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Jeb Bush just tweeted a picture of his new gun, and everyone is freaking out

America.

 

Andrew Couts

Tech

Posted on Feb 16, 2016   Updated on May 27, 2021, 5:12 am CDT

Jeb Bush may have just accidentally started the most important debate over the soul of America in a generation. 

At exactly 4:27pm ET, the former Florida governor and Republican presidential hopeful tweeted a photo of his new firearm, engraved with his name. With it, a single word: “America.”

Bush—who was, until today, reportedly the only GOP presidential candidate to not own a firearm—implied with his tweet that gun ownership is, at least in part, what it means to be American. In other words, he seems to be saying that America is defined by the Second Amendment’s guarantee of a right to bear arms. It’s a bold statement, one that may win over a few voters in conservative South Carolina, where on Saturday voters will cast their ballots in the state’s Republican primary. 

On Twitter, however, it had an entirely different effect. Within minutes, streams erupted with the rapid-fire burst of a meme coming to life. This is more than just mere jokes, however—this is a meditation on the nature of American life itself. 

(Sorry, this embed was not found.)

https://twitter.com/Adampasick/status/699713330735419397

https://twitter.com/mccaig/status/699715211255746560

These go on endlessly. From earnest to absurd, it’s clear Americans have a lot to say about what they think America is, what it should be, and what it could become.

Either that, or everyone’s just kind of bored.

Photo via Jeb Bush/Twitter

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*First Published: Feb 16, 2016, 7:44 pm CST