A Tennessee congressman who posed with assault rifles for his family Christmas card is facing a backlash after a school shooter left six people dead in his district.
Andy Ogles, who represents the Nashville area where three children and three adults were shot dead at a private Evangelical primary school, said he was “utterly heartbroken by this senseless act of violence”.
However, his tribute was criticised in light of the Christmas card from 2021, which he posted along with the message that firearms “deserve a place of honour with all that is good”.
In the card, Mr Ogles is seen standing with his wife Monica and three young children in front of a Christmas tree. Both parents and the two eldest children are holding rifles.
Mrs Ogles has a purple AR-15 – the type of gun used in 10 of the 17 deadliest US mass shootings since 2012. It appears that their young son is holding one too.
Meanwhile, Mr Ogles appears to have the most sophisticated weapon – fitted with a scope and a sound muffler.
Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter Jaime was one of 17 people killed in the 2018 Parkland school shooting, said on Twitter: “The tragedy of the latest mass shooting is listening to Tennessee politicians who refuse to call it a shooting but who engaged in behaviour that caused this to be more likely when they glorify guns.”
The shooting has shone a spotlight on Tennessee’s attitude towards weapons.
In July 2021, new rules were introduced allowing adults over the age of 21 to carry a handgun openly or concealed without a permit. Tennessee Republicans are looking to expand the regulations further to include all firearms.
The party is also behind efforts to have the age at which you can carry guns without a permit reduced to 18, and to allow permit holders to bring their handgun onto college campuses.
Joey Hensley, a state senator, said last month: “Currently, college students can carry a weapon up until they step foot on campus.
“But this bill would ensure that eligible college students can carry a firearm to defend themselves on campus. All people have a right to defend themselves. Students on college campuses should be no different.”
Tennessee is at the forefront of some of the most extreme legislation in America.
Abortion became illegal in all cases in Tennessee last summer. There is no exception for rape, incest or medical emergencies.
This hardline stance led to alarm across America that the lives of women were being put in danger.
Only now is an amendment to the bill being put forward which would allow doctors to act to end the pregnancy if the mother’s life is in danger.
But the “affirmative defence” for doctors means that the burden is on the physician to prove that an abortion was medically necessary, instead of requiring the state to prove the opposite.
Lobbyists, including the powerful Tennessee Right To Life Christian anti-abortion group, have decried the efforts to “weaken” the law.
Elsewhere, Tennessee has become the first US state to outlaw drag shows in public places or in front of children.
The bill defined such entertainment as including “adult-oriented” performances by strippers, go-go dancers or “male or female impersonators”. It bans them from occurring within 1,000 feet of schools, public parks, or places of worship.
Supporters of the legislation say it is intended to protect children.
“It gives confidence to parents that they can take their kids to a public or private show and will not be blindsided by a sexualised performance,” said Jack Johnson, the Republican Tennessee senate majority leader.
A first offence would be a misdemeanour punishable by jail time of up to a year and fines totalling up to $2,500 (£2,073). Any subsequent offence would be a felony, carrying a sentence of between one and six years in prison.
And earlier this month, Bill Lee, the governor of Tennessee, signed a law that bans gender-affirming care for minors.
The bill specifies that minors who receive care cannot be held liable, but lawsuits could be brought up against a minor’s parents.
Lawmakers argue that there are serious concerns over long-term outcomes and whether minors are capable of making such consequential decisions.
Supporters of the treatment say it is essential for children and adults experiencing gender dysphoria.
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