Thoughtcrime
By Mitch Berg
Minnesota is getting its thoughtcrime registry.
First, some credit where it’s due. I actually found a relatively fair, well-balanced story on the subject.
Of course, I had to go to Grand Forks to do it.
The piece covers the registry’s background – including some of the fairly inspired quesistoning by Republicans Harry Niska and Walter Hudson:
The key moment that caught the most attention? An exchange during a floor debate when Rep. Harry Niska, R-Ramsey, asked House bill sponsor Rep. Samantha Vang, DFL-Brooklyn Center, if publishing an article on the theory that COVID-19 was a bioweapon that had originated in a Chinese laboratory could count as a bias incident under the new legislation.
Vang said it would be possible.
“With the rhetoric we have seen since the pandemic regarding accusing Asians of bringing in the coronavirus, that is bias-motivated,” the first-term representative said. “So that can be considered a bias incident.”
Now, the bad news.
Wags in some conservative circles floated the idea of flooding the agency with reports of progressive hate speech, of the type that run of the mill DFLers are constantly dribbling out.
No such luck. The lsw’s DFL sponsors saw the potential for the registry to be buried in “progressive” hate, and tightened it down. (Emphasis added).
In its final form as a law, language calls for the department to “analyze civil rights trends … including information compiled from community organizations that work directly with historically marginalized communities.”…
In other words, they did for it what they did for “Feeding Our Future” money: made sure only the DFL Non-Profit/Industrial Complex could participate.
But what about safeguards?
Why, after spending a decade and a half obliterating all rational grounds for the “high trust society” that democracy needs to survive, we’re supposed to just trust ’em!
What officials do know right now is community organizations such as Jewish Community Action, the Coalition of Asian American Leaders, and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, will provide reports of bias incidents to the state…Putz said it would have been more of a problem if the human rights department were to take direct reports of discrimination from individuals. With nonprofits and other groups with a track record of documenting discrimination being the source of information, that won’t be a concern, he said.
Nothing says “trustworthy” like a (partial) list of non-profits that are also DFL farm clubs.
Senator Zaynab Mohammed – a “devout Muslim” who voted for chemical neutering and abortion after birth – should put your mind at rest (although hopefully not “at rest” enough to vote DFL) (emphasis added again):
Asked by Forum News Service whether spreading a lab theory on COVID would count as a bias incident, Sen. Mohamed said she trusted the judgment of Human Rights Department officials.
“Could that happen? Sure, maybe,” she said, but added: “They know exactly what they’re doing. They understand the goal of what this legislation is supposed to do.”
That whole idea of breaking CD1, 6, 7 and 8 away into a separate state is sounding better every day.
June 30th, 2023 at 6:47 am
I believe that this is the bill in question:
https://tinyurl.com/k33fjtrn
The language:
(20) analyze civil rights trends pursuant to this chapter, including information compiled
50.13 from community organizations that work directly with historically marginalized communities,
50.14 and prepare a report each biennium that recommends policy and system changes to reduce
50.15 and prevent further civil rights incidents across Minnesota. The report shall be provided to
50.16 the chairs and ranking minority members of the house of representatives and senate
50.17 committees with jurisdiction over the Department of Human Rights. This report must also
50.18 be posted on the Department of Human Rights’ public website and shared with community
50.19 organizations that work with historically marginalized communities
June 30th, 2023 at 6:54 am
That said, it looks like it runs into 14th amendment problems. The state is creating different classes of citizens with unequal rights to protection by the state.
They did this in Britain until this year. The police their recorded & investigated “non-crime hate incidents.” They stopped doing it, or are trying to, because a) why are the cops using resources to investigate non-crimes? and b) the cops themselves would much rather spend their time cataloging “non-crime hate incidents” than tackling real crime. “Non-crime hate incident”? talk to people. write report. Success!
June 30th, 2023 at 7:25 am
They’re going all in on censorship because they can’t win in the arena of ideas and facts are inconvenient to the narrative. We all know the amount of wailing, gnashing of teeth and pulling of hair by the media and DFL (but I’m repeating myself) if the archenemies of their political superheroes of the Marvelverse enacted this. It would be a direct attack on the 1st Amendment and Democracy in headlines all over the state and be the top story on the WCCOs, KMSPs, KAREs and KSTPs of the world. But since it’s their political superheroes of the Marvelverse team that pull this tyrannical BS, it’s good when their team does it. It’s very good.
June 30th, 2023 at 7:44 am
CD1, 6, 7 and 8 away into a separate state
East Dakota?
June 30th, 2023 at 7:46 am
department spokesman Taylor Putz
Never was a name so appropriate to the position.
June 30th, 2023 at 7:53 am
Standing would be an issue til the first report is published, but at that point it will be obvious that only if you are member of a “historically marginalized community” will your civil rights be taken into account when formulating Minnesota policy and system changes.
This is explicit racial favoritism practiced by the state.
June 30th, 2023 at 11:27 am
Pffft…. pikers… While in MI: Michigan House passes bill making wrong
pronouns a felony, fineable up to $10,000
June 30th, 2023 at 2:32 pm
“ Wags in some conservative circles floated the idea of flooding the agency with reports of progressive hate speech…”
Of course. Its the old “heh heh…we’ll outsmart them by playing the game they invented and officiate, by playing it better” trick that neo-cons have used to help get us to where we are today.
It’s out of the same bag they keep their NAXALT and “Israel is our greatest ally” gear in.
June 30th, 2023 at 2:36 pm
BTW, speaking of our greatest allies, in addition to closing out groomer month, today marks the end of USS Liberty Remembrance month.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Liberty_incident
June 30th, 2023 at 6:59 pm
But wait, there is more in that MI bill! Coming soon to MN lest they be left behind: The Michigan state House passed controversial legislation which would essentially make it a crime to make someone in a protected class “feel” frightened or threatened, without offering specifics on what actions specifically constitute unlawful intimidation.