Black GA Dem Will Introduce Bill Classifying Attacks on Trump Supporters as Hate Crimes
Democratic Georgia State Rep. Vernon Jones has already bucked his party by announcing his decision to support President Donald Trump’s re-election in 2020.
Now, he has likely triggered the snowflakes in his party even more by vowing to introduce a bill that would make political affiliation a protected class and classify politically motivated attacks as hate crimes. As Jones puts it: “Wearing a MAGA hat should never endanger your life.”
Political affiliation should be a protected class, right alongside race, gender, and religion, and my legislation will do just that.
Making any politically motivated attack a HATE CRIME.
Wearing a MAGA hat should never endanger your life.
— Vernon Jones (@RepVernonJones) June 9, 2020
Jones represents Georgia’s 91st House District, where Hillary Clinton beat Trump by nearly 50 points in 2016. In spite of his district’s massive Democratic tilt, Jones did not hesitate to publicly support the president’s re-election bid.
Speaking to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jones explained the rationale behind his decision: “It’s very simple to me. President Trump’s handling of the economy, his support for historically black colleges and his criminal justice initiatives drew me to endorse his campaign.”
The backlash Jones received for refusing to fall in line and endorse Joe Biden was swift and immediate. The state’s Democratic Party chairwoman, state Sen. Nikema Williams, called Jones an “embarrassment” and has endorsed his liberal primary challenger.
While the outrage from his fellow Georgia Democrats initially prompted him to resign his House seat, Jones ultimately reversed his decision, electing to run for re-election in spite of the uphill battle he may face due to his support for Trump.
While “hate crimes” have traditionally been focused on protecting minorities, Jones, an African-American, said the political environment is making it necessary for “hate crimes” legislation to apply to the president’s supporters.
Two months after many in his party disowned him over his support for Trump, Jones took to Twitter and announced his intention to introduce legislation making politically motivated attacks hate crimes, citing “countless videos of Trump supporters getting attacked in the streets” due to their support of the president:
I’ve watched countless videos of Trump supporters getting attacked in the streets simply due to their support of @realDonaldTrump.
Let’s call this what this is: a hate crime. And as we return to the legislature next week, I’ll be introducing legislation that’ll make it such.
— Vernon Jones (@RepVernonJones) June 9, 2020
Many Trump supporters have been targeted and attacked for their political beliefs.
In March, a California man was assaulted in a bar bathroom for wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat, suffering “serious injuries,” according to NBC News. His assailant, who ended up stealing the hat, now faces four years behind bars.
In August, in New York City, the owner of an art gallery says he was severely beaten by “more than a dozen teens” for the unforgivable offense of wearing a MAGA hat, according to NBC News:
Sadly, even one 14-year-old Trump supporter could not escape the wrath of the liberal mob. A teenage boy living in northern Florida was assaulted on his school bus in December, according to Fox News, because he dared to wear a MAGA hat to school the day before.
The Trump haters have shown no mercy to the elderly, either. In Vero Beach, Florida, in October, a 67-year-old man wearing a MAGA hat was attacked and spit on.
Jones’ legislation, House Bill 1120, aims to put a stop to this unsettling national phenomenon.
According to a summary of the bill in a news release from Jones’ office, “if a misdemeanor is committed because of actual or perceived political beliefs or political associations, defendants could be sentenced to imprisonment for three to 12 months and face a fine up to $5,000.”
Explaining his reasoning for introducing the bill in the news release, Jones discussed how “Americans are being attacked nationwide because of their party affiliation and political ideology.”
In addition to pointing to the epidemic of politically motivated attacks, Jones stated that he had “personally been subjected to hate speech and threats” over his “support for President Trump’s reelection.”
The whole idea of “hate crimes” has a troublesome recent history, as leftists have used them to try to smear political opponents (often fraudulently) rather than protecting legitimately vulnerable populations. But if nothing else, Jones is bringing attention to a sore spot too often overlooked by the mainstream media.
Americans should be free to express their political views without fearing retribution in the form of violence. After all, this is the land of the free.
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