The Inauguration on January 20th went off without a hitch and we have a new President of the United States, Joe Biden. This is a fact that many still have a very hard time dealing with. There are some who remain anxious – waiting for a declaration of Martial Law or some violent action to kick-off, promised by a shadowy internet rumor gone amok. I fear that if these people and many others in the larger “Patriot Movement” do not use their heads, you and I could find ourselves labeled as a domestic terrorist in the near future.
I don’t seriously believe that a significant number of people who took part in the events of January 6th, where the Capitol building was breached by a crowd of protestors are in fact, terrorists. I think that notwithstanding the unfortunate deaths that occurred, the protest was still much less violent and less destructive than the majority of the George Floyd riots. But that apparently is not the opinion of those who shape the narrative.
The media is more than willing to paint the participants in the Capitol protests and by association anyone who voted for Trump as angry at best and domestic terrorists at worst. Nearly every post I read called this protest a violent Coup attempt and I see nothing at all like that in the events of that day.
Merriam Webster defines coup d’état as:
Definition of coup d’état
- a sudden decisive exercise of force in politics
- especially: the violent overthrow or alteration of an existing government by a small group
- a military coup d’état of the dictator
I am even going to paste a screenshot here just in case they decide to change the definition of the word later.
The protests that occurred on January 6th at the Capitol do not meet the definition of a “coup d’état” because:
- This was not a sudden decisive exercise of force. (keyword is decisive here)
- There was never any attempt to overthrow the government. Trump was still president at that time, and nobody at that protest was trying to kick him out.
- The military was not involved at all in that “exercise of force”
- There was no plan for an overthrow of the existing government (coup)
Did the protests get out of hand? Yes, I think they did. I would have rather seen a crowd 10 times as large stay outside on the grounds, observe respect for our representatives and demand to be heard instead of breaking down windows.
That being said, the actions taken by the Capitol protestors still paled in comparison to the duration and ferocity of either the George Floyd Protests in Minneapolis (which started in May and are still continuing) or the Portland Protests which also still continue, or the Seattle CHOP autonomous zone which was finally ended because of a wave of nighttime violence in the four-block area, including four shootings and several alleged sexual assaults.
Did the Capitol protest event draw harsher criticism from literally everyone because it was at the nation’s capital? That may be the driving force behind the editorial outrage and social media vitriol, but a violent protest is a violent protest regardless of who its victims are.
I do not believe that burning down neighborhood stores is less destructive or less violent than breaking some windows in a government building. A protest that lasts for 5 months is not the same as one that lasts 5 hours. An individual’s reason for protesting does not give them more moral righteousness to destroy property than anyone else. Both are wrong. But both are not comparable.
The protests are over for now and arrests have been made. People who broke the law are being punished and that is what our civil society, based upon a foundation of rule of law does in times like these. Protesting over the years has become increasingly violent and destructive for a multitude of societal reasons. The methods for dealing with these protests have also changed. When they start calling the protests as being executed by Domestic Terrorists, that is what you need to watch out for.
Defining Domestic Terrorists and the risk for Preppers
The FBI defines Domestic Terrorism as:
“Violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature.”
By that definition, the George Floyd protests (all of them), Antifa, BLM as well as the Capitol protestors are all examples of Domestic Terrorism and/or groups. That puts everyone in good company with Animal Rights activists, Environmental Activists, anarchists, White Supremacist, and Neo-Nazi groups. Why does this matter if you never attend any protest or break any windows or do anything criminal?
It matters when the dialog starts to shift in a couple of ways. One of the things preppers are notorious for is prepping for martial law and gun confiscation. I have written a lot of articles over the years talking about these two subjects. The first I can more easily see happening. The second is still possible but it’s much more difficult. All that is needed for both to happen is the right crisis.
We have talked about potential war, or EMP events that could render our nation incapacitated but we may be have been missing the bigger picture. What if we bring all this trouble on ourselves because of the actions we take at protests? What if by our fevered social media rhetoric and ramped up protest activity, we cause the government to take action? What if we are the national emergency?
National Defense Resources Preparedness Act
The government has already made plans and created systems for curtailing liberties on a nationwide scale. Executive Order 13603’s Section 201 gives each cabinet position absolute control “to promote the national defense” over the following:
- the Secretary of Agriculture with respect to all food resources, food resource facilities, livestock resources, veterinary resources, plant health resources, and the domestic distribution of farm equipment and commercial fertilizer;
- the Secretary of Energy with respect to all forms of energy;
- the Secretary of Health and Human Services with respect to all health resources;
- the Secretary of Transportation with respect to all forms of civil transportation;
- the Secretary of Defense with respect to all water resources; and
- the Secretary of Commerce with respect to all other materials, services, and facilities, including construction materials.
There is nothing in executive order 13603 about upholding the Constitution or protecting your civil liberties. All that is required to start these wheels in motion is a “national emergency”. As a nation, we have been in a constant and renewing state of national emergency for a long time going back to before 9/11 and just recently renewed by Trump as recently as March 13, 2020 for the COVID 19 pandemic.
They have the ability to throw us all into life under a totalitarian regime right now. All they need is justification. Could it be from more protests? Could it be some false flag attack that is designed to be the next “new Pearl Harbor” that forces us as a nation to accept further losses of liberty in the course of defending our nation from some new threat? If the government is in complete control of all food, water, transportation, and jobs – how long would you last before you and your family had to go to a FEMA camp for safety, where the price of admission is to give up your firearms?
I can easily see hypothetical scenarios on all sides, but I do not want to give anyone a helping hand and force that on us earlier than was planned.
Stepping back from the ledge
The rhetoric that has been pervasive over the last few years needs to stop. Ideally, we should be able to have civil disagreements without any violence and still shake hands at the end of the day. If you have been running down rabbit holes with QAnon conspiracies, think about what you have learned for a minute. All the reported “drops” turned out to be false. Who do you think gained from getting so many people believing those stories?
It used to be that the conservative side of the political football game was more measured in their response. Even the FBI stated at one point that “Generally, extremist right-wing groups engage in activity that is protected by constitutional guarantees of free speech and assembly.” Translation – they normally don’t get too uppity.
This was as opposed to “left-wing groups, generally profess a revolutionary socialist doctrine and view themselves as protectors of the people against the “dehumanizing effects” of capitalism and imperialism. They aim to bring about change in the United States and believe that this change can be realized through revolution rather than through the established political process.”
I think that both sides now though are just as comfortable with talk of revolution and plans for putting that into practice. I have said before that we should stop wishing for a revolution partly because that is exactly what is needed for a declaration of a national emergency and martial law. It may be inevitable at this point, but I am cautious to try and avoid it.
You do not need to give the government any overt reasons to enact more forceful control over our lives. That may come anyway and if it does, then we should be willing to act appropriately. There may come a day when we look back on our situation and decide that it is time for different actions. That time is not today.
If you are itching to make a change, the first thing we can do is get involved at the local level. If you feel like there are issues affecting you, take it to the city council in a respectful way. Speak with your state representative and lay out your case. Actually, vote in every election! This will allow you to enact more change that directly affects your lives.
Don’t watch Qanon videos all day every day. Don’t go out, join a militia and listen to the guy telling you to bomb something. Leave the looting and threats of revolution to someone else. Stop fighting, breaking, and burning down property when you get upset. There will be plenty of time to act and maybe die later if we get to that point. For now, I want to preserve my country as much as I can and try to strive for the best ideals that I believe it should still represent.
Who’s with me?