Guttenberg and other online commentators also attacked Thomas Massie for posting his tweet less than a week after the Oxford High School in Detroit, Michigan, where four students were killed by a 15-years old colleague.
Reminds me of this one pic.twitter.com/sSxLxIMzRD
— Tony Gonzales (@djmaxtony) December 4, 2021
Oh look, it’s Y’all Qaeda
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) December 4, 2021
While some tweets associated Thomas Massie's family photo with similar scenes by terrorist groups such as ISIS and Alqaeda, some online people continued to attack Thomas Massie for his pro-gun views, saying that the unregulated use of guns in the United States has been taking the lives of thousands of people every year.