Posted on 02/17/2019 4:34:16 AM PST by TigerClaws
WASHINGTON — Sen. Kamala Harris’ effort to make lynching a federal crime received new life Thursday when the Senate unanimously passed her bill to outlaw it.
The bill, which is co-authored by the two other African Americans in the Senate, Democrat Cory Booker of New Jersey and Republican Tim Scott of South Carolina, unanimously passed the Senate late last year. But the House did not take it up before the congressional session ended, and the bill died.
The Senate passed Harris’ legislation unanimously again Thursday. With Democrats now in control of the House, it stands a strong chance of making it to President Trump’s desk.
The bill recounts the brutal history of racist lynchings in the U.S. and makes injuring or killing someone because of race, color, religion or national origin by two or more people a federal crime punishable by up to life in prison.
Unlimited Digital Access for 99¢ Read more articles like this by subscribing to the San Francisco Chronicle SUBSCRIBE It also criminalizes attacks based on gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability if they involve crossing state lines or are facilitated by the internet, phone or mail.
Bills to outlaw lynching were considered more than 200 times in Congress between 1882 and 1986 and never passed the Senate. Harris, D-Calif., said she and the bill’s other authors “expect and hope” the House will approve this latest attempt.
Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., has introduced House legislation with other members of the Congressional Black Caucus. He named the measure after Emmett Till, the 14-year-old African American who was lynched in Mississippi in 1955.
Rush’s spokesman, Ryan Johnson, said the House legislation has stronger penalties than the Senate version.
Kamala Harris, one-time weed opponent, says legalize it. And... A Republican aide told The Chronicle in December that the party held off on last year’s bill over concerns about its breadth, including its inclusion of protections for gender identity and sexual orientation.
Harris said the bill sends an important signal about a historical stain on the country.
“This is about speaking the uncomfortable truths and acknowledging it,” Harris said. “It is really important that our laws protect vulnerable people and outline accurately what are crimes against human beings. ... These were some of the most violent acts that took place against Americans in our country for generations, so for this to be acknowledged as a crime for which there will be accountability and consequence is something that I’m very excited about.”
“Lynching” is defined as buying clothesline at Ace Hardware.
Since he hasn’t been charged yet, all his lawyers are doing is advising him on how to deal with the cops, and acting as a PR firm. Until there’s something to defend him against, all they can do is try to spin things to prevent charges from being filed, i.e. “PR”. You don’t hire a high-priced defense lawyer if you just want to sue the cops for libel, which would be virtually impossible to win.
I have a modest counterproposal. Let's enact a law that every interracial crime is, by definition, a hate crime, with dramatically increased penalties. Let the chips fall where they may.
Exactly. They won’t address the crisis they know exists on the southern border with drugs, gangs, human trafficking but they’ll pass legislation against lynchings and pretend it’s a problem that needs congressional action in 2019. Why now? Oh right, Kamala is trying to win the White House in 2020.
I somehow missed the huge uptick in lynchings that this bill will address this new menace ....
make lynching a federal crime received new life......What?. Did they shoot all Democrats?
Since no one else was seen on surveillance video he clealy lied about the ethnicity of his attackers.
That said Nigeria is not a fan of homosexuality so they may have a motive to attack him. That doesn’t excuse his lies. If the payment can be proven he needs to get a Roger Stone wake up call. Should be interesting to see how this goes.
Does this law cover unborn babies?
It’s ignorant and silly. It’s like passing a law against burning witches at the stake. It’s a law against something that doesn’t even happen. So why do it? Just an “emotional vehicle” to hide a bunch of extra crap in.
Wonder what the bill # is? It needs to be read to see what they have hidden in there.
Yes... And so is Horse theft and Cattle rustling. lol
So lynching is illegal now?
I bet the Bill talks about a lot more than just lynching
Apparently, they got the clothesline at “Crafty Beaver.”
No doubt.
115th Congress (2017-2018)
Ҥ 250. LynchingLooks like a real slippery slope. "Lynching" as defined has nothing to do with hanging or attempting to hang a person. And it opens the floodgates to any harm against any protected class or any "perceived" member of a protected class. This can easily become a jurisprudence nightmare.
“(a) In General.—“(1) OFFENSES INVOLVING ACTUAL OR PERCEIVED RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, OR NATIONAL ORIGIN.—If 2 or more persons willfully cause bodily injury to any other person, because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion, or national origin of any person—
“(A) each shall be imprisoned not more than 10 years, fined in accordance with this title, or both, if bodily injury results from the offense; or
“(B) each shall be imprisoned for any term of years or for life, fined in accordance with this title, or both, if death results from the offense or if the offense includes kidnapping or aggravated sexual abuse.
“(2) OFFENSES INVOLVING ACTUAL OR PERCEIVED RELIGION, NATIONAL ORIGIN, GENDER, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY, OR DISABILITY.—
“(A) IN GENERAL.—If 2 or more persons, in any circumstance described in subparagraph (B), willfully cause bodily injury to any other person because of the actual or perceived religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of any person—
It really is coincidental that's this fake "Lynching" occurred just at this disgusting bill is headed to the House for sure approval. It passed the Senate UNANIMOUSLY!
Is not murder already a crime? Why should murder by one means be a separate crime than murder by some other means? Is not murder, murder, gerardless of motive? When and how is that motive - the thoughts behind a deed - becomes a separate crime?
How did traditional Liberals let the Left convince them that thought crimes are O.K. and not inconsistent with freedom of conscience from which we get freedom of expression?
How? By the Left’s subvwersion of what were once traditional Liberal associations.
You will be appalled. It has NOTHING to do with "Lynching." Surprise, surprise. It is all about federalizing all "hate" crimes against real or "perceived" protected classes. This is going to be a nightmare.
Thank you! I was off digging for it and found it to be elusive on the .Gov sites. But then I kept running into other stuff and saying “Wait... What the hell is this one???” lol
Man... I need to spend a whole day digging over there to see what they have up their sleeves and hiding from us.
Here’s a great Camel “Knee Pad” Harris campaign ad to pass viral. Tweet from our Donald that the Marxist censors tried to censor yesterday.
http://redstatewatcher.com/article.asp?id=147453
“(B) CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED.—For purposes of subparagraph (A), the circumstances described in this subparagraph are that—
“(i) the conduct described in subparagraph (A) occurs during the course of, or as the result of, the travel of the defendant or the victim—
“(I) across a State line or national border; or
“(II) using a phone, the internet, the mail, or any other channel, facility, or instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce;
“(ii) the defendant uses a phone, the internet, the mail, or any other channel, facility, or instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce in connection with the conduct described in subparagraph (A);
“(c) Conspiracy.—If 2 or more persons conspire to commit any offense under this section, and 1 or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each shall be subject to the same penalties as those prescribed for the offense the commission of which was the object of the conspiracy.
She is obviously stretching the “across state lines,” “interstate commerce,” and use of federally regulated communications to federalize the crime.
It’s interesting that the internet is not a federally regulated communications medium whereas phones and mails are. So I don’t know how the feds could claim jurisdiction if you use the internet to plan a lynching.
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