Editor’s Note: For anyone that missed it — back in October 2016 Dom Raso sat down with us and told us what was what. We salute Dom and thank him immensely for his service to our country. Consider this a throwback piece that needed to have a place on Tactical-Life.com.
Let me say something to every political hack pretending you know an AR-15 from a double-barreled shotgun in the wake of the Orlando terror attack: Stop talking. Every word not only exposes your ignorance, but your utter contempt for ordinary Americans trying to survive in an age of terror you still won’t fully recognize.
Hillary Clinton says “weapons of war have no place on our streets” and that we need to ban AR-15s immediately. Unlike Hillary, I’ve actually used AR-15s. I was a U.S. Navy SEAL for 12 years. Now I train average, everyday Americans to protect themselves and their families. And for the vast majority of people I work with, there is no better firearm to defend their homes against realistic threats than an AR-15.
These rifles are easy to learn and easy to use. They’re accurate. They’re reliable. And I guarantee that if the Founding Fathers had known this gun would be invented, they wouldn’t have rewritten the Second Amendment—they would have fortified it in stone. Because they knew that the only way for us to stay free is by having whatever guns the bad guys have.
This firearm gives average people the advantage they so desperately need—and deserve—to protect their life, liberty and happiness. But it isn’t just the anti-gun politicians attacking our rights. With every broadcast, media outlets prove just how ignorant and desperate for ratings they truly are.
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Former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson recently asked, “Do we need AR-15s to hunt and kill deer? Do we need them to protect our families?” Look, Gretchen is a great broadcaster. And I’m glad she’s on the side of freedom on most Second Amendment issues. But the fact of the matter is, she simply does not understand what she’s talking about. The Second Amendment has nothing to do with hunting. And when it comes to defending your family, what does it say to you when I—a retired SEAL, someone who trains on every conceivable firearm platform and in hand-to-hand combat, someone who is more prepared for and capable in a firefight than almost every American alive—turn to the AR-15 to defend my family?
Choosing to defend your home with an AR-15 is a common-sense choice that tens of millions of Americans are making, and our neighborhoods and communities are safer for it. Let’s run through some of the latest attacks and see how banning so-called “assault weapons” would’ve turned out.
- California bans “assault weapons.” That didn’t stop the attack in San Bernardino.
- No ban on ARs, or any guns, would have stopped the Boston Marathon bombing.
- ISIS’ well-coordinated attack in France wasn’t deterred by the country’s strict gun control laws.
- Brussels’ gun ban did nothing to stop terrorists from killing innocent civilians.
But every single one of these tragedies ended with police officers carrying AR-15s rushing to the scene as fast as possible.
Hillary Clinton’s solution to stopping terror attacks is to ban the very gun that stops terror attacks. And she calls that common sense! Why would you want to ban the gun that you pray for police to show up with?
Here’s a common-sense solution to stopping terror attacks: Make sure law-abiding citizens are prepared to deal with the imminent threats we face. Hillary Clinton is prepared. She knows ARs are a powerful defense against radical Islamic terrorists. That’s why she’s been surrounded by guards armed with them for the past three decades. AR-15s are fine for Hillary and her family. But average Americans who watch the news and feel genuine fear for their families’ safety—she wants to deny them the level of protection she insists upon herself.
I fought this enemy face-to-face for 12 years, so I know how they think and I know the hatred that burns inside them. I urge every law-abiding American to take measures to defend yourself. Arm yourself. Get the proper training. Be aware of your surroundings at all times. Demand your national right to carry—and use it.
This threat is real. And the AR-15 is one of the most effective tools available to protect yourself and your family. Embrace your freedom. Buy one if you want to. Train and learn how to use it. Your safety is in your hands. And keep fighting for our Second Amendment rights.
The above article is from the 2017 edition of AR Rifleman magazine. To subscribe, please visit OutdoorGroupStore.com.
