Written by Michael Roberts.
A Chinese immigrant delivered a powerful message on the Second Amendment to gun-control advocate David Hogg during a debate at Dartmouth. Lily Tang Williams, a survivor of communist China, questioned Hogg on the potential for government tyranny in the United States.
Lessons from a Survivor of Communism
During a discussion on gun rights, Lily Tang Williams, who is vying for the Republican nomination in New Hampshire, challenged Hogg with her harrowing experiences under Mao Zedong’s regime. “Can you guarantee me, a gun owner tonight, our government in the US, in DC, will never become a tyrannical government?” she asked. Hogg, known for his stance on banning “assault weapons,” admitted he could not ensure that the government would never turn tyrannical.
The Debate on Gun Control
Williams’s confrontation highlighted a critical point in the gun control debate. By admitting the impossibility of guaranteeing a non-tyrannical government, Hogg inadvertently supported the argument for maintaining robust Second Amendment rights. Williams responded decisively, emphasizing that such an admission ends the debate on gun control, declaring, “I will never give up my guns.” She suggested that Hogg visit China to observe firsthand how disarmament under the Chinese Communist Party has affected its citizens.
Firearms Versus Other Weapons
The debate also touched on the use of different weapons in crimes, contrasting the relatively lower number of killings by rifles with those by knives and personal weapons. This statistic underscores a frequent point made by Second Amendment advocates: that focusing on gun control may overlook broader issues of violence that are not dependent on the type of weapon used.
Our Take
The exchange between Williams and Hogg is a poignant reminder of the fundamental purpose of the Second Amendment: to protect citizens from potential government tyranny. Williams’s perspective as a survivor of communist oppression offers invaluable insight into the dangers of a disarmed populace. As conservatives, we recognize that the right to bear arms is not merely about self-defense; it’s a safeguard against the very tyranny that Williams feared. The insistence on gun control, which often targets weapons based on their appearance rather than functionality, fails to address the root causes of violence and instead threatens to weaken the constitutional rights designed to protect us all.
