(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) House Democrats in the state of Michigan recently passed bill HB 4474, which, if signed into law, would allow victims of “severe mental anguish” to press charges against the alleged perpetrators with felony hate crimes.
Charges of a felony hate crime for causing the alleged “anguish” could result in up to five years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines.
According to the Michigan Review, HB 4474 mandates that the “severe mental anguish” be based on “perceived characteristics,” such as race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental disability, national origin or ethnicity.
The bill loosely defines “severe mental anguish” as “a substantial change in mental functioning that can be perceived by another individual and caused by a defendant [by]… intentionally causing great bodily injury… administering mind-altering substances… [or] threat[s] with imminent death.”
The Left’s definition of “violence” has raised several questions in recent years, as it appears that previously benign statements—or even silence—could qualify as violence against any specific group of people.
For example, during congressional testimony Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., asked Khiara Bridges, a University of California law professor, how she would legally define the word “woman.”
This simple line of questioning allegedly “open[ed] up transgender people to violence,” Bridges claimed.
INSANITY: A pro-abortion witness just called Senator @HawleyMO "transphobic" for suggesting that only women can get pregnant. pic.twitter.com/bnlAKIKbMY
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 12, 2022
Under Michigan’s potential law, the simple request to define the word “woman” could potentially cause a trans person enough anguish that the asker may face sentencing and prison.
Critics of the bill claimed that the vague language would allow people to take advantage of the bill to imprison their political or cultural opponents. Many argued that it was also in violation of the First Amendment.
The bill passed through the state House 59-50 and will likely pass through the Senate as well.
If passed, Mich. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a far-left Democrat, will likely sign the bill into law.
The governor previously referred to women as “people with periods,” and has made other efforts to pander to leftist sensibilities.
