Former NFL kicker Jay Feely took a photo with his daughter and her date Saturday night before the two yoots headed off for the prom. Like so many dads before him, he thought it would be funny to pose pose with a firearm, an implied warning to his daughter’s beau that he’d better treat her well. Thinking nothing of the just-for-fun photo, he put it up on Twitter.

And surprise! He became the latest innocent poster to find himself on the receiving end of social media condemnation and opprobrium. Not that that’s unusual. Some people seem to have nothing better to do than troll their Twitter feed looking for posts that anger them. It doesn’t take much to stir up the hornet’s nest of outrage.

But Feely’s prom pic appears to have brought even more concern trolls out from under their electronic bridges than usual, no doubt because of the presence of a firearm in this time of post-Parkland hysteria and anti-gun virtue signaling. Even mainstream media outlets took notice.

Trying to use reason and facts to tamp down the controversy, Feely tweeted this:

He apparently hasn’t been paying attention. You can’t argue with or appease the online pitchfork mafia once you become the target of their aggression.

Teen Vogue got in on the virtual dog pile, opining that the time has come for dads to stop treating their daughters like chattel.

Sure, maybe some people think it is cute that a father wants to protect his daughter, but looking at the root of these “jokes” reveals far more nefarious themes. The outdated idea that a father must protect his daughter’s chastity perpetuates the belief that a woman’s sexuality is something to be owned — or that it needs to be protected by violence.

Using guns makes it worse; such stereotypes diminish the threat of gun violence by turning it into a punchline. The terrifying reality is that gun violence is the third leading cause of death for American children, according to Everytown for Gun Safety. It’s no laughing matter. In an era where teens are fighting for gun control and school shootings regularly happen, there’s no room for comments that threaten a teenager, or anyone else, with a gun. It’s also worth remembering that gun violence affects women in specific ways; according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation — which disproportionately affects women — increases the risk of homicide by 500%.

There is a long history of viewing women — and especially young women — as property, and these types of viral comments reflect that misogynistic way of thinking. While some people might believe these fathers are just demonstrating love for their daughters by being “protective,” this behavior takes away the agency of the young women involved. Furthermore, this stereotype plays into the idea that women are fragile creatures in need of saving — a theme that has been drilled into our brains since childhood days of fairy tales and Disney princesses.

Many fathers, gun owners in particular, will surely learn an important lesson from Feely’s experience, though maybe not the one Teen Vogue intends: social media a churning septic tank of outrage, hot takes, snarky comebacks and pics of cats playing the piano. Post at your own risk.

 

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98 COMMENTS

  1. All the father has to do is declare himself a follower of the “religion of peace” and call all these commies out on being racist.

  2. Indeed, the doting daughter and smiling boyfriend look oh, so threatened.

    This image is a case study in faux outrage from the left, and concern trolling from the right.

    • True Story: 20 years ago when I picked up my prom date, her dad (who I knew well and there was mutual respect) wanted to do something similar, so he did the old “cleaning the 1911 at the table” ploy.

      Problem was he hadn’t done it in so long he forgot how to reassemble! I helped him and went on our merry way for the evening.

      • After twenty four years of marriage my son in law is still nervous around me. Teach your daughters to infer vague details about you and your gun collection in most cases will do the trick.

      • The same people saying the daughter should have free agency, dad’s an a-hole, etc etc, are also the one saying that we live in a rape culture where just about every young woman is going to be date raped, and that teenage gang members shouldn’t be tried as adults as they don’t know right from wrong yet.

        Always consider the source.

        Thought experiment: If he held up a box of condoms instead, do you think the left would have applauded?

  3. Sounds like the females who replied are upset that their fathers didn’t give enough of a damn to care about and protect them. As long as the daughter is living under the father’s roof, her protection is his highest calling and most important job. Maybe if their fathers had loved them, they would not have turned into FLAME DELETED.

  5. My standard online response to Twatters and Faceboored trolls is : “Go F%^k Yourself”…

  6. And the father of the year award goes to Jay Feely. To hell with the trolls and Leftards. Their opinion does not mean shit to me. Just as our rights mean nothing to them.

  7. I’ll never understand the creepy incestuous men who think that if they “scare off the boys”, that their daughter will have sex with them. She’s never going to screw you, so stop trying to force her to.

        • Psychology 101 suggests that if that’s the first place is head runs to (incest), then it’s probably what’s on his mind and what he wants the most.

    • Do we need to discuss the logical reasons why female chastity is valued more than male chastity or why fathers would be incentivized to protect it? No?

      As for the incest… yeah… that’s your thing commie. Moral degeneracy is staple of the DNC at this point. Incest, pedophilia, etc… I don’t think I can point to a single moral standard that the DNC hasn’t made a mockery of in the past few decades.

      • Kudos for recognising the biological difference between males and females. It’s hard to find someone that doesn’t brainlessly presume otherwise.

    • Now that’s something I’ve never seen on TTAG. Been gone for a while, life caught up. We banging our kids now?

      • Sounds more like a bunch of pedos trying to justify treating their daughters like property for them to use as they please. But go on and insult the one person here who actually thinks women are human beings too. 👍🏻

      • No kidding! What kind of creepy jumps to that? And they wonder why people like me carry a gun… Acting like an incestuous perv isn’t exactly making me think someone is stable. Unstable people are dangerous. Enough said on that one.

    • A dad wants to help make sure his daughter doesn’t have to tweet #metoo and you think he wants to sleep with her? If that’s where your mind goes, it sounds seriously like projection. Maybe seeing a therapist might help.

      I wish my father had been so protective of me, after I was raped in high school.

  8. All part of the easily offended group. I happened to have been cleaning my guns when the guy came by. No pics tho.

  9. Funny that lefty douches make it about sexuality. It’s not; the implied threat is over potential mistreatment, disrespect, and lack of honor. Any of those perpetrated against man’s daughter should earn you a hole in the ground.

      • Well, obviously, it’s a sliding scale. Proceed directly to murder at your own risk.

        • He said “honor” and “disrespect”, not “violent crime”. Not sure how criminal justice comes in, unless you’ve somehow turned into a “disagreeableness is violence” leftist.

          More generally, it’s bizarre that so many people here think that treating all males as pre-rapists is somehow ok. It’s no different than treating all gun owners as pre-spree-shooters.

        • Yes… because a polite (if forceful) reminder to a hormone driven punk to keep his pants on is exactly the same as treating him as a “pre-rapist”…

      • No, in Pakistan they kill women for showing their faces. In the civilized world we shoot men because women are speshul.

  10. Let’s see…Daddy poses for a photo by standing between daughter and her date, while holding a hand gun!? The clear message is what? That you own a gun? You make a strong case that MANY GUN OWNERS SHOULD NOT OWN A GUN!! Totally irresponsible.

    Meh. It’s a joke.

    But if it wasn’t a joke… then little snake charmer and snake cager, better keep his snake in the cage or there could be trouble! And he may want to consider avoiding that family altogether.

    Cool to know if your daughter has any self agency you’ll shoot her boyfriend.

    Well. If he raised her right, she won’t have that kind of “self agency.”

  11. The only way to win against the mob of outrage is to never apologize, explain or rationalize. Ignore them. They hate that most of all.

  12. clearly they’re enjoying themselves. the important conversations are the ones you have with her… ‘cuz your not gonna be there.
    the conversation with him doesn’t even need words. they know. say it however you need to.
    chattel? poppity? bite me. that’s my lil’ one with the brain full of shake my head. kiss my ass.
    i’ll clean whatever i want when he stops by. if he’s worth a damn he’ll be curious.

  13. I have two sons and two daughters. The older of the girls is 16.
    My older son and I make sure to make date night “Gun Cleaning and Ammo Inventory Night”

  14. The left: Teenage girls should be allowed self agency in their sexual life!
    Also the left: Teenage girls should NOT be allowed self agency in their defense of life!

    • Oh no the left is the only group that thinks women are people too. Didn’t you hear? Oh they aren’t allowed to fend off a rapist with more than an app on their phone but yeah they can do anything else. Having moral standards and wanting to protect your loved ones is now a terrible thing. Yes the Marxists are completely retarded. Good thing most of them don’t have guns.

  16. I wish my date’s daddy had brandished a gat at me…I wouldn’t have that 43year old son😄😧😏Seriously I don’t care but damn why do all these folks feel the need to publish their goofiness?!?

  17. Of course, most dad’s that love & care about their families are probably thinking the same, Jay just had the nerve to post the pic. And, yes, I thought it was funny.

  18. There’s gotta be a name for the psychological manipulation method of pretending to be angry

  19. if it would have been holstered and not meant as anything but “dad carries every day” with no joke or purposely displaying of a firearm it still would have been a problem, what if that 1911 was a gift for the boy as intent to protect his possibility of a future wife? still a problem? bet it is somehow….😉

  20. It’s funny how hypocritical the left is with, we must protect women #metoo, but when a father protects his daughter he’s a misogynist.
    I was a horny teen boy who wanted to hump any woman with a pulse and who would date me. Now I’m a mature man with a Wife and Daughter . I know what high school/ college boys are thinking. I also teach my daughter HER responsibility in dating, use common sense, don’t lead boys on, dress conservatively, don’t make yourself a target of a horny boy’s fantasy (By wearing low cut tops and tight leggings). Finally that her virginity is a gift to her husband, AS WELL AS Her future husbands Virginity is a gift to Her. I want her to have a Happy and Godly Marriage with Honor, respect, and love . My wife and I are the example for my daughter.

      • I hate to break a peice of reality on your head but victim blaming is a double edged sword. Stop and think for a second.

        Let’s say an individual got killed. They didn’t ask to be murdered but it happened on the really bad side of town. The victim knew the risks of going there and chose to anyway. The murderer is still a murderer and completely guilty but the victim let it happen. Many victims could avoid being a victim with a little awareness and effective decision making.

        Now before you say that’s not how it is. Yes it is. That example was my brothers death in the slums of Nashville. The guy who the investigation shows committed it (innocent until proven guilty, although he had a record of 7 other possible killings and several proven assaults and attempted homicide) up for trial and rightly so, but my brother could have chose not to go to the ghetto to pick up his trashy obviously gang affiliated coworker on his off day and he wouldn’t have been a notch on some thugs weapon.

        Oh and coming from a woman and with sisters the dad with a gun is a good thing. More scary was my 4’10” mom with a gun. Better though, the girl with a gun (me but my sister never cared for guns).

  21. I support this guy 100% and only differ on style. I prefer to be more subtle. If you do it right, punk’s imagination will torment him more if he doesn’t everything you have in mind.

    “I know where you sleep. I know which window is yours. I know a place in the woods that would be perfect…”

  23. The solution is simple. Ban Facebook, Twitter, and all other “social media”. That would go a LONG WAY to defusing today’s polarized powderkeg.

    • Yep, tread on 1A. That’ll reunify the polarization by blasting the entire powderkeg at once.

  24. Daddy’s Rules for Dating His Daughters

    Rule One:

    If you pull into my driveway and honk you’d better be delivering a package, because you’re sure not picking anything up.

    Rule Two:

    You do not touch my daughter in front of me. You may glance at her, so long as you do not peer at anything below her neck. If you cannot keep your eyes or hands off of my daughter’s body, I will remove them.

    Rule Three:

    I am aware that it is considered fashionable for boys of your age to wear their trousers so loosely that they appear to be falling off their hips. Please don’t take this as an insult, but you and all of your friends are complete idiots. Still, I want to be fair and open minded about this issue, so I propose this compromise: You may come to the door with your underwear showing and your pants ten sizes too big, and I will not object. However, in order to ensure that your clothes do not, in fact, come off during the course of your date with my daughter, I will take my electric nail gun and fasten your trousers securely in place to your waist.

    Rule Four:

    I’m sure you’ve been told that in today’s world, sex without utilizing a “Barrier method” of some kind can kill you. Let me elaborate, when it comes to sex, I am the barrrier, and I will kill you.

    Rule Five:

    It is usually understood that in order for us to get to know each other, we should talk about sports, politics, and other issues of the day. Please do not do this. The only information I require from you is an indication of when you expect to have my daughter safely back at my house, and the only word I need from you on this subject is: “early”

    Rule Six:

    I have no doubt you are a popular fellow, with many opportunities to date other girls. This is fine with me as long as it is okay with my daughter. Otherwise, once you have gone out with my little girl, you will continue to date no one but her until she is finished with you. If you make her cry, I will make you cry.

    Rule Seven:

    As you stand in my front hallway, waiting for my daughter to appear, and more than an hour goes by, do not sigh and fidget. If you want to be on time for the movie, you should not be dating. My daughter is getting ready, a process than can take longer than painting the Golden Gate Bridge. Instead of just standing there, why don’t you do something useful, like changing the oil in my car?

    Rule Eight:

    The following places are not appropriate for a date with my daughter: Places where there are beds, sofas, or anything softer than a wooden tool. Places where there is darkness. Places where there is dancing, holding hands, or happiness. Places where the ambient temperature is warm enough to introduce my daughter to wear shorts, tank tops, midriff T-shirts, or anything other than overalls, a sweater, and a goose down parka zipped up to her throat. Movies with a strong romantic or sexual theme are to be avoided; movies which features chain saws are okay. Hockey games are okay. Old folks homes are better.

    Rule Nine:

    Do not lie to me. I may appear to be a potbellied, balding, middle-aged, dimwitted has-been. But on issues relating to my daughter, I am the all-knowing, merciless god of your universe. If I ask you where you are going and with whom, you have one chance to tell me the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I have a shotgun, a shovel, and five acres behind the house.

    Rule Ten:

    Be afraid. Be very afraid. It takes very little for me to mistake the sound of your car in the driveway for a chopper coming in over a rice paddy near Hanoi. When my Agent Orange starts acting up, the voices in my head frequently tell me to clean the guns as I wait for you to bring my daughter home. As soon as you pull into the driveways you should exit the car with both hands in plain sight. Speak the perimeter password, announce in a clear voice that you have brought my daughter home safely and early, then return to your car – there is no need for you to come inside. The camouflaged face at the window is mine.

    • Manse Jolly.
      Fathers like you are the reason young women are “out and about” nowadays. Most likely your daughter will try to go around your rules and I bet any time your daughter is out of the house she is bent over looking at the sheets of a bed.

      One other thing you should actually think about is the your daughters dates’ father, You may appear to be pot bellied, but as long as you can hide behind a shotgun you are all knowing and tough, correct? That five acres of land may be your burial ground as well.

        • I’m sorry I can’t see the humor in his post? He probably has his rules drilled on his daughters bedroom door.

          I like the picture of the article, that’s humorous. Not some drunken fat elder father that hasn’t seen his small tool since inseminating his sister.

        • @Thomas…

          Ah… the “male feminist” rears his head. Funny how frequently said “male feminists” turn out to be rapey creeps…

      • Those rules have been floating around the net forever, they probably predate many birth dates of posters here.

        The rules are a joke meme and have been rewritten in many forms over the years.

        Seriously…lighten up…you are projecting way too much.

    • AND you will come to Sunday family dinner twice before you can take her out.

      I have a shovel, a long handle shovel. And there are many many acres of empty land.

    • I like it!

      When the boy shows up, everyone should have a list of questions:

      1) What is the purpose of your dating my daughter? What goal are you trying to achieve in dating my daugher???

      2) What time are you going to have her back? And what do you think is going to happen to you if you don’t have her back at that time???

      3) Where do you plan on going today? I need a complete list and in order with times.

      4) Are you aware that we need to talk philosophically about society, politics, and science about conflicts of our time? I need to grasp your stance, mental development, and articulation on these issues.

      5) I need you to write down here on this here piece of paper, your 10 favorite books.

      6) I need you to list on this paper your hobbies, or activities that consume your time.

      7) I need you to list in order of preference these three topics. Your education, God himself, or my daughter. You are good to list them in order of preference right now yea?

      8) What is your future goals in the next 10 years?

      9) If I gave you $75,000 right now, you would:
      Marry my daughter in an awesome wedding, go to a university to further your education, or take the money and run?

      10) Did you bring a copy of your school transcript with you???

      11) I took the liberty of performing a criminal background check prior to your arrival. I haven’t yet opened it. Would you like to disclose anything – anything at all?? – before I do???

      12) Please run me through your typical Friday, Saturday and Sunday. You know, whatever you do during those days.

  25. This photo is clearly a joke, but the idea that he is perpetuating certainly does stem from the idea that female sexuality is taboo for some reason and that its always a man’s fault or responsibility.

    That said, how many of these same people complaining about him doing this with a gun have or will go see the blatantly sexist movie “Blockers” and have no problems with the premise? As a father of a son, the idea of my son being slammed into a wall by Cena for engaging in consensual behavior is certainly really off putting. That movie would never be made about parents trying to prevent a bunch of boys from losing their virginity.

    • Yeah I feel like something more obviously corny like a coach gun would’ve fit the theme better. The pistol seems like it means business. The tweet is still funny though.

  27. From the Tean Vogue reply:

    “domestic violence situation — which disproportionately affects women…”
    and
    “stereotype plays into the idea that women are fragile creatures in need of saving”

    So which is it? Are women disproportionately affected by the type of domestic violence this father is trying to prevent, or do young women need no protection?

    The progressive culture is a rape culture. They are synonymous.

  28. Likely just like this father, I trust my daughters. I have no doubt they can make their own good decisions. History has proven me correct thus far. Like this father, I have let their dates understand that I trust my daughters, but not them, and that if they try to force themselves on any of them I will certainly murder them and bury them in a hole on the farm. I show them the backhoe and the hole.
    I let me sons know that if they should ever force themselves on any girl, I will find out, and I will certainly murder them and bury them out in a hole on the farm. I show them the backhoe and the hole.

    • People just don’t understand the value of having the hole dug first. Glad to see someone else still has some common sense.

      • The most valuable thing anyone can have is a friend to who owns a backhoe on a trailer and doesn’t ask a lot of nosy questions.

        “Hey, man! Can I borrow the ‘hoe?”

        “Sure! Bring it back gassed up…”

  29. The dad showing an unholstered gun is an idiot in so many ways. He deserves the backlash.

    • Name one way, besides “I don’t agree with him.”

      Oh right, you can’t…

  30. Todays youth are told they need to be self reliant and learn mistakes on their own and not be told what to do or how to think, so this generation grows up taking drugs that kill them instantly, get pregnant at 12, contract deadly diseases that were nearly eradicated just a few years before, loss, death and destruction follow thousands of misguided youth as they make poor decisions.

    Thus leading to a generation that learn the hard way by destroying their lives, this leads to tomorrows youth being told what not to do, when to take on challenges, a parent who watches over them and guides them as to make sure they don’t make the same mistakes they did…. and the cycle continues….

    A father looks out for his daughters decency because nature does not subscribe to liberal thoughts and ideals, nature runs its course true and steady.
    3000+ years of mankind procreating the same way is a solid proven fact that cannot be suggested away.
    Joke, no joke… doesn’t matter, facts are facts.

    Just as the fact is, bad people exist and always will, somewhere someplace, there is somebody who giving the right chance would try to kill you. No matter who peaceful you try to force yourself to believe society has become, its a facade, we work hard as a society to make it LOOK LIKE there is peace, but behind the scenes, SOMEBODY has to pay the piper, SOMEBODY has to do the dirty work. Just because it isn’t you, doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.

    I say raise your kids how you want, I’ll raise mine how I want, but don’t blame mine for the wrongs yours commit.

  31. I guess it’s a good thing socialist media wasn’t a thing when my daughters were dating. They still talk about how dad always seemed to be cleaning a LOT of guns when the new boyfriend came over to meet the parents. What can I say, neither we’re featured on “teen Mom” and both are well armed productive citizens today.

  32. You can tell everyone is about to bust a gut trying to keep from laughing.
    Must be a slow day for the Progtards.
    I think the photo is funny.

  33. Y’all are disgusting.

    Has this young man threatened the young woman? Has he given any indication that he plans to do anything to her to which she doesn’t consent? No? Then why the implied threat? This just feeds the false and insulting notions that men are all rapists waiting to happen, and that women lack the capacity to consent. All men and women should be see how wrong this is. It is not a joke. There is nothing funny about a culture that treats people this way.

    • you have gotten too emotional for a dumb internet photo. No one was hurt, hell no one even had a gun pointed at them. Both of the children are smiling in the photo.

      Your SJW comments on a website will not going to change the world to be what YOU want it to be. You seem to be one of the very few that have been offending over something so stupid.

    • “Has this young man threatened the young woman? Has he given any indication that he plans to do anything to her to which she doesn’t consent? No? Then why the implied threat?”

      It’s a gag photo. The boy has been dating Fealy’s daughter for over a year.

      “It is not a joke. There is nothing funny about a culture that treats people this way.”

      It IS a joke. It was great in this movie:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZjQFj0vUrY

      “Hey you! If anything happens to my daughter, I’ve got a .45 and a shovel. I doubt anyone would miss you.”

  34. It’s 2018. You need to protect the boy from the girl.

    Attractive + Female + Teenage = Trouble

  35. I love this post!!! The naysayers need to get a life!! I have more important things to do than chastise a man who poses with a firearm, unloaded and non-threatening….the threat is only there when you are an imbecile and go looking for trouble…..my guess is that if the young man causes a problem with the young woman then Dad will call the police…..I raised my daughter (now an adult) to speak for herself and if a young man was doing something she didn’t like, or attempting to touch her inappropriately, she defended herself.
    There have always been LEGAL firearms in my home and NO ONE IN MY FAMILY HAS EVER KILLED ANYONE!!!! Rest assured, tho, under threat to my home or family, I have no qualms taking a life if I have to do so.

    • Then I suggest you stop making these frivolous posts. Less dumb in the world is a good thing, so why subject us to your brand of dumb?.

  37. I’ll never understand why leftists simply don’t go to leftist crybaby sites and whine there. You’re nothing here, but mulch, Lefty.

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