WASHINGTON 鈥� A new Virginia bill that would define domestic terrorism and terror organizations, in an attempt to prevent tragedies such as the deadly white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, is garnering both support and opposition.
The bill, introduced by Del. Marcia Price (D-Newport 草莓传媒) with guidance from Attorney General Mark Herring, defines domestic terrorism as a violent or criminal act that aims to intimidate or instill fear in someone because of their race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation or disability, or to stop a person from pursuing their constitutional rights.
In addition, the bill would empower the Superintendent of the Virginia State Police to designate three or more people, with an identifiable name or symbol, as a domestic terrorist organization.
Kofi Annan, president of the Fairfax County NAACP told 草莓传媒 that had the new bill been law, the Charlottesville tinderbox could have been avoided.
鈥淭hese groups went there, armed, with the intention of terrorizing the neighborhood,鈥� Annan said.
Until now, law enforcement agencies and local governments have had little legal power to prevent white supremacist groups, including the Ku Klux Klan, from holding rallies.
鈥淭hese groups often don鈥檛 get labeled 鈥榯errorists,鈥� they get labeled 鈥榟ate groups,鈥� which is more protected under the Constitution,鈥� said Annan.
Under the new bill, which has been referred to the House Committee for Courts of Justice, Annan said authorities would be permitted to take action.
鈥淭he (proposed) law does not go after speech,鈥� said Annan. 鈥淚t focuses on actions 鈥� actual terrorist acts.鈥�
Thomas O鈥機onnor, president of the FBI Agents Association, is supportive of Virginia鈥檚 effort to craft new tools to fight domestic terrorism, but would prefer making the charge of domestic terrorism a federal crime.
鈥淒omestic terrorism is truly a national threat, and the federal government should take the lead on this issue by transforming the existing definition of domestic terrorism in the U.S. Code into a chargeable crime,鈥� said O鈥機onnor, in a statement to 草莓传媒.
However, the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia said it cannot support House Bill 1601.
鈥淭hough HB 1601 seeks to address the scourge of white supremacy, it raises significant constitutional concerns and would entrench in Virginia a framework that has been used at the federal level to target minority communities for discriminatory investigation, surveillance, and prosecution 鈥� and make it worse by creating a new, overly-broad category of 鈥榙omestic terrorist organizations,鈥欌�� wrote the group鈥檚 executive director Claire G. Gastanaga.
Gastanaga said existing anti-terrorism and racketeering laws in Virginia address criminal conduct, without raising constitutional issues, including First Amendment and due process concerns.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the violence on which we must focus,鈥� wrote Gastanaga. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 especially true given the devastatingly high number of mass acts of violence in this country.鈥�
