Oh baby! Didn't this dad know this photo of his baby would start a ruckus? A gun enthusiast posted a photo of his 6-month-old baby holding a rifle on Facebook, and now everyone is (groan) up in arms over it. Christopher Duffy says he was being perfectly safe about taking the photo and that if we have a problem with the image, that's our problem. He's not forcing us to look at this highly provocative image that's now all over the news and the Internet!
Here's the photo Duffy shared.
And here's what he had to say about the response to the photo.
Other people being upset about it? I don’t force their kids to do anything. I don’t force them to do anything. My hand was on it, the bolt was open, it was safety checked. I’m not sure how wide the picture is. She’s clearly in her seat just sitting up, one hand on the scope, one hand on the barrel.
Please. How disingenuous can you get? Seriously? Never mind my own personal response to the photo. Why would you want to put your baby at the center of a furious debate? I think the whole "Whuuut, I'm not forcing you to look at my troll-bait photo" argument is so lame and irresponsible.
Parents, we all know how the Internet works. Don't act so incredulous and defensive when you post a photo of your freakin' BABY holding a GUN when you know full well how polarized America is about guns and children. Set a good example for your kids by being more honest with yourself, responsible for what you put out on the Internet, and protective of what happens to your children's images.
See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.
Do you think parents should know better than to post provocative photos of their children like this on the Internet?
Image via WTNH8/YouTube