Interestingly, this does NOT appear to be an anti-lynching law.
This is the operative part of the bill:
“Whoever conspires with another person to violate section 245, 247, or 249 of this title or section 901 of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3631) shall be punished in the same manner as a completed violation of such section, except that if the maximum term of imprisonment for such completed violation is less than 10 years, the person may be imprisoned for not more than 10 years.”
So rather than making a federal crime for hanging someone, this law makes it a crime to “conspire with another person” to commit a crime, even if you never commit the crime, and you will be punished just as if you actually committed the crime, and in fact can be punished for a LONGER time (up to 10 years) if the crime you conspired to commit had a punishment for less time.
The target appears to be the groups the left calls white nationalists; it appears that under a liberal reading of this law, every person at the demonstration in Charlottesville might be subject to prosecution.
This is the operative part of the bill:
“Whoever conspires with another person to violate section 245, 247, or 249 of this title or section 901 of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3631) shall be punished in the same manner as a completed violation of such section, except that if the maximum term of imprisonment for such completed violation is less than 10 years, the person may be imprisoned for not more than 10 years.”
So rather than making a federal crime for hanging someone, this law makes it a crime to “conspire with another person” to commit a crime, even if you never commit the crime, and you will be punished just as if you actually committed the crime, and in fact can be punished for a LONGER time (up to 10 years) if the crime you conspired to commit had a punishment for less time.
The target appears to be the groups the left calls white nationalists; it appears that under a liberal reading of this law, every person at the demonstration in Charlottesville might be subject to prosecution.
I read your post a couple times before I actually understood the impact of what you were writing. Dems are so proficient at this kind of thing and so many people like me miss the motive and impact of their actions -- anywhere.
Thanks!