INDIANAPOLIS — U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., delivered a full-throated defense of gun ownership Friday, telling a National Rifle Association audience that firearms are central to achieving the American Dream.
The dream, Rubio said, is not just a measure of financial prosperity but the ability to raise a family in a home that is stable, safe and secure. That, in turn, rests on the ability to possess a firearm for self-protection, the lawmaker said.
“The safety of our families is not something people should hope government can provide,” Rubio told delegates to the NRA’s annual convention, held this year in Indianapolis.
Rubio was one of several prospective 2016 presidential hopefuls to address the gathering, a ritual courtship for GOP contenders. Others on the bill included former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, the runner-up for the 2012 Republican nomination; and Govs. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Mike Pence of Indiana.
