“Give me liberty or give me death,” a timeless phrase uttered by Patrick Henry in protest against British colonial rule, a phrase that embodies the essence of all people who yearn to be free; we heard it this weekend in China. Protestors across the mainland, from Beijing to Shanghai, erupted in chants of “Step down, Xi Jingping, “Step down, communist party.” It is a sight to behold, protests on the scale of the past few days have not taken place in decades, fueled by the zero-covid policy that has locked people down and encroached upon the little rights they had left; the Chinese people finally said enough. John Locke affirmed that when a government abandons its obligation to a people when it silences them and strips them of their right to expression, it is time for that people to rebel, and now the time for the Chinese people has arrived. The sacred fires of liberty are burning with intensity and vigor in the beating hearts of those protestors; there comes a time when people can no longer tolerate oppression, when the fire overwhelms the fear and sweeps across the land, from the mountains to rivers when the spark explodes it cannot be contained, it casts away the darkness of the oppressors to reveal a bright new dawn.
We, as Americans, live in a country where the fires burn hotter than anywhere else, we are the beacon of light for the world to follow, and now we must affirm that truth. To be tepid in our support, to cower in fear of what the Communists might do if we show the courage and tenacity embedded within each of our hearts and the birthright of every American would be to spit on the graves of all who came before us, to those brave souls who ensured that we did not live slave to government and defended the liberties of all future generations. If we are to continue to be the “shining city upon a hill,” ensuring that these protestors know that America backs them in the noblest crusade a people can embark on is of the utmost importance. Thank you.
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