Sarah Mueller
A resolution condemning hateful ideologies has stalled in the legislature over language denouncing white supremacy.
The bill, sponsored by Miami Democrat Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez, was temporarily postponed last month by Senate Judiciary Committee Chair David Simmons, a Longwood Republican. An impasse over the white supremacy language remains unresolved. Simmons did not respond to a request for comment.
Rodriguez filed the resolution (SR 214) in September to condemn white nationalism and white supremacy as hateful expressions of intolerance.
But the Senate Infrastructure and Security Committee, chaired by Republican Tom Lee, passed a committee substitute removing the condemnation of white supremacy and white nationalism. The new language rejected any ideology or philosophy that advocates the superiority of one of group of people over another because of race, color, national origin, sex or religion as hateful, dangerous and morally corrupt expressions of intolerance.
Lee has said he wanted it to be a bipartisan effort. It also added incel groups, which are men who hate women, to the legislation. Incel stands for “involuntary celibate,” meaning such men are not sexually active, but would like to be.
“There’s all kinds of hate out there and to pick on one group almost seems like you’re discriminating against people who have lost loved ones in other settings unrelated to white nationalism,” he said. “We don’t have a white national problem, we have a hate problem.”
FBI director Christopher Wray told Congress last July that the majority of domestic-terrorism arrests since October 2018 have been linked to white supremacy.
Rodriguez said he has filed an amendment reinserting the language, which has not been heard. The House companion bill (HR 51) sponsored by Rep. Anna Eskamani has not been heard in any committee.
The legislation was prompted in part by the August 2019 mass shooting in El Paso, Texas where a gunman believed to have posted a racist, anti-immigrant screed online before allegedly killing 22 people and wounding 26 others. It was also prompted, in part, by the 2017 Charlottesville, Virginia Unite the Right rally where a white supremacist killed a counter-protester after he mowed over a crowd of people peacefully demonstrating.
Rodriguez said Lee’s committee substitute creates a false equivalency between hate and inclusion, similar to President Donald Trump saying after Charlottesville that there were “very good people on both sides.”
“If the Legislature’s going to take out a condemnation of white nationalism and have something in there that creates the sense that, as Trump said, on both sides there are issues,” he said. “I have a serious problem with that because that actually does the opposite of what the resolution was intended to do.”
The Democratic Senator said it’s probably better to have no resolution than one that fails to directly condemn white nationalism and white supremacy.
5 comments
jon
February 14, 2020 at 11:26 am
How about denouncing black on white crime!
Billy Trump
February 14, 2020 at 12:30 pm
I wonder why this resolution does not include the terms “Black Lives Matter” and “ANTIFA” as hate groups as well. If you are going to condemn one race of people then condemn them all. Why not just say “All groups that espouse superiority over another” in the language of the resolution? Did not Martin Luther King say something like this, “Judge someone by their character, not by the color of their skin”. By the way, the second largest mass murder in American history happened at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, remember that? It was committed by a Muslim, Omar Marteen. And , the house version of this resolution is sponsored by none other than Iranian born, Anna Eskamani, a Muslim. Why not include “Muslim Supremacy” in the language as well. Talk about being a hypocrite! The white race is under attack, especially white men, and we will let our voices be heard in November by voting for President Trump who is going to Win Win Win
Billy Trump
February 15, 2020 at 8:58 am
Well, they put SR214 on the agenda for the Judiciary committee at 1:30 in the Toni Jennings room on Feb 19, so , I will have to go speak against it.
blake
February 15, 2020 at 10:59 am
Above observation says it all . . . .
“The house version of this resolution is sponsored by none other than Iranian born, Anna Eskamani, a Muslim.
Why not include “Muslim Supremacy” in the language as well? ”
Democrats are exposed for their hypocrisy/double standards.
Republicans (Rob Bradley are you reading this? ? ? ) who support this are
exposed for their treason and sedition.
sal janos
February 15, 2020 at 10:37 pm
Democrats are corrupt and are poisonous to taxpayers and their families. Be it Joe Biden, Sanders, Bloomberg, Pete or Elizabeth Warren. They all follow the left’s radical hyena’s of Nancy Pelosi, Sheila Jackson Lee, Maxine Waters, Al Green, AOC, Rashida Talib, Ayanna Pressley, llhan Omar, Val Deming, and Hakeem Jeffries.
If you vote Democrat, this is what you’ll get….
Democrat Goals & Platform:
-Late term abortions up to 9 months.
-Opposed to ANY voter ID Laws.
-Weaken our Military.
-The Green new deal.
-Destruction of all private health care (Bernie Sanders & Elizabeth Warren)
-Free medicare care for all including illegal aliens (taxpayer funded with a 52 trillion price tag)
-Free college for all, including illegal aliens. (tax payer funded) Sanders-Warren
-Disarming Americans.
-Non citizens allowed to hold public office.
-Socialism.
-Reparations.
-Massive tax increases.
-Open Borders.
-Sanctuary Cities.
-Decriminalize illegal entry into our country.
-De-fund & terminate Border Patrol & ICE.
-End all deportations of illegal aliens (if you get here, you stay.)
-Drivers licenses for illegal aliens.
-Voting rights for illegal aliens.
-Welfare & Food Stamps for illegal aliens. (Warren/Sanders)
*View their speeches / debates on you tube or the candidates websites.*
Confucius say —Showing facts to a liberal will achieve the same reaction as showing a crucifix to a vampire
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