The Enthusiasts
October 13th, 2009
Nothing complements the beauty of mother nature quite like a semi-automatic weapon.
(submitted by anonymous)
AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com
Spreading the Awkwardness
This was funny for a second but it’s mostly really sad and unsettling.
How so, there are are clearly point the guns in a safe direction. Also they all have fingers off triggers.
Uh, real gun safety is pointing the weapon so that you know where a stray bullet will go… So you point the muzzle toward the ground, not up in the air. Because in physics if you shoot something into the air, it will eventually come down.
OMG!!!!! Someone else who actually knows what “muzzle sweep” is!!!
XD
It’s true that point down is safer than pointing up. However it is much harder to keep the gun pointed down and also if dirt gets in the muzzle it could cause an explosion and injure the shooter. So up is alright, it’s highly unlikely a bullet coming down will hit someone. Also fingers are off triggers.
Someone help me…I can’t find the baby in the picture. Oh wait, is that a toddler peeking out from behind the 2nd motorcycle?
the more modern cousins of the Van Helsings?
I know this person. Extremely knowledgeable about firearms, and a heck of a nice guy.
Think what you may, but some people take their constitutional rights seriously. I see nothing wrong with that.
I see nothing awkward about that photo!
I’m Canadian and I just….don’t….get…it
I’m not trying to be negative. I’m just asking because I don’t know…OK? Is there anything like the American second ammendment in Canada? I’m curious…..
No. We have the charter of rights and Freedoms but nothing about guns. In fact we have strict gun laws (by american standards) and as a result, very low gun related deaths. There are other countries with stricter laws who’s crime/death rate involving guns is even lower then canada.
snowrider…I haven’t studied the Canadian Constitution lately, but I don’t think there’s anything in there about the right to bear arms…I could be wrong though. Don’t get me wrong, there are lots of folks (particularly those in rural areas – farmers, hunters etc) who own guns in this country, but I would guess that most of those guns are hunting rifles and not semi-automatic weapons and besides hunting are probably used more for scaring away bears or coyotes. The whole idea of fighting for your right to amass Uzis or carry concealed weapons just isn’t part of the mind-set up here
I’m canadian too and this make me happy to have gun laws!! (save all the negative comments and 2nd ammenment talk. Your happy to have it and we’re happy to not)
I’m American and I just don’t get it. This has nothing to do with 2nd amendment rights in my book. I don’t think (some of) these guns are legal under any amendment.
Those guns are entirely legal.
Oh please please please tell me that that is just the angle and that little girl is not pointing a gun at her sister’s throat! And I clicked in the picture to see how many “Van Helsings” comments there were. So far so good!
Charleton Heston’s family continues the legacy.
Nice mention in today’s Toronto Star:
http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/709116–it-s-like-your-favourite-blog-but-on-paper
thx for letting us know!
Congrats people for exercising your 2nd amendment rights, that is truly awkward these days.
Perspective… none of the weapons are pointed at a person…
“Hurry and take the picture…I have to go meet my parole officer.”
this is creepy to me!
Ahhh, this is what made America great : mullets, tattoos, motorcycles and machine guns. Throw in some small children and the only thing missing is some sort of dead animal tastefully laid out in front of them.
PS. Technically, the person on the left has a lullet (female mullet), though this is beauifully counterpointed by the skin head seated on the right. Ahhh, such symmetry!
The work of an excellent photographer clearly.
Lullet is a new one to me. I’ve only every used “femullet” instead. I now have a new term!
Nothing complements the beauty of mother nature quite like a semi-automatic weapon… yeah and motorcycles too…weird…
It’s kind of like The Waltons……if they were members of the Hell’s Angels.
The Waltons wear helmets.
I see nothing unusual about this photo. I like the uzi the little girl is holding – very good choice for a child of her size!
That one girl better be careful..her gun is pointed right at the younger
girl’s neck!
No, it’s not. The older girl in the center is clearly sitting several inches in front of the younger girl — you can see her left knee is in front of the younger girl’s knee. In that position, the gun she’s holding is pointed at least a foot in front of any part of the younger girl’s body and therefore not dangerous.
Oh my yes. As long as they leave a 12 inch safety margin, it is very safe for siblings to point large guns at each other. Safety first!
I think that’s his wife and that’s their child
This is a picture that needs a soundtrack of ZZ Top.
exactly!
What is WITH Americans and their bizarre love of guns?!
Please don’t assume all Americans are even remotely like this Morag. For the majority of us, this is just disgusting. Not sure why AFP considered this the least bit awkward. It’s just plain scary.
My thoughts exactly.
My sentiments exactly.
And please Morag…don’t assume that all Americans share Sheila’s views. Sheila, don’t assume to speak for “the majority of us”.
Agrees.
Why do Americans like guns. They are fun. Why do Brits like Cricket? For that matter why are you so disturbed by people loving guns?
I bet they were just crazy about President Obama!
or
Is that Sarah Palin’s family??
Awesome. Also awesome is the fact that the sullen one in the front seems to be aiming at the cheerful little sister’s head.
Nope I think it’s just the angle.
The Enthusiasts have just laid waste the Van Helsings, haven’t they?
I have girded myself in anticipation of the next 70,000 semi-automatic jokes. May they beating of the dead joke begin.
Argh. The perfect post marred by typo. Argh. “the” not “they”.
Nothing shall replace the Van Helsings!!!!!!!!!!
Nev-vah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
wooooooooooow
And then you wonder … how did the kids go so wrong?? Oh that’s how!! Please tell me those aren’t real guns. Not so much akward as scary!! Kids should NOT be playing with or posing with a gun!!!!!
I would much rather these girls know how to properly use these guns (rifles?) which they clearly do, than not – since they must be a regular part of family life. Nothing worse than being one of those helpless females who are afraid of guns. Ignorance doesn’t make them go away…like teen pregnancy, or STD’s…
Funny studies show houses with guns end up in accidental death on the children in the house. Gun safety would be better not having one in the first place. Trust me I have no ignorance when it comes to guns. I know all to well the damage they can do to people and children are all too often the ones that pay the price. I’m hardly helpless, I’m empowered by the knowledge that keeps my family safe.
Life is about risk – and you can’t keep children safe from everything, no matter how good a mother you are, Kim. This family has guns, and I’m glad that these girls clearly know how to use them, and are comfortable with using them properly. Better that than being curious about them, and being told that they’re not old enough yet. I suspect they know what bullets really do, instead of what they see on TV – that makes me feel a lot safer!
I’m not crazy about guns in the house myself, but I would venture to guess that the studies showing the accidental deaths with guns rarely, if ever, involve a family such as the one pictured. People with this kind of enthusiasm for guns respect them enough in general to actually make sure that they are handled safely. Gun accidents happen because people don’t take care to store them safely and to make sure that everyone in the house knows how to handle them properly. Honestly, people like this with guns scare me a lot less than that guy in the suburbs without a clue who gets a gun because he’s terrified of home invaders.
the girl in front is totally ready to use it too!
Omg, I hope those are fake.
Baseball, apple pie, and the 2nd amendment!
You forgot hotdogs and Chevrolets!!!
It’s harleys and hotdogs, doof
It’s an old commercial, little girl
XD
The family that kills together, stays together…
The one couple traded their bike for a child.
I would not want to get caught peeing in the bushes by them.
I don’t know what to say about this picture.
1. That sweet little girl in the pink dress holding the gun just bugs me to no end.
2. The older sister is pointing her gun towards the little sister.
3. Who’s bright idea was it to get the family together, get them cleaned up and dressed, find a spot, and bring a photographer to “capture the moment” with big guns?
This whole picture just disturbs me.
1) AGREED!
2) Nope, it’s not– the older girl’s gun is clearly closer to camera, not pointing at the little one’s head.
3) Somebody who wanted to see them get in trouble? Because assault rifles like that aren’t entirely legal…
3) Wrong.
Because:
A) Those aren’t assault rifles, unless they were bought illegally. Assault rifles (automatic weapons) aren’t sold on the open market LEGALLY. Lots of guns that look like them are, some of which are made by the same companies.
B) The Clinton ban expired, and neither side of the “aisle” did anything, AND the media didn’t make a big deal out of it either.
LONG LIVE THE VAN HELSINGS!!!
Define for us all please…exactly what defines an “assult rifle”? Good luck….
An assault rifle is a rifle designed for combat, with selective fire (capable of shooting in both fully automatic and semi automatic modes).
Whew!
Thanx for the luck, it took nearly 10 seconds. XD
Btw, gun legislation (like all legislation) is full of legal terms that you should know regardless of which side of an issue you’re on.
I see everyone has their fingers on the outside of the trigger guards. Good. good. R. Lee Ermey taught you proper trigger hygiene.
The family that slays together, stays together
…especially one pointed at your little sister’s jugular. That puny twerp, always smiling…
I’m all for 2nd amendment rights and all… but this is RIDICULOUS! I don’t care if that gun isn’t loaded… YOU DO NOT LET CHILDREN HANDLE GUNS! EVER!
I have said this before about AFP’s postings in relation to posting pictures of kids with guns.
The attitude by the two people above is both intolerant, ignorant, and irresponsible.
I can think of no better time to teach people about gun safety than when they are children. I suspect that the children in this picture know better how to handle a gun than most adults. And that is a good thing.
Don’t you two have some kind of rally in Berkeley to attend? Some kids are brought up knowing how to properly handle a firearm and respect the power of one. I’d rather they be educated in gun safety than to play with a gun found at a friend’s house while their parents are out of the house.
Thank you for reminding me, I’m late for it.
But she looks so happy! =}
That’s just freaky.
I’ve handled & fired firearms as a child, ever since I was about 6 or 7 years old, but always under close supervision from my father. And even then, I had gun safety drilled into me, & had to demonstrate that I could handle a firearm safely before I was allowed to shoot even a bb gun.
I personally have no problem with kids shooting guns for recreation, as long as they can exhibit good safety habits & are under close supervision of a responsible adult…
Why?
How do you expect them to learn?
Kids that grroen up learning to shoot safely will keep doing it for the rest of there lives. It harder to teach people things as they get older. Many kids are safely brough up every year shooting. Myself included.
I’d say something snarky, but I don’t want them to get angry.
I love how the guys’ weapons all have the biggest, uh, hand grips? Compensating much? LOL!
Umm the only gun with a vertical hand grip is the little girl’s uzi, the rest have magazines in the front, size is determined by desired round capacity and caliber.
Get out much?
Look out, Van Helsings. We are coming for you!
Wow. Is this the one that replaces the Van Helsings?
This is all kindsa awesome.
I’m hoping it’s just the angle, but THERE’S A GUN POINTED AT THAT LITTLE GIRL’S FACE!
I thought the same thing…but it is most definitely just a depth perception thing. It’s pretty funny, though.
Hey, they are practicing gun safety and all have their fingers off the triggers and have the guns pointing away from anyone. They have nice biles too! Not awkward at all.
You can see inside their stomachs???
How?
Are you like, psychotic or something like that?
XD
Looks like a Ted Nugent family reunion.
That was exactly what I was thinking.
It’s a compound bow
XD
Crossbow envy, anyone?
I’ve scrolled a long way for a compound bow comment. They must be cousins of the Van Helsings.
They look like extras from that TV show
Sons of Anarchy….
And from the new hit reality show “Family of Anarchy”!
Wow, this family aren’t just “enthusiastic” gun owners, they know their stuff. Look at the trigger fingers. Not a one on the trigger, even the little ‘uns. Good on them!
If you’re afraid of a gun, you’ve never fired one. You’d be surprised at how much fun they are.
I’m not afraid of guns. I’m afraid of OTHER PEOPLE with guns.
I’m not afraid of guns. I’m afraid of bullets.
Then it’s time to get your own!
I noticed the same thing! EXCELLENT! No fingers on triggers. Even Billy Bob on the far right with the Siaga.
Kross and iLOLd — exactly!
The Kind of People you just try to avoid… But can’t.
I don’t know what’s scarier, teen angst with a gun, or insanely happy little girl with a semiautomatic!
my sentiments exactly…
You smile for a picture any now your “insanely happy”. If you don’t your “teen agust”.
Correction: There is nothing “semi” about those guns.