Obama Gun Photo Tweet Misfires; Outrage Explodes Online

The White House tweeted a Father's Day photo of President Barack Obama holding a toy gun and playing with his daughter Sunday, but the image quickly became Twitter fodder as users voiced their outrage.

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The toy gun picture angered many people who have complained that schools are too rigid in their disciplining of students nowadays. In the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre, a 6-year-old Maryland boy was suspended after making a gun hand gesture and saying "pow," an Illinois teen was kicked out of class for wearing a Marines T-shirt that had a picture of a gun on the front, and a 7-year-old Maryland student was disciplined for chewing his Pop-Tart into the shape of a weapon.

Hope all the dads out there have a great Father's Day weekend: http://t.co/JFD34sfklp #QualityTime pic.twitter.com/2UvcSk1VYk

— The White House (@whitehouse) June 15, 2013

Oh, how militaristic! "@whitehouse: ...have a great Father's Day wknd: http://t.co/SuRyvFk9m3 #QualityTime pic.twitter.com/yIU0ges42b"

— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) June 15, 2013

@whitehouse hey is that a toy gun in your hand...you should be suspended from the wh any kid in any school would be ...

— American dad (@pissedoffjoe64) June 15, 2013

.@whitehouse Well this is awkward. You know the culture you've created has gotten kids suspended for this kinda behavior, right?

— Brie Marshall (@brie_em) June 16, 2013

@IngrahamAngle @whitehouse I thought he advocated a zero tolerance gun-free zone policy.

— John Winkler (@JohnLWinkler) June 16, 2013

NRA up-sucking MT @whitehouse: Hope all dads out there have a great Father's Day weekend: http://t.co/inOboIELWv pic.twitter.com/SHMhVk8RqA

— Simon Usborne (@susborne) June 16, 2013

@IngrahamAngle @whitehouse At a lot of schools if he showed up like that they call the cops because he's got a "gun". Nuts

— Dwight Howell (@deowll) June 16, 2013

A photo of Obama skeet shooting at Camp David was similarly mocked back in February. The image was publicized in an attempt to quiet the chatter surrounding the president's comments to the New Republic that he goes skeet shooting "all the time."

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The National Rifle Association quickly condemned the photo.

"One picture does not erase a lifetime of supporting every gun ban and every gun-control scheme imaginable," said Andrew Arulanandam, the organization's spokesman, in a statement.  

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