Image of infant with a rifle goes viral, fueling gun debate

[jsr]

http://www.latimes.com/nation/shareitnow/la-sh-six-month-old-with-a-rifle-images-goes-viral-20140228,0,4340855.story

Image of infant with a rifle goes viral, fueling gun debate
By Rene Lynch
March 3, 2014, 5:42 p.m.

A Facebook picture of a 6-month-old smiling with a rifle resting across her lap has gone viral — prompting furious debate over seemingly everything from parents' rights to gun rights to the right to post the image online.

Here's the story behind the controversial image, according to Mike Majewski, owner of the Woodbridge Firearms Trading Post in Woodbridge, Conn. He told the Los Angeles Times on Monday that the photo took place when the child's father stopped in recently to look around.

The father was handling the rifle when he noted how light it was and laid it across his daughter's carrier. "She grabbed the rifle and put on a big smile. [The father] thought it was adorable, so he took a picture," Majewski said.

The image was posted on the store's Facebook page and immediately struck a chord.

[onehandle]

1. 'She grabbed the rifle.' What if he had been holding a flaming shish kabob?

Gun culture is not known for its brainpower.

[Eleanors38]

2. Oh, the horror. nt

[rbrnmw]

3. sick people

[Ed Suspicious]

4. They should take one with the kid holding a butcher knife, or maybe a bottle of pills or pesticide,

maybe behind the wheel of a car. It's just dumb.

[Lizzie Poppet]

5. This should be popcorn-worthy.

[smokey775]

6. Bolt open, no round in the chamber, not actually on her lap.

[Skittles]

7. these people have no idea how stupid they sound

no clue whatsoever

[rrneck]

8. ..

[linuxman]

9. I've seen a few pics out there of people posing toddlers with gun which piss me right off.

This isn't one of them.

In the state the gun is in for this picture, it's about as lethal as a fishing rod.

Must be a slow week for the outrage brigade.

[sakabatou]

10. *facepalm*

[Pretzel_Warrior]

11. Fucker can't even take a clear picture

Baby's face is all blurry & shit. And that is the real tragedy.

[Jenoch]

12. There might be photos where parents are negligent.

This is not one of them. Relax people.