XPost: alt.usage.english, dc.politics, alt.politics.elections
XPost: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, talk.politics.guns
Words have meaning.
The events of Jan. 6 have been described by Senator Schumer as a date that
will live in infamy — harkening back to FDR’s words after the attack on
Pearl Harbor. Others have compared Jan. 6 with 9-11. Some historians
declared it to be the worst act of rebellion since the nation’s founding,
while others believe there’s been nothing like it since the Civil War. The
news media and the Left use “insurrection” to describe Jan. 6.
They’re all wrong.
Historically, Shays’ Rebellion (1786-1787), the Whiskey Rebellion (1790),
and Fries Rebellion (1799) were actual acts of insurrection.
Post-Civil War, the Wilmington Insurrection (1898) is by far worse than
Jan. 6. Another one, the Battle of Athens, TN (1946), involved local armed
WWII GIs taking over the town, forcing the corrupt sheriff to hide in the
jail clinging to the election ballot boxes, until he finally surrendered
and the GIs’ candidate won the election. There were the L.A. riots of
1992.
And the BLM riots during the summer of 2020 caused 18 deaths, over $1
billion dollars in damage, including federal and state buildings, and in
some cities sovereign nations were declared.
Jan. 6. caused $1.5 million in damage and, despite what was often
reported, one person was killed. An unarmed woman, Ashley Babbitt, was
shot by a Capitol police officer. The officer’s interview on NBC resulted
in more questions than answers about why he fired his weapon and killed Babbitt.
The word insurrection is a legal term. Under federal law it’s a crime to
incite or engage in any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of
the U.S. or its laws. Black’s Law Dictionary defines insurrection as “a
violent revolt against oppressive authority.” It is to be distinguished
from a mob or riot based on organization of an armed uprising. Mobs and
riots can involve unlawful and violent acts, but they aren’t necessarily insurrections. A revolt is an act to overthrow the government.
Insurrection, therefore, requires an organized group that plans an attack
to overthrow the government.
To date, a small percentage of the approximately 725 charged have been
accused of violent crimes, and no charges of rebellion or insurrection
have been filed. Around 165 have pled guilty to charges — mostly to misdemeanors. Only 30 were given jail time. The FBI investigation has
yielded little evidence of a coordinated and organized attack. Instead, 95 percent of the participants were acting individually.
An AP story intending to link Trump to the riot published some of the
comments made by participants during court appearances. None of them
stated that the event was planned. Indeed, most indicated they didn’t
really know why they did it. They said they felt inspired by Trump’s
comments and believed the election was fraudulent, but there was no
organized or coordinated plan to attack the Capitol.
Most of the Jan. 6 participants have been charged with trespass. One local
man was at the Capitol dressed as George Washington for selfies. A woman
from Missouri recently admitted being at the Capitol and stealing a broken sign.
Video footage shows people walking single file past idle officers as they entered the building. Afterward, most exited on their own accord.
Very few were arrested that day. Since Jan. 6, the DOJ has used a campaign
of “shock and awe” to round up and detain people, again predominantly
charged with misdemeanors. Compared with the BLM riots, prosecutors do
seem more zealous about Jan. 6. Yet, insurrection charges haven’t been
filed.
Confrontation between officers and rioters did happen. Violence definitely occurred. But, the only shot fired was, again, by the officer who killed Babbitt.
Jan. 6 was a horrible event. People who acted violently or damaged
property should be prosecuted. Those who unlawfully trespassed should also
be prosecuted. But as bad as Jan. 6 actually was, it was not the worst in American history. It can’t be compared to Pearl Harbor or 9-11. It’s not
even the worst this century.
Because words have meaning, Jan. 6 can’t be called an “insurrection” just
to satisfy the urge to convey a particular seriousness of the event or to propagate a political narrative. This type of narrative is aimed at
silencing conservatives, not describing what happened that day. Most participants were not violent people. They weren’t acting as part of a coordinated rebellion. There was no intent to topple the government. They
were impassioned citizens at a rally that turned into a riot. It was
shameful, but not an insurrection.
Derek Snyder is an attorney and resident of Joplin.
https://www.news-leader.com/story/opinion/2022/01/15/jan-6-wasnt- insurrection-stop-calling-what-isnt/6514508001/
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