Winsome Sears is the lieutenant governor of Virginia, which isn’t exactly the most high-profile position in America. Yet because she checks some of the Left’s diversity boxes as a black female, it’s meaningful to have her on Team Conservative, especially when she’s taking her message to the other side. In fact, she’s like Harriet Tubman — a strong black woman who carries firearms and frees other blacks from Democrat plantations.

Some folks may find that too strident, but allow us to briefly explain. In the antebellum South, racist Democrats disarmed blacks via the nation’s first gun control measures and crafted laws to prevent slaves from escaping from their owners. In modern America, racist Democrats deliberately divide everyone by race, favor gun laws that would disproportionately harm blacks, and ostracize any blacks with the temerity to have their own diversity of thought.

Which brings us back to Sears, the former Marine and native of Jamaica we profiled after her 2021 election win. She recently appeared on Bill Maher’s HBO program with New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu and Tablet columnist James Kirchick. We’ll focus on some humorous exchanges between Sears and Maher, including about Harriett Tubman and guns.

In light of the gruesome attack in Nashville, Maher challenged her to respond to photos of several Republicans and their families wielding guns, in particular because Sears had done something similar during her 2021 campaign. She replied:

Listen, I got tired, and I have that photograph because I got tired of seeing black people every time we’re in the media about guns, it’s always bad. We are law-abiding citizens. And we’re not going to give up our Second Amendment rights.

And by the way, the fasted growing segment of gun owners — do you know who they are? I’m glad you asked. It’s women. Women. Black women. And it was a black woman that said you need a Winchester rifle in every home. A black woman during the civil rights [movement] and before said that. And Harriet Tubman carried a gun. If it’s good enough for her, it’s good enough for me.

Maher did not, of course, ask anything about segments, which drew laughter from him and the crowd. But her comment also got Maher to admit that “guns are a leveler,” meaning they allow a smaller person to defend themselves against an aggressive, larger, stronger person. He also said that’s why he owns guns himself.

She went on to elaborate on that point. “If you’re breaking into my home,” she said, “while I’m waiting on the police to come, I’m gonna shoot you. That’s just the way it is.” Maher heartily agreed, saying, “That’s why I have a gun.” Then she added the hilarious kicker, “I’m gonna pray for you, but I’m gonna shoot you.”

The three also debated gender dysphoria-related things, which also played a role in Nashville. When Kirchick complained about “misgendering” the murderer, Sears utterly rejected that idea, saying: “This person murdered six people. I don’t really care who you say you are.”

She then brought it around to education. “I’m a parent. I’m a parent all day,” she said. “I get to decide what happens in my child’s life. Not you. Not the government. Not anybody. I don’t coparent. I had this child. I’m responsible for this child. Anything happens to Little Johnny, you’re calling me.”

She went on, “If I don’t want my child given lap dances at school by a drag queen, I don’t want it done.” When Maher expressed doubt that lap dances are happening, she rejoined, “Bill, you gotta read more.” Indeed he does.

Ultimately, what Sears is talking about is a lot of bad news. We’re inundated by such things in our country. But the great part of this story is that she’s taking a reasoned message of cultural conservatism to an audience that wouldn’t normally give it the time of day. Perhaps because she’s a black woman, they’ll even listen. That could be very good news.