Bill put forward to enhance penalties for groups like KKK who wear masks & disguises!

[GMDino]

Wait, sorry...it's called the “Unmasking Antifa Act of 2018”


My bad.


https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/6054/text

Quote:“§ 250. Interference with protected rights while in disguise


“(a) In General.—Whoever, whether or not acting under color of law, while in disguise, including while wearing a mask, injures, oppresses, threatens, or intimidates any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of his having so exercised the same, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 15 years, or both.


“(b) Rule Of Construction.—Nothing in this section shall be construed so as to deter any law enforcement officer from lawfully carrying out the duties of his office; and no law enforcement officer shall be considered to be in violation of this section for lawfully carrying out the duties of his office or lawfully enforcing ordinances and laws of the United States, the District of Columbia, any of the several States, or any political subdivision of a State. For purposes of the preceding sentence, the term ‘law enforcement officer’ means any officer of the United States, the District of Columbia, a State, or political subdivision of a State, who is empowered by law to conduct investigations of, or make arrests because of, offenses against the United States, the District of Columbia, a State, or a political subdivision of a State.”.


(b) Clerical Amendment.—The table of sections for chapter 13 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item related to section 249 the following:


“250. Interference with protected rights while in disguise. ”.


SEC. 3. DESTROYING BUILDINGS OR PROPERTY WITHIN SPECIAL MARITIME AND TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION WHILE IN DISGUISE.


Section 1363 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: “Whoever, during the commission of an offense under this section, wears a disguise, including a mask, shall, in addition to any term of imprisonment otherwise imposed under this section, be imprisoned for 2 years.”.

Nothing against the idea of increasing penalties for those who hide their faces...just kinda comical that they are going after antifa out loud.

[fredtoast]

The way I read it you can wear a mask and threaten someone as long as they are not "in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of his having so exercised the same".


I have no problem with a penalty for intimidation while wearing a mask, but that extra language makes it kind of silly. I can threaten some one who is riding a bike because riding a bike is not a constitutional right.