Anti-Lynching Legislation Expected To Pass Tonight

From ABC's Nightline Late this evening, the Senate is expected to pass by unanimous consent a formal apology for its failure to pass anti-lynching legislation during the 20th century. During that time, nearly 200 anti-lynching bills were introduced in Congress, but none was passed. Tonight the Senate will attempt to right that wrong. But take note of the phrase "unanimous consent" -- it represents something of a political compromise. It effectively avoids the roll call vote, allowing any senators opposed to avoid being on the record in their opposition. Boy how convenient that the right-wing Christian bigots in the government won't have to identify themselves. It would be interesting to find out just who lobbied so hard to use the "unanimous consent" clause. That may just give us an idea of who they are and I would venture to guess the majority would be from southern states. The resolution the Senators are taking up voices regret for the Senate's unwillingness for years to pass a law stopping a crime that cost the lives of over 4,700 people, mostly blacks, between 1882 and 1968. Regret? Not half as much as the remaining relatives of those that were lynched like. Doria Dee Johnson, the great-great granddaughter of a black South Carolina farmer who was killed by a white mob nearly a century ago, was to be on hand for the floor vote. The Evanston, Ill., woman has said that her family "lost property and family solidarity that still affects us today" when Anthony Crawford, a wealthy cotton farmer, was killed in 1916 by several hundred residents of Abbeville, S.C. Ms. Johnson today is an author and frequent lecturer on the subject of lynchings. Here is the kicker my friends, not only is the "unanimous consent" being used, but it is also a nonbinding measure apologizes which does nothing more than express the Senate's "most solemn regrets" to the descendants of victims of lynching." And we are supposed to believe racism is dead in America and it is only mid-easterners who are terrorists. Yah right!!! You tell me, In 2005, what kind of opposition could there be to anti-lynching legislation? Unfortunately, we may be surprised. MORE....