After more than a century of trying, Congress has finally passed a bill designating lynching as a federal hate crime.
The Emmett Till bill is named after a 14-year-old African-American child who was kidnapped, tortured, and hanged in 1955 after he was accused of whistling at a white woman.
The House voted 410-4 Wednesday to pass the measure, seen by bill sponsor Illinois Democratic Rep. Bobby Rush as belated justice. It was earlier unanimously passed by the Senate. Independent Rep. Justin Amash and GOP Reps. Louie Gohmert, Thomas Massie, and Ted Yoho voted against the bill.
According to the NAACP, there were 4,743 lynchings between 1882 and 1968 - 73% of those victims were black people.
The bill now heads to President Donald Trump's desk where he is expected to sign it.
Why would you oppose this measure? Why did it take so long to get done? Is this an indictment of the four Reps. who voted 'No?'
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