200 TRIES LATER - U.S. SENATE FINALLY Makes LYNCHING A FEDERAL HATE CRIME!!!

Yesterday, Wednesday, December 19, 2018, the UNITED STATES SENATE cleared legislation to finally make LYNCHING a federal hate crime!!!

THE HILL reports the bill was introduced by Sens. KAMALA HARRIS (D:CA), CORY BOOKER (D:NJ), and TIM SCOTT (R:SC), and makes lynching punishable as FEDERAL HATE CRIME.

From the Senate Floor, Sen. KAMALA HARRIS said;

"This is a historic piece of legislation that would criminalize lynching, attempts to lynch and conspiracy to lynch for the first time in America's history. Lynching is part of the dark and despicable aspect of our country's history that followed slavery and many other outrages in our country," 

The bill passed the full senate by Voice Vote. It was introduced inJuly 2018 and unanimously cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee in October.  In addition to Sens. Booker, Harris, and Scott, the bill was formally co-sponsored by 35 other senators. 

Sen. CORY BOOKER said;

"For over a century members of Congress have attempted to pass some version of a bill that would recognize lynching for what it is, a bias, motivated act of terror. ... We do know the passage of this bill, even though it cannot reverse irrevocable harm that lynching was used as a terror of suppression, the passage of this bill is a recognition of that dark past."

In 2005, the Senate passed a resolution apologizing to lynching victims. 

But, addressing the 2005 vote, the Senate legislation says that while an apology "moves the United States toward reconciliation and may become central to a new understanding, on which improved racial relations can be forged," legislation criminalizing lynching is still "wholly necessary and appropriate."

Since 1918, the UNITED STATES CONGRESS has tried but failed to pass ANTI-LYNCHING LEGISLATION roughly 200 times.

-CCG

The moment when the United States Senate agreed unanimously to make lynching a federal crime for the first time. History. pic.twitter.com/MtoI0Or0mg

— Kamala Harris (@SenKamalaHarris) December 19, 2018

BOSSIP


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