In a weird way, I "get" these people.

I live in a country with very strict gun laws, but I know some gun owners and Ive been shooting before and I hate to say it... fuck its fun.

When I was younger I was also a dipshit street racing fuckwit, I had a very highly modified car that I did outrageously stupid dangerous crap at very high speeds and despite being at risk of serious injury, death or imprisonment... fuck it was fun.

But these people taking photos with their guns are like people who took photos standing with their brand new sports cars thinking that they are Dominic Toretto who would talk shit about my car but would never put up paper and race. Having the equipment and doing the dangerous thing are as disparate as knowing the alphabet and writing a critically acclaimed novel.

So they take the photos and they smile because their toys make them happy and give them delusions of who they could be without ever demanding they put themselves at risk.

What's weird to me is that some people can look at this photo and not think it's a sign of a crazy, dystopian society.

That somehow the insane juxtaposition of smiling, happy family Christmas celebration and high powered weapons doesn't seem completely insane to them.

Those poor guys are cold! Look at how they're forced into wearing those head-warming knitted hats.

The entire rest of the world looks at this picture and goes "Oo look, a bunch of pathetic cowards!"

Ok but try holding a gun and be amazed at the testosterone fueled rush that fills your god given red blooodded aaaamerican veinzzz OH YEAH!!

:: puts gun down:: :: hands are visibly shaking:: :: sweating profusely ::

Whoa that was a trip . . How am I gonna go back to cocaine after that?

This post has been an advertisement for A24s upcoming thriller Love Lies Bleeding. /s

I like that you can tell who his in-laws and least favorite children are, because they look like this picture was taken during the Vietnam War during an impromptu clan rally in Vermont.

This here is a photo of a bunch of tools holding guns.

it's obviously a district full of hateful people

It's also just a really really weird Christmas photo regardless of who is taking it.

Fully automatic firearms are actually ready to fire specifically with an open chamber. Closed chamber is considered safe with an open bolt rather than the inverse.

Dad's got his finger on the literal trigger, FFS. Both Mom and Li'l sis have shitty spatial awareness, but Dad's ignoring trigger etiquette entirely. This whole family is just advertising that their entire compound is a slightly prickly post-apoc supplies cache, and their neighbors'll be the first to take it.

Also, the congressman has his fucking finger on the trigger like the big stupid idiot that he is. Like, if you're going to be a "gun person," can't you at least follow the rules? There's so much wrong with this person and this photo.

People like this are the reason I got out of target shooting, which was the only sport I was ever any good at (which turned out to be really great for me, because I was able to explore machining and electronics stuff which I like more). Like, I was just there for the engineering challenge and precision, when it seemed like a bunch of the people I was competing with were there for the "2nd amendment fuck yeah fuck the libs fuck the poor my gun is an extension of my big floppy weiner" shit. I have such contempt for people like this, and I've grown to feel horrified at the violence that this type of behavior leads to.

It's for hunting!