Call it a “Merry Christmas from the Second Amendment.” A company in Wisconsin has given each of their employees a handgun as a Christmas bonus.
The company, known as Ben Shot, makes novelty glassware embedded with a bullet. They said in a statement to the press that they believe that giving their employees a choice of handguns as a gift, is part of an effort to promote team building and personal safety.
The company has 16 full-time employees, including several veterans, and some who have never fired a gun. This is the first time the company decided to give employees a handgun. The father-son business started in 2015 in a small garage workshop in a village of 3,000 residents, 100 miles northwest of Milwaukee.
Several employees were excited about the Christmas gift, and feel that it will empower them and keep them safe. Yet, at least two employees did state they initially declined the gift but considered accepting it after taking a gun safety course that company executives required before gifting the guns.
Employees had the opportunity to choose which type of gun they wanted from a list of those with a value of up to $500. Some chose smaller, less expensive firearms, while others picked larger ones, which allowed to company to have some money left over. The executives used the savings to buy additional equipment like holsters and ammunition, which they also shared among the employees.
The company executives admit that in these times of so many mass shootings, even in the workplace, that their gifting of guns could be considered controversial by some. However, the owners stated they weren’t worried about workplace violence since the “business has a small staff and all employees know each other well.”
So what do you think of handguns as a Christmas gift? Good idea, or bad? Please reply using the comments below!