Guns & Poses With Santa: Anything Wrong With That?

By Mark Memmott

Published November 30, 2011 at 9:14 AM CST

The Scottsdale Gun Club says it got the idea for the photo op last year when a club member happened to come in dressed as Santa.

A Democratic state representative in Arizona thinks it's wrong for a Scottsdale gun club to be giving folks, including children, a chance to have their photos taken with Santa Claus while "holding pistols and military-style rifles," The Associated Press says.

State Rep. Steve Farley says "to involve machine guns and Santa in a celebration in the birth of Jesus Christ is the worst kind of heresy I can imagine."

But Scottsdale Gun Club general manager Ron Kennedy says customers just want "to express their holiday spirit and passion for firearms."

So, here's a question. We'll keep it open until the end of Thursday:

(Reminder: It's a question meant to spark discussion, not a scientific survey.)

Mark Memmott

Mark Memmott is NPR's supervising senior editor for Standards & Practices. In that role, he's a resource for NPR's journalists – helping them raise the right questions as they do their work and uphold the organization's standards.

See stories by Mark Memmott

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