Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and members of his antigovernment group will be the first Jan. 6 defendants sentenced for seditious conspiracy in a series of hearings beginning this week that will set the standard for more punishments of far-right extremists to follow. Prosecutors will urge the judge on Thursday to put Rhodes behind bars for 25 years, which would be the harshest sentence by far handed down in the U.S. Capitol attack. Describing the Oath Keepers’ actions as “terrorism,” the Justice Department says stiff punishments are crucial to send a message to future possible instigators of political violence. [More]
So now the world believes an organization that’s sole purpose is to honor the oath to the Constitution is “anti-government,” one that specifically stated:
Section 8.02. Restrictions on Membership: (a) No person who advocates, or has been or is a member, or associated with, any organization, formal or informal, that advocates the overthrow of the government of the United States or the violation of the Constitution thereof, shall be entitled to be a member or associate member.
Rhodes never went into the building. He never committed an act of violence. The prosecution did not prove specific orders to specific individuals to overthrow the government.
Since when do “far-right extremists” bent on the violent overthrow of the government purposely neglect to bring their guns to a planned “insurrection”?
The “crucial message” here is for “future possible instigators of political” dissent.
That came through loud and clear with the sanctioned murder of Ashli Babbit.
