Misbehavior of others does not excuse Jan. 6 rioters
U.S. District Court Judge Trevor Mcfadden injected some very unjudicial whataboutism into his sentencing of Jan. 6 rioter Oklahoman Danielle Doyle.
Though Doyle was arrested for storming the U.S. Capitol in some wild hope to overturn President Donald Trump’s election loss, Mcfadden looked at her case and decided it would be unfair to make Doyle — who received probation — actually responsible for her actions because so many rioters in the George Floyd protests were not held responsible.
Isn’t that what our parents always taught us — “Well, if all the other kids’ parents are letting their children do whatever they want, guess it’s OK for you. Go nuts.”
No, it was in fact, the opposite. “I don’t care what Billy’s mom let’s him do ... etc.”
We’ve all heard it.
Some protesters beat back police on their way in. Some went right up to the door where Congress had been standing moments before. People died. We saw it play out live.
Were the actions comparable? In many cases. Was the reasoning?
Many people who stormed the Capitol that day had likely always planned some kind of action or similar action because they truly believed the election was stolen from Trump. Why did they believe that? Because they were told by Trump. If he lost, it was because the game was rigged. He said it many times. Then they kept repeating it until it became a mantra, then a movement, and now apparently a way of life for some.
Were there people who came to rally as zealots and left as rioters after getting swept up in the movement? Surely. But, consequences have actions. Many racial justice rioters have also been prosecuted.
The only whataboutism that should concern us is “What about the next election?”
Where do we go from here if we continue to accept two different realities? If we try to rewrite recent history?
How many people still believe the real troublemakers on Jan. 6 were undercover antifa activists?
If we can’t build and maintain confidence in our elections, and instead continue to listen to people who insist without evidence that 2020 was a fraud, we will still not be prepared for what comes.