If Biden's Goal is Unity, Pardons, and not Punishment, Are Due
In my previous posts I've made it clear that I don't believe the storming of the Capital building was a horrifying act of domestic terrorism. It wasn't an insurrection, it wasn't sedition, and it was far from the darkest day in American history. The storming was a riot and that is all it can ever be. The riot disturbed the reverence of the Capital, but that is no different from the lost sense of security anyone feels when they see rioters on their doorstep.
The only concern I have is the rioters - and the responding police - may have endangered the artifacts and antiquities on display in the Capital building. Whether gifted, discovered, or pillaged these are irreplaceable treasures which belong to the American people. These treasures are a link to our past, not just as a Country, but the human species as a whole. Even the Capital building itself is a beautiful monument to the American empire and must should be protected from needless damage and destruction.
We are lucky that the damage appears limited to broken windows, a discarded bottle of Axe body spray, and other litter. We may learn of something more egregious, but for the time being Americans should be more concerned with the establishment's reaction to the riot, rather than the riot itself. Yesterday, major technology and social media companies including Twitter, Facebook, and Shopify all banned Donald Trump from their networks. Twitter banned a further 60,000 users including Trump's on again, off again lawyer Sidney Powell, Michael Flynn, and other influential Trump supporters.
In the physical world, president-elect Joe Biden has committed to implementing new national security laws aimed at eliminating domestic terror from right-wing extremists. If history is any indication, these laws will be overly broad and give the state unprecedented authority to investigate American citizens. The 2001 USA PATRIOT Act gave the government the ability to collect, indefinitely retain, and even share a person's otherwise private information without a court order. New York's S8298B broad wording essentially gives that state the ability to outlaw any imagery it finds distasteful.
The actions taken by big tech and the commitments by Biden only serve to further isolate Trump supporters and conservative voices. It was this same feeling of isolation among conservatives which contributed to the riot in the first place.
When Biden assumes the Office of the Presidency later this month, we must have frank discussions about the best way to secure peace. I believe secession is the only path which can provide liberty, security, and a lasting peace, and I have made that abundantly clear in my writings. Others believe that America must remain unified to prevent a civil war. I'm not entirely dismissive of their opinion, but there must be some mechanism which can bring every American to the table and cool the temperature.
The only mechanism I can think of is for President-elect Biden to pardon the protestors - all the protestors. Pardons must be extended to BLM protestors, Trump supporters, and everyone in between. Anyone who has been charged or convicted of unlawful trespass, assault on a police officer, and even vandalism this past year must receive an immediate and unconditional pardon. The only exceptions should be for those individuals which are accused or convicted of murder, arson, or similar violent crimes. Although I don't believe Trump has committed any major crime, Biden must also issue a full and unconditional pardon to President Trump for any crimes he may have committed. Trump would be well within his rights to refuse the pardon and may choose to do so to maintain his innocence.
Pardons alone cannot heal such a divided nation - nothing can. Any pardons will undoubtedly be controversial and destroy any chance of Biden serving a second term. Harris, too, will have to contend with the reality her political life will be ruined. However, immediate pardons would put an immediate end to the cries for vengeance coming from both sides. I have to hope that even the most devoted zealot would be forced to recognize the state will not act upon their bloodlust.
It could be that for the briefest of moments Americans see each other only as fellow Americans, and not as enemies.