Should Rioters & Looters Lose Their Unemployment Benefits?
The question in the title is a no brainer for me, that would be a big YES. The first thought I had after finding out about the bill introduced by Indiana Congressman Jim Banks titled “Support Peaceful Protest Act” was you are kidding me, right.
How is this not a law already?
One problem is this bill would only be limited to “Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation” if convicted “of a Federal offense related to the individual’s conduct at and during the course of a protest”. This is due to the fact that he is a congressman and not a state Representative or Senator. This bill would also give the courts the ability to order the convicted criminal to pay restitution “to the appropriate Federal law enforcement agency in an amount that is equal to the cost of such policing activity” when a Federal law enforcement officer is engaged in policing activity to police a protest/riot.
In a statement released by Congressman Banks office when he introduced the bill, he stated he did so because:
“Antifa thugs are descending on suffering communities, disrupting peaceful protests and leaving violence, looting and vandalism in their wake. They turned Milwaukee, Seattle and Portland into warzones, and now they’re moving the chaos to Kenosha, Wisconsin. Who knows which community is next?”
Rep. banks then went on to say:
“Due to enhanced federal benefits, taxpayers are giving wages to jobless rioters that are destroying our communities. We need to cut them off from their funding and make them feel the full financial consequences of their actions.”
My thoughts are anyone convicted of rioting, looting or violent behavior during a protest or rally should lose all rights to any federal or state unemployment and welfare benefits for the rest of their lives.
As any good parent would say; you want to act like an animal you should live like one.