March 22, 2002

The Information Office of Communist China's State Council has issued a report on U.S. Human Rights Record 2000.

The report is critical of the status of human rights in America, but not because of the government's fatal attack on religious dissidents at Waco, for example, but, get this: "The United States, the only country where carrying a private weapon is a constitutional right, is a society ridden with violence.... The excessive number of privately owned guns has resulted in countless gun-related assaults, resulting in tragedy for many innocent people."

This extraordinary concern for "victims of gun violence" to use Handgun Control, Inc.'s (HCI) phrase, comes from a government that has murdered tens of millions! This Chinese government still imprisons people for being Christians. This level of hypocrisy might better be labeled chutzpah.

In one respect the Chinese government is preferable to HCI — the Chinese understand that our constitution does protect an individual right to keep and bear arms.

The hypocrisy does not stop with the Chinese government's report. Gun Owners of America interviewed a press spokesman at the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC, a Mr. Yuan Yuan Zhang. Here is how the interview ended.

Q: Are you aware that America won its freedom and independence because, among other things, many of our private citizens had guns? Do you know this?

A: Of course I know that. And you know Chairman Mao's famous quotation?

Q: Yes. He said that political power comes out of the barrel of a gun.

A: We needed guns to fight back the Japanese invaders. We have 100 million men in our militias with guns.

Q: But, your point about Chairman Mao's quotation is very interesting. He said what he said when he was a private citizen and not a member of the government, right?

A: Right.

Q: So, under your present laws, Chairman Mao would not have been allowed to have guns!

A: I'm trying to figure out your point.

End of interview.

But, as the fast-talking salesman said, "There is more!"

All this concern by the Chinese Communists for so-called "gun violence" in America does not translate to their own international trade policy. Not only have the Chinese sold as many semi-automatic AK-47's as possible in the American market, but they have opted out of a proposed UN treaty on arms control. The Chinese have refused to comply with the requirement that they mark each gun they make with a universally recognized serial number.

Well, no hard feelings. Let's hope that President Bush removes the Clinton import ban imposed on importing more of those poorly marked AK-47's.

Larry Pratt is the Executive Director of Gun Owners of America. Visit their website at http://www.GunOwners.org. A few other articles from Mr. Pratt can be found on our website here: http://www.KeepAndBearArms.com/Pratt.