Texsox

70,000,000 Americans voted for the Republican candidate. I have three family members who voted for him. They are all good, decent Americans who support our government and love this country. They are horrified by the fringes of the party and those actions from last week. If those 70,000,000 were truly like the rioters, there would have been blood in the streets everywhere and on a scale unseen since the civil war. We would have had hundreds of thousands dead. We are better than that.

Which is why I focus on actions. Those actions are dangerous regardless of motive. If we can dream up scenarios where Biden has the election taken from him, I can't fault Trump supporters from thinking the same. I can fault them for taking matters to the point of treason. Personally I know how my elected officials voted and Cruz was the only one voting yes, but I was already planning on working for his opponent. My only decision is if I will work for a GOP challenger in the primary if there is one, and I hope there is. I have less enthusiasm for unseating John Cornyn. I can't sustain an effort against every statewide office holder in Texas. Cornyn gets a pass.

I haven't used it. People have misquoted me and taken statements out of context. I mention we have survived violent protests and civil wars as evidence that we will survive this. I mention I'm confident that Americans will rise above this and the next four years will be better, I'm accused of being sympathetic to fascists. I say that anyone who commits' acts of treason should receive the same sentence and I'm using whataboutism. When I say these rioters would not have stopped Biden from being president people rush out to create scenarios where they could. I know were better than that. Rioters punished. Trump impeached. Cruz and Hawley censored at the minimum and we will survive.

I'm hearing Lee Elia right now. The riot was midweek. Now I'm wondering if the DoJ shouldn't announce serious charges on some of the rioters. Perhaps facing a firing squad for treason will chill some of the people.

Agreed. So do you do that by offering lesser sentences to the non fascists so it looks like fascists received a harsher sentence? That's what sparked this. I don't care about ideology when it comes to punishing people for treason. You go with the harshest sentence available regardless of why they did it. I can't believe people disagree with this.

Agreed. And your second part is what I was trying to say. There might not be thousands of brilliant thinkers, but there are some. And I do not believe they were fully represented at the riot or before that at the rally. They will be harder to find.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. I believe anyone looking to subvert the government could be at that rally. I believe Moscow aided the protestors and manipulated the participants. I believe any of our other enemies also would have been helpful. Do you think looters all identify with whatever riot is happening or do they see a chance to grab a nice TV? I also believe if the shoe was on the other revolution in a country we were enemies with the CIA would be funding their activities. Basically I see a lot more threats than you do and want all of them addressed not just fascists. So if someone was in the capital building and just non violently walking around taking pictures and we can't prove their ideology I believe they should get the harshest sentence available and be rotting in jail next to the most outspoken fascist at the rally. If that someone has you thinking I'm sympathetic to fascists I don't know what to tell you.

There is only one side. You committed an act of treason and you go to jail. I have no sympathies for anyone who commits an act of treason. I don't care if they do it because they are fascist or a vegan. It just doesn't matter. Their actions matter. I've been crystal clear I believe. When we start trying to sort these treasonous folks from those other ones we are on a dangerous path. We can't see ideology, I can see acts of treason. Fascists are a problem. Communists are a problem (they are hacking our systems daily and the president doesn't care) and you don't think Moscow saw a chance to feed anti American anger against the government? White supremist are a problem. Anti Government types of all stripes are a problem.

Looking at the photos, do you believe these idiots actually thought they were committing treason? I mean in the same way that Jefferson, Washington, and the rest knew their actions, if unsuccessful, would lead to their deaths. These guys (and I'm only seeing guys) all look like they are on some reality show. Waving to cameras, taking selfies, playing dress up. Could you imagine any of them drafting a constitution? Inventing a government from scratch? I don't believe most of the guys photographed have enough brains to understand. Which leads me to this. Besides Trump, we need to root out the rest of the organizations and their leadership. The guys that were smart enough not to get on camera. Not to participate in a riot like this. The people who are motiving this hate and treason. They also need to be in prison for the longest time possible.

I need to research why we give presidents that power. But on first glance, if Trump abuses his power in this way, there needs to be an amendment to the constitution preventing it from ever happening again. We can't give free reign to a president to mount a coup and then everyone goes home with stories.

While I would like to see it, I never believed that Trump would be charged and thus never serve time. But I have always believe there would be jail time for tactical vest and zip tie guy, horns and red/white/blue face paint guy, waving like a moron walking with the speaker's podium guy, etc etc

This is one of those times I'd like to see arrests and charges delayed. There has to be a way for those pardon's to be overruled. Perhaps if the pardons was part of a conspiracy. Didn't Trump say that he would consider pardons before the riot?

Riots. Then I retract my statement that we will survive this. Last year I wrote to my congressman that there needs to be restraint on the President from pardoning anyone who was involved with the president in the act of a crime. It's unimaginative to me that the president could order someone to commit a crime then be in position to pardon the individual. I wonder if there is a constitutional question. Honestly, it's a nightmare scenario.

I don't. I hope additional charges will be brought as the investigation continues. We're in trouble if they have finished the investigation. Hopefully this was to get him off the streets ahead of the inauguration. I hope police are planning a huge arrest party next week. Let them bail themselves out after Biden is sworn in.

There seems to be a need to address the issues that led up to the treasonous actions. Whether it's rooting out fascism or restoring faith in the election process. I believe moving forward we need to punish those involved in this act to the fullest extent of the law and work to prevent another riot like this. If we don't address the underlying problems we're on borrowed time until it happens again. There are plenty of people here who believe Biden's presidency was threatened by this event and it could happen again in another election.

I think his mainstream career is dead. He'll start his own internet platform and it will be *huge* (saying sarcastically in Trump's voice).

Exactly. Thank you. That's another reason I'm optimistic for America. We have two years of Dem control, we'll use it well.

OK. ideology matters. If the harshest sentence for breaking into the capital is life in prison what should some receive who isn't a fascist? I believe they should also get life in prison. But you and Strange Sox disagree. What's the sentence for someone who they can't prove is a fascist?

Show me where I said it should be debated and discussed? I said it doesn't matter why someone broke into the capital, they should be locked up for treason. That kind of sounds like the opposite of debate and discussion to me.

I said we will survive this as we survived every other assault on America. Again, I said treason is treason regardless of the reason and they all should receive the harshest sentence. Go look at my post you quoted. I want the people locked up with the harshest sentences possible and you call that defending? Why are you only calling out the fascists in the mob? Why evenb care what their ideology is? Their actions are what matters. They committed acts of treason and that's why they should held accountable in the harshest possible way. That's how we will survive this shit.

Again, I don't care why they are committing acts of treason. They all get the harshest sentence possible. Some people want to cut slack if they aren't fascists. I disagree. Life in prison for all of them. I'll bet there were people there for the violence and mob mentality who really don't have any political ideology you could prove. Guess what? I don't care. Commit treason, get sentenced.

I have a huge problem with what led up to it. I believe Trump was the worst president in our nation's history. He incited the worse portions of our society for five years. He encouraged and inflamed people I'm ashamed to have called Americans. I want him shut up. I don't believe my dear mother in law is out to destroy America even though she is a staunch Republican. I also believe we will survive this and the truly great Americans will step up. I have faith in the American people. I believe we will fairly and justly punish people for their horrible crimes. I believe Americans wil go to the ballot box in four years and have faith that it is a fair and just election.

So far I agree the law system has treated them way too nicely. We'll see what justice ultimately happens after people are put on trial. I'll be really pissed if there aren't really long prison sentences handed out. I'd like to see life in prison for all of them. I don't care why they went in. The fact they went in is enough for me. For us to survive this we need these people condemned and imprisoned. I believe that will happen.

I said lock them all up regardless of ideology. You disagreed. You want to pick and choose which traitors receive which punishment. Nice. I still think that's really fucked up. I'll stand by my statement that they all should be jailed for treason and given the harshest sentences under law. Who was checking ideology at the capital? I believe that all sorts of anti American views were present in that mob including communists. As soon as we follow your path of trying to sort out these traitors by ideology we go down a very dangerous path. Lock them all up for a long time.

I'm saying I don't give one fuck why someone violently broke into the capital, it's an act of treason and should e dealt with in the harshest penalties under law. That's how we survive this. not some lame ass well fascists get this sentence and non fascists get this one. They all were committing treason.