On January 9, the unesteemed Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee introduced the “Leading Against White Supremacy Act of 2023.” Among the provisions of the bill, an individual can be convicted of a hate crime if he publishes material on social media or elsewhere that,
as determined by a reasonable person, motivate actions by a person predisposed to engaging in a white supremacy inspired hate crime or by a person who is susceptible to being encouraged to engage in actions relating to a white supremacy inspired hate crime.
If I were snide, I would say that Jackson-Lee is disqualified to determine if published material motivates a person to commit a crime. But I’m not, so I won’t.
This bill, like “hate speech” laws, is censorship. It is designed to silence individuals who might express ideas that members of one gang or another find offensive. They only want ideas with which they agree to be expressed, and those who express ideas that they find derogatory should be persecuted.
If we were to take the idea of “hate speech” seriously, then every Leftist should be prosecuted for derogatory remarks about businesses and the wealthy. If we were to take the idea of “hate speech” seriously, then those who express derogatory ideas regarding whites, such as Jackson-Lee, should be prosecuted as well. If we were to take the idea of “hate speech” seriously, then every person who utters anything that others might find offensive would be a criminal. And that means all of us.
As a white businessman, I find attacks on businesses and claims that all whites are racist to be offensive. But I am also a principled defender of free speech, and one of the primary purposes of free speech is to protect the expression of unpopular and offensive ideas. Irrational people should be free to express irrational ideas.
For all of their talk about diversity, Jackson-Lee and her minions don’t want any diversity when it comes to ideas. They don’t want Americans to hear, let alone express, ideas that differ from their own. They don’t want an honest and open discussion of policies. They want everyone to goose-step to their demands and dictates.
Like its author, the Leading Against White Supremacy Act is evil. The goal is not the protection of freedom, but its suppression.
“White supremacy” is the Biden administration’s excuse and motive for many of their un-American, unconstitutional efforts. Actual examples of white supremacists in action are few. Jackson-Lee, race hustler, has represented the 18th District since 1995 and has a net worth of $935,005 per data from the Center for Responsive Politics. We will be stuck with her for a long time.
Like many politicians, she hands out our money to those who vote for her and finds a way to enrich herself in the process.