US Vice President Mike Pence, in his Oct 25 address at a Washington think tank, pledged to "stand with Hong Kong" but urged Hongkongers to "stay on the path of non-violent protest." Here is the deal. First, the VP may not be aware that a real revolution, like the American Revolution, instead of a protest, is going on in Hong Kong. As put by Senator Marco Rubio, "What began as a protest against an unjust extradition bill backed by China has now become a fight for Hong Kong’s autonomy and future." Second, many Hongkongers may not know that the American understanding of violence is different from Hongkongers', that every US citizen is entitled to gun ownership.
Hongkongers are grateful to the Vice President, in particular, and to America, in general, for standing with Hong Kong.
Free Hong Kong, Revolution NOW!
However, the Vice President may not be aware that an actual revolution like the American Revolution is going on in Hong Kong. Since early June, tens of thousands of Hong Kong activists, mostly youngsters, have risked rubber bullets, bean bag shots, tear gas, beatings, live rounds, lengthy imprisonment, and ultimately their lives, for "real autonomy", to borrow Senator Nancy Pelosi's words. One of their most popular slogans is "Free Hong Kong, Revolution NOW!" They want real autonomy for Hong Kong and they do not want anything to do with China.
One hundred thousand revolutionaries fighting against the Police
Actually, before the police began to plant undercovers among the activists in Mongkok on Aug 12, there had been occasions on which one hundred thousand activists together fought against the police, set fire to government buildings and subway stations, vandalized pro-CCP shops, etc. After August 12, the revolutionaries have found it necessary to break themselves up into small teams or flash mobs.
Just like Founding Fathers of American Revolution
"A little more than 240 years ago, those kids would've been our Founding Fathers, actually, fighting for our freedom," General Spalding, a former official at the National Security Council, said in August. And of course, during the American Independence Revolution, the founding fathers of the USA did kill quite a few British military men. No Americans today, we suppose, would condemn their founding fathers for taking a path of violent protest, because it was NOT a protest but a revolution.
Amendment II
Moreover, many Hongkongers may not be aware that the American understanding of violence is not the same as Hongkongers', for according to the Second Amendment of the US Constitution, every US citizen has the right to keep or carry a gun. So far, no Hong Kong activists have used any gun on the police or killed any police.