HOUSTON — A Mother’s Day tweet by the National Rifle Association set off a firestorm on Twitter Sunday.
It featured a woman and young girl, each holding guns, with the title “Mama Didn’t Raise a Victim.”
“Happy Mother’s Day to all NRA moms! On top of the millions of other jobs moms have, NRA moms fight for our right to self-defense, while also defending themselves, their families, and communities,” the tweet said. “We are forever grateful for these fierce women.”
“My reaction was you have to be kidding me,” said Gyl Switzer with Texans for Gun Sense. “The NRA is so despicable that I don’t know why it catches me off guard.”
“So, what is this mother supposed to do? Leave her daughter helpless and defenseless to spare someone else’s feelings?” argued David Amad with Open Carry Texas. “Knowing how to defend yourself is no different than knowing how to change your tire. “When you have a flat, you can handle the situation. A gun is nothing but a tool.”
Twitter commenters mostly disagreed with that argument, calling the tweet it “gross,” “disgusting,” and “a terrorist organization using children as props.”
Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter Jaime was one of 17 killed in the Parkland school shooting, fired back with this message: “Happy Mother’s Day to all of the grieving moms. On top of millions of other jobs moms have, far to [sp] many have to take car of families destroyed by gun violence. Today, my wife started Mother’s Day at the cemetery, visiting our daughter who was murdered in the Parkland shooting.”
“That child looks 8 or 9. Does the NRA support arming children? Open carry playgrounds? Grades schools?” Daniel O’Neail asked.
“Wow! Aside from a kid with a rifle being disturbing, the mom has a drum, sights and a suppressor. So she is set for long-range, high capacity killing with limited sound that would attract attention. Nothing disturbing about this, right?” replied Tantum Vero.
The timing of the post was also widely criticized. A mass shooting at a Colorado Springs birthday party left six dead on Mother’s Day. It was the second mass shooting in Colorado in less than two months. Ten people, including a police officer from Houston, were gunned down at a Boulder grocery store on March 22.
Just last week, a girl in 6th grade shot two students and a teacher at a school in Idaho. They all survived.
But the NRA also has its defenders on Twitter.
“I grew up with guns around that age as [did] most of my friends. Never have I thought of taking one to school or shooting someone,” Bill Neely replied. “It comes down to teacher right from wrong and respect of the weapon. Options from people who think all guns and people are bad mean nothing.”
“Arming yourself isn't about fear, it's about equalizing. There are instances of kids protecting themselves and family with a weapon at home,” Justin responded.
“I support little girls learning firearm safety and education,” JRod tweeted.
Gun violence was the leading cause of death in children and teens in 2017 and has continued to rise every year since, according to the Children’s Defense Fund. They say 3,410 young people died from guns that year– one every 2 hours and 34 minutes.
We reached out to the NRA for comment but didn't hear back. The controversial organization touts its Eddie Eagle gunsafe program to teach children gun safety.