Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) introduced a bill to fight white supremacy by criminalizing hate speech. She introduced the Leading Against White Supremacy Act of 2023. It aims “to prevent and prosecute white supremacy inspired hate crime and conspiracy to commit white supremacy inspired hate crime.”

It’s the addition of conspiracy that brings criminal charges under this legislation even if they don’t act on their threats. If someone spreads white supremacist talking points on Twitter, for example, and another person reads that information, then commits a white supremacist hate crime, both of the people could be charged with conspiracy to commit a hate crime.

Under the conspiracy section, “a conspiracy to engage in white supremacy inspired hate crime shall be determined to exist,” if at least one person engages in planning or committing a white supremacist hate crime and the other person disseminates white supremacist information (including on social media).

That means people who post white supremacist conspiracy theories online could potentially face prosecution under the bill.

This isn’t the first time Jackson Lee has introduced this bill. She did so in June 2022.

The tragic mass shooting in the predominantly black grocery store in Buffalo, New York is cited as an example of how this law could be applied, if it passes. Some people were quick to say that Fox News host Tucker Carlson should be held accountable for his talking points when they were allegedly found in the shooter’s manifesto. It’s easy to see how this could quickly go awry as the left would use the law as a battering ram against anything said by conservatives that they deem misinformation. It assumes that normal people cannot read a tweet or other social media post without losing control and committing an act of violence in response. That would be deemed a hate crime. The bill also assumes that only white people potentially say hateful things on social media.

That includes a person who publishes “material advancing white supremacy, white supremacist ideology, antagonism based on ‘replacement theory,’ or hate speech that vilifies or is otherwise directed against any non-white person or group.”

The text of the bill specifically lists social media platforms as one area where hate speech could result in criminal consequences — if that hate speech motivates another person to go out and commit a racist crime against others.

“Mass shootings and other hate crimes motivated by white supremacy have been increasing in frequency and intensity,” the bill states. “These heinous and virulent crimes are inspired by conspiracy theories, blatant bigotry and mythical falsehoods such as ‘replacement theory.’ All instances must be prevented and severe criminal penalties must be applied to their perpetrators.”

Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), long one of the most entitled, imperious, and racist members of Congress, has just introduced a bill in the House, that literally criminalizes political speech by white people. pic.twitter.com/kx8olv7YbR

— Jeremy Carl (@jeremycarl4) January 15, 2023

You may remember that Sheila Jackson Lee for her push to secure reparations for black Americans. She is known for peddling grievance-based politics.

The Biden administration tried to begin to monitor social media speech with their ‘disinformation board’ that didn’t officially get off the ground once First Amendment rights came into play. Jackson Lee’s bill would face similar scrutiny.

It’s doubtful that this bill about white supremacy will go anywhere in the House now that Republicans are in control. It didn’t go anywhere when Democrats were in control. It’s a bad bill. It’s another example of the angry left trying to suppress the basic rights of free speech against those with whom they disagree. Turning social media posts into conspiracies is an escalation that no one should want.