George Bernard Shaw famously said "Britain and the US are two countries separated by a common language".
Another thing that separates us must be this Christmas card from Mr Thomas Massie, a US Republican Congressman from Kentucky. The idea of any British politician overtly demonstrating such a bizarre obsession is unimaginable.
Boris might possibly feature his dog Dilyn wearing a Santa hat, but his whole family toting assault rifles; never!
I'm not in the slightest bit religious, but isn't Christmas supposed to celebrate the birth of Christ? I wonder what HE would have thought of Mr Massie's Christmas card?
58 comments:
Assault rifles do NOT spell Christmas to me. I don't know what else I can say to this.
Just another loony ultra right wing Republican family showing off their idiocy. 🙄
Not much more TO say. Very odd.
Did this make the news in the US? Over here we find this sort of thing very strange, I'm sure you do too.
It's got to be a joke, Cro. Albeit in questionable taste what with Christmas being the season of good will towards all men. I can only imagine the Massies having a sense of slightly warped humour, indeed a finely honed sense of IRONY. Or maybe that, my latter suggestion, stretching it a bit, intellectually.
What is Dad Massie holding? A Kalashnikov? In case the Cold War is warming up again?
Oh, Cro. Peace on Earth, Peace on Earth. For Christ's Sake!
U
As Jennifer points out; just another crazy bunch of gun-toting loonies.
As for his weapon, it looks like something you'd see mounted on the top of an armoured vehicle.
That's just plain sick, and if it's a joke it's a sick joke.
I presume it's genuine. A strange idea for a Christmas greeting.
I saw a piece on this last week, and yes, I understand it is genuine. It made me feel quite ill.
I tend to look at it and think "How very strange". Do they really want to promote gun-ownership by making themselves look like idiots?
Imagine if they were your neighbours. I hate their smiley faces and the way they all have their fingers on the trigger. Its quite menacing though the card probably read with all wishes.
Awful. Just awful and sick
I find the whole thing bizarre. Who are they hoping to kill? Those aren't hunting rifles!
Imagine your local MP sending something similar!!
My late Mum used to say that whatever happened "over there" would be over here a few years later. Hope shes wrong about this one.
Shameful
Leaves no doubt as to which is the biggest prick.
Yes, it did make the news, and then there were copy- cat photos and great positive replies. Not certain how they reconciled this with a "christian Christmas". Our response was a post of us with all of our gardening tools.
We are used to disappointing and outrageous politicians, but never any as scary as this bloke. It would be unkind to suggest God wreaked tornado havoc on his state because of his ghastly Christmas card...but...
Back in the 1980's I was offered some 'rough shooting' in Shropshire. In order to bring my shotgun back from France, I applied for a UK shooting licence, and it was refused. I don't think there's any danger of the UK being over-run with guns.
I agree.
I wonder if he regrets it?
Good for you!
If it had hit his home only, I might start to believe in a higher power!
Apparently the photograph is genuinely one sent out to Massie's 'friends and supporters'.
The really dreadful thing about it was the timing, he posted this just a few days after the Michigan school shooting in which four students died and seven were injured.
The message which accompanied the photograph was
"Merry Christmas! ps. Santa, please bring ammo",
which tells us all we could ever need to know about this utter moron!
Massie has also been known to draw out a handgun from his pocket during gun rights rallies.
He's a dangerous man, a lunatic with a love of firearms, and it seems that in the US he's considered 'normal'.
Terrifying!
One commenter mentioned the politician who sent out that Christmas card possibly had a finely honed sense of irony. It seems to me he has a finely honed sense of how to be (excuse my rudeness) an ass.
For Sue in Suffolk I hope so much that whatever happened "over here" in the USA, never happens where you are. So many people that I know are very worried about the amount of gun violence, and how many people now are so mentally twisted. It is starting to feel overwhelming, and the systems in place to change things just don't work anymore.
I am sad that my grandson goes to school and they must have shooter drill practice, so they know how to act in case a gunman comes in to shoot them in their school. All grades from kindergarten on up. I don't know if every school in the United States does this, but I do know that many, many do. At this time, this seems to the schools like the only option they have to help keep our children safe. Nightmare inducing for children, parents, and grandparents.
I'm 67 years old and have never lived through anything like the things that are going on in my country now. Frightening and sad.
He has a very curious blog.
massiehouse.blogspot.com
I agree that that is a concerning image. There's nothing funny about guns that have killed innocent people in locations across America. And there's not even a whiff of irony in that picture. Thomas Massie requires psychological counselling.
Appalling.
Yes, simply appalling. I thought Xmas was about peace and love and goodwill to all
Wow.... he really does sound like a loony. He looks normal enough, which I suppose makes him even more dangerous.
I've heard of school children in the US having to go through metal detectors at the school entrance. This is crazy. The one place where children should always feel safe is at school.
I'm not sure if I want to look, but maybe later!
He'll probably end-up in prison.
And many (over there) think it's normal.
Anything but, in their household.
When my late father was upset he used to exclaim "Jesus wept!" This photo is enough to make Him truly weep.
Cro, I live in Texas and had never seen that Christmas card. I want to say 'unbelievable'... but sadly, it is very believable. Don't know what (and don't want to know) the man was thinking.
It's kind of a joke but not really, Ursula. I can assure you that really conservative Republicans LOVE their guns. LOVE them. The entire family posing with guns for a Christmas photo isn't even all that unusual. A local businessman in my town did the same thing this year with even his young daughter holding an AK-47. It's just sick--mentally sick people thinking they're proving some sort of point about their "freedom". Or "free-dumb" might be more accurate.
We are required in my school district to have "active shooter" drills once a month. I can only imagine how traumatic they must be for the youngest children--at least our students are in middle school. I know how strange this must all be to across the pond.
I live in SW Iowa - a core central of the redneck world. I have never seen such a disgusting photo. Let alone a Christmas card photo! We have truly lost our way.
On a lighter note, once old men were said to be demonstrating their macho libido with their cars. Are we now trying to telegraph the power of our private parts with the size of our guns?! Or maybe the reverse is true. We say over here, "Big hat - No Cattle!"
Merry Christmas - in every sense - from me to you. Thanks for the writing every morning. Peace.
A few years ago my brother and his wife travelled to Texas, their son being about to marry a Texas girl. Taken to meet the in-laws, they were told quite firmly by their very laid-back son "Don't mention guns." On some things, we have to agree to disagree.
Sickening...
Very appropriate.
In which case, Rian, I apologise for having posted it. Your life would have been better before!
Thanks Tim. I shall remember your saying 'Big hat, no cattle'; I like it.
Oh dear. I hope he has taken his own advice, these things can cause huge rifts.
Yup!
I've been to Texas and noticed highway road signs with small holes. I asked about this and was told (quite matter-of-fact) people ride in their pick-up trucks and use signs for target practice. A very different culture!
That happens in France too;... Youthful high jinx!
Yes, that picture plus the other right-wing nut case in Colorado, Loren Boebert, had to post a similar one with her kids holding guns!
There are some really disgusting people out here!
You nailed it, Jennifer!
Only if the "many" are republicans ... They think the idiocy is normal!
A lot of us with any brains hope the lot of them do end up in prison!
More likely drunks in trucks!
Big hugs for you both this Christmas
Forget the shit
It's not a joke, sadly. Even sadder, his Christmas card is not unique. Lauren Boebert (Republican, Colorado) posted hers which is very like it. Lauren Boebert also posted that "her pronoun is 'patriot'" I suggested her adjective could be 'dumb'.
Thank you dear John. The shit is forgotten!
Cro, the less said - the better re "that family." Assuring all that does not represent the majority of us in the USA. Hope your Christmas is Happy. And wish you all the very best in 2022.
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