In a recent controversy over gun laws and rights, anti-gun activists have gone after an Oklahoma City gun shop because of its holiday billboard.
The business said it never expected such backlash from the public for its ad. However, the activists have called the billboard inappropriate and insensitive.
H&H Shooting Sports put up an advertisement billboard that shows Santa Claus wearing dark sunglasses and carrying a rifle over his shoulder. The store also has the same ad image on its website. The now controversial ad is part of the H&H Shooting Sports holiday deal, which it tagged the “12 Deals of Christmas.”
However, since the advertisement went up, gun control activists have continued to condemn it. Some activists spoke to local news outlet Oklahoma City’s KFOR, saying that the ad was unsuitable for kids and passed a “horrible message.” “I’m here to tell you that’s a horrible advertisement because guns are not for children and Santa Claus isn’t for adults,” said Joshua Harris-Till, leader with Moms Demand Action, Oklahoma chapter.
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According to Harris-Till, children could get the wrong ideas from the ad. She said they could see it as an encouragement to play with firearms. “Are we advertising to children here to say, hey, Santa likes guns, you kids, you like guns?” he asked. “It misses the mark in so many different places.”
However, H&H Shooting Sports doesn’t see their ad in that same light. According to the store, the ad isn’t controversial. They also said they were caught “by surprise” to discover that activists were complaining to news outlets.
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According to Mike Rust, VP of Retail Operations, the response they had gotten from the public towards the ad had been “overwhelmingly positive” so far. “Overall, the response has been overwhelmingly positive from our customers in store and on social media. The support for the ad has been incredible, and we are honored and blessed to have such supportive customers,” Rust said, speaking to Fox News Digital.
“Our billboard was intended to turn some heads here locally in a fun and festive way, but when the news story came out, it sort of blew up. Santa Claus is a beloved Christmas icon, and we wanted to include the image as a way to promote our products and get people into the holiday spirit,” Rust added. Regardless, some community members agree that the billboard spreads holiday cheer.
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Cherelle Walker, who lives within the community, disagreed with the gun control activists who said the ad has a dangerous effect on kids. “It’s Christmas, so they are trying to promote and advertise selling their guns,” she told KFOR. Also, other members of the community seemed to agree with Cherelle.
Since KFOR shared the story in a Facebook post last Thursday, December 7, 2023, there have been over 700 comments. A majority of the comments are from people who support H&H Shooting Sport. Many expressed love for the billboard and said it was a great way to advertise. Some people even made jokes that Santa also “needs protection.”
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