[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 645 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 645

    Expressing the sense of the Senate that mob violence should be 
                               condemned.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              July 2, 2020

    Mr. Lee (for himself, Mr. Braun, and Mr. Johnson) submitted the 
   following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
                               Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Expressing the sense of the Senate that mob violence should be 
                               condemned.

Whereas the United States of America was founded in 1776 on universal principles 
        of freedom, justice, and human equality;
Whereas throughout our nation's history, Americans have struggled to realize 
        those ideals, falling short, as imperfect human beings always do, but 
        nonetheless making greater progress toward them than any nation on 
        earth;
Whereas the United States is today, as ever, an ethnically, racially, 
        religiously, and culturally diverse nation, morally committed to 
        cultivating respect, friendship, and justice across all such 
        differences, and protecting the God-given equal rights of all Americans 
        under the law;
Whereas America's law enforcement officers do an extremely difficult job 
        extremely well, and despite the inexcusable misconduct of some, the 
        overwhelming majority of such officers are honest, courageous, 
        patriotic, and rightfully honored public servants;
Whereas in recent weeks, people across the United States have organized 
        legitimate, peaceful, constitutionally protected demonstrations against 
        instances of police brutality and racial inequality, serious problems 
        meriting investigation and reform;
Whereas some Americans, unsatisfied with peaceful and positive demonstrations, 
        have instigated and indulged in mob violence and criminal property 
        destruction, not in service of any just or coherent cause, but simply as 
        an arrogant, bullying tantrum of self-righteous illiberalism and rage; 
        and
Whereas these mobs have demonstrated not only contempt for public safety (as 
        evidenced, among other crimes, by an unprovoked physical assault on a 
        Wisconsin State Senator and the shooting of a motorist in Provo, Utah) 
        and common decency (as evidenced by their routine harassment and obscene 
        berating of law enforcement officers standing their posts to protect 
        their communities), but also their manifest ignorance and historical 
        illiteracy (as evidenced by their destruction of public memorials to 
        historical heroes like Ulysses S. Grant, St. Junipero Serra, Miguel 
        Cervantes, George Washington, Hans Christian Heg, and a reported plan to 
        target a statue of Abraham Lincoln financed in 1876 entirely by private 
        donations from freed African-American slaves): Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) the rising tide of vandalism, mob violence, and the mob 
        mentality that feeds it--including its cruel and intolerant 
        ``cancel culture''--should be condemned by all Americans;
            (2) peaceful demonstrations and mob violence are different 
        in kind;
            (3) physical assault and property destruction are not forms 
        of political speech but violent crimes whose perpetrators 
        should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law; and
            (4) the innocent law enforcement officers, public 
        officials, and private citizens who suffer the mob's violence 
        and endure its scorn while protecting our communities from them 
        deserve the thanks and appreciation of every American.
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