Recently I had the honor of testifying before Congress against a potential ban on assault weapons. It has been apparent for some time there is a well-funded, well-organized effort to undermine the Second Amendment, but it was a sobering experience to sit in the same room with legislators who are advocating banning America’s most popular rifle.

What we heard in that hearing room should shock every American. One congressman called America’s most popular rifle a “weapon of mass destruction,” even though the recently released 2018 FBI statistics reaffirmed that more people are killed each year by hammers and blunt objects than by rifles. Also, though one life unjustifiably taken is one too many, the cry that AR-15s are a “public health crisis” is simply untrue.

Another witness, a police chief, called for a ban on any weapon that could be used to “hunt down a human.” As a police officer who worked the streets for 22 years, I was stunned. I have seen the devastation people are left with when they did not have a way to protect themselves, and these gun-free zones seem to be the problem, not the solution. The chief admonished me for stating that I would not comply with this unconstitutional law, but I will remind her that she and I both took an oath to uphold the Constitution. Also, she confirms what most gun owners have suspected all along, that this talk of gun bans isn’t limited to just the AR-15.

This experience coupled with the Democrat debates where candidates openly talk about banning and confiscating, taxing or registering, modern sporting rifles, continues to pollute the minds of the average American who is fed a constant diet of negativity towards the American gun owners. Once what was taboo and a certain nail in the coffin of a candidate, is now widely embraced by their entire line up, which is making it seem like this type of thinking is “normal.”

Such misinformation or ignorance is the very reason I started the DC Project, a non-profit, educational, and bipartisan effort of women from every state who meet their legislators as gun owners and Second Amendment supporters. Our group is as diverse as any cross-section of America, with no race, religion, or sexual identity disqualifiers.

We are revealing a new face of the American gun owner. According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, women are the fastest-growing segment of gun owners. We want lawmakers to know that more rights restricting laws will only make it harder for us to defend ourselves, our homes, and our families. We want our communities to see that gun owners are not the enemy, and the Second Amendment is for everyone regardless of race, creed, sex, religion, or political affiliation. We want America to know about programs like Project ChildSafe, KidSafe Foundation, FASTER Saves Lives, and Walk the Talk America. These programs are driven by the firearms industry, and we are doing something to combat gun-related deaths. Ask Congress to work with us and fund these programs instead of demonizing us.

This experience has reaffirmed to me that America’s honest, law-abiding gun owners cannot sit back and remain silent. We must be willing to engage, share our stories and help those that are uneducated and misinformed understand that firearms ownership is typical and in fact a key pillar of this country, or we will surely lose our constitutionally protected right. The DC Project is honored to be a voice in the conversation.

If you, your friends, or your family concur and want to support or partner with the DC Project, please visit dcproject.info or reach out on social media.

Dianna Muller is a retired Tulsa, Oklahoma police officer, a competitive shooter, and founder of the DC Project. She is also a guest columnist for Down Range with AWR Hawkins.