Yes, this is a victory. But it is only a first step.

Lynching is already against the law. See 18 U.S.C. § 249 and 42 U.S.C. § 1985. The bill, H.R. 55, adds "conspiracy" to do those acts to the crime, but that is already in 18 U.S.C. § 373 and other places. What this bill does is add "conspiracy" specifically to the existing Hate Violence statute, and prescribes the penalties for such a conspiracy.

All of these laws, including H.R. 55, are still just words on paper. With nearly four decades of legal practice behind me, I can tell you that what really matters is enforcement. Will the FBI investigate, and the US. Attorneys aggressively prosecute these crimes? Will enough witnesses come forward to get a conviction? Will the jury believe them, or will they do the same as the jury who considered the charges against the murderers of Emmitt Till?

Laws, by themselves, mean nothing. It takes people like Ida B. Wells, with the courage to demand enforcement of those laws, to make a difference.