A northern New Mexican gun store had a Martin Luther King Jr. Day sale on gun accessories, but some residents are calling the sale "disturbing."

Americans are more likely to get the MLK Jr. holiday off to honor the civil rights leader than other holidays like Veterans or Christopher Columbus Day. Not only are about 42% of Americans getting the holiday off, but many businesses also take advantage of the holiday by offering sales to entice shoppers into their store. But one store is causing controversy because of the items they are offering on sale for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Los Ranchos Gun Shop in New Mexico took out an advertisement in Sunday's Albuquerque Journal promoting their MLK Jr. sale where you could get 10% off all accessories with the purchase of a gun. If you mentioned the ad in the Albuquerque Journal, you also got an additional 5% off! Owner Mark Abramson said the past three years the shop has seen sales increase on the holiday due to many people being off work.

The problem?

Many people feel that having a sale on guns isn't the best way to celebrate a civil rights leader who was assassinated by a gun. Martin Luther King Jr. also was known as someone who supported non-violent, peaceful protests. Many on social media said that the sale was made in bad taste, but Abramson says he thinks the ad and sale is consistent with Dr. King’s message of equality:

“Jim Crow laws and things that happened immediately after the civil war and continued for almost 100 years denied blacks, denied minorities the right to defend themselves while the majority could do that. Dr. King fought against that."

Still, some in the community think that the holiday should be reserved as a day of remembrance and reflection and not about sale prices.

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