Get out of Jail Free card for driving into protestors

[TreasonousBastard]

https://jalopnik.com/another-state-is-attempting-to-make-it-legal-to-hit-pro-1846399791

Tennessee is joining Oklahoma, Iowa, Missouri and about a dozen other states in attempting to give criminal immunity to drivers who “unintentionally” plow their cars into protesters.

The bill would shield drivers from criminal prosecution, but only if they somehow “exercises due caution” while ramming into a crowd of soft fragile human bodies.

...

Lawmakers discussed the bill in a criminal justice subcommittee meeting. Representative Bruce Griffey, who co-sponsored the bill, said he wanted stronger language to protect people trying to drive away from protests.

“Maybe [we] add a provision if someone is trying to flee the situation to avoid the life threatening situation and they happen to hurt someone in the course of fleeing,” Griffey said.

That sounds completely reasonable, right? It’s really the additional language in the bill that would bump up blocking streets as a form of protest from a misdemeanor to a felony that makes all that “unintentionally” language seem like a real wink and a nod to those who would do harm to protesters. Such bills are almost always equal parts harsher punishments for protesters and more protections for drivers, like Oklahoma’s, which would make blocking a road a felony punishable by two years and make it harder for protesters to be released from jail.

[Progressive Jones]

1. Shitty people elect shitty legislators. nt

[pecosbob]

2. There has been a growing push to criminalize protest for a while now

Standing Rock was an illustrative moment. If the Repubs retake control of the levers, you can be sure that it will resume full throttle. I expect that if one delved into the subject they might find ALEC involved somewhere in this sort of legislation.

Cool name drop...I met Father Carl Kabat in jail.