Unsurprisingly, guns were a popular Christmas gift for Americans this year.
The National Retail Federation predicted that gun sales would rise 4% in November and December as holiday shoppers sought firearms to put under Christmas trees. On Black Friday alone, 175,000 federal background checks were conducted -- a record.
Nothing says merry Christmas like a gun pic.twitter.com/MWZu4Suddi— Casey McKlindon (@casey_mcklindon) December 25, 2014
Comedian Joe Mande, who has more than 1 million Twitter followers, drew attention to the gun-as-gift obsession Thursday by highlighting some of the people tweeting about their new guns on Christmas morning. Some photos that he retweeted showed young children with their first guns in tow. Moms, dads, sisters and brothers celebrated their gifts.
It's been another year of guns in the news in the U.S. -- everything from the shooting of Michael Brown to the 9-year-old girl who accidentally killed her shooting instructor with an Uzi. The Pew Research Center said this month that for the first time in two decades, more Americans support gun rights (52%) than gun control (46%).
And Americans of all ages are clearly excited about getting new guns for Christmas. Here are more of the tweets Mande highlighted:
I got a GUN for Christmas... So there's that pic.twitter.com/98K15aX5wc— Beyoncé(ddie) (@EddieDeWitt) December 25, 2014
My fiancé got me a gun for Christmas!!! keeeeeeperr.— jorden (@hickchickf250) December 25, 2014
my Christmas this year- a gun & dorm stuff — jessie. (@viajessie) December 25, 2014
My sister got a gun for Christmas. So tight.— meremaid (@momhugs) December 25, 2014
my brother got a gun for Christmas & asked if I would be his first target — Miranda (@MirandaLynC) December 25, 2014
I got a machine gun for Christmas and Idk why — shelby (@_shelbs45) December 25, 2014
The adult red Ryder carbine action bb gun. Merry Christmas! #223 pic.twitter.com/Bo6yyJ8TDp— Chad Parks (@ChadBassParks) December 25, 2014
I really hope my parents got me a new gun for Christmas. Last year my mom got a glock, I think it's my turn! — Kathleen Sawtell (@katsawtell) December 25, 2014
Every time I don't tell my dad what I want for Christmas I end up with a gun pic.twitter.com/Z2cmgeJbKX— Mishel Daletski (@Mish_Daletski) December 25, 2014
AR15 for Christmas — slynn (@shellllbb) December 25, 2014
I JUST GOT AN AR 15 FOR CHRISTMAS OH MY GOD I COULD CRY— ⓚⓐⓢⓢⓘⓓⓨⓛⓐⓨⓝⓔ (@kasskinsey) December 25, 2014
My 12 year old brother got a gun for Christmas— Christina (@thereal_xtina) December 25, 2014