Like... storming the capitol and trying to force an election to not be certified? Like... this type of "believing their ideologies and politics are gods law"? It's shocking to me that publicly stated disagreement on an internet forum is the act tha tsome consider intolerant and "forcing an opinion", but actually storming the freaking Capitol while it's trying to certify an election is some benign "difference of opinion". No, actually one of them is protected speech and one of them is a crime. You can see which one is which by the fact that one of them is in front of court of law and awaiting sentencing and the other one can and is being challenged by other forum members openly and without any repercussions.
The other phrase that could be used would be coup d'é·tat. Luckily a failed coup, but an attempted coup nonetheless.
For anyone who missed this definintion, here it is:
noun:
coup; plural noun:
coups; noun:
coup d'état; plural noun:
coup d'états; plural noun:
coups d'état
- 1.
a sudden, violent, and illegal seizure of power from a government.
"he was overthrown in an army coup"
It was, in every sense of the concept, an attempt at a sudden and violent (and illegal) seizure of power from the government. As far as a coup is concerned:
Advocating for the overthrow of the government is a federal crime that includes advocating, abetting, advising or the necessity of overthrowing or destroying the U.S. government by force or violence, or by the assassination of any government officials. It also applies to anyone organizing, joining or affiliating with a group that encourages overthrowing the government.
While Jan 6th does not necessarily directly fit the definition of treason as the constitution lays it out, it is definitely sedition.
Here are the legal definitions of these and other buzzwords being used to describe the fallout of the 2020 election and the pro-Trump mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol.
www.chicagotribune.com
Sedition is a federal crime that falls short of the offense of treason. While the crime of treason requires action, sedition is any conspiracy to overthrow, put down or to destroy by force the government of the United States. This includes preventing, hindering or delaying the execution of any law of the United States or seizing, taking or possessing any property of the United States. Merely advocating for the use of force does not qualify as sedition as it is most likely protected by the First Amendment right to freedom of speech.
What happened on Jan 6th was anything but a protest. Oh, it started that way, then it was pushed to the point where the mob felt justified in carrying out seditious acts. And they need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, regardless of how "harmless" what they did may seem. The only reason it could even be said to be harmless at all is because our republic is strong enough to survive such an attack from its citizens. This is completely inexcusable and no one who participated should be considered beyond the law.
This is all a far far far far far far far cry from a protest. Protests are generally peaceful, and follow specific laws as well. Riots during protests are deplorable and those rioting and causing bodily harm to others (think Reginald Denny) and/or destruction or theft of property, need to be prosecuted for such to the fullest extent of the law. It is also inexcusable.
It is also about as far removed from a coup attempt as a cold is from terminal cancer.
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