The Long Shadow of American Insurrection: From Liberty Place to January 6th
Call Them What They Are: Traitors Who Betrayed Democracy to Clear Trump's Path Back to Power
America's democratic institutions have faced violent challenges throughout history, but January 6th marked an unprecedented escalation: the first time traitors breached the U.S. Capitol to prevent the peaceful transfer of power. This wasn't a protest gone wrong – it was a calculated attempt to overthrow the government, following a dark historical pattern of insurrection when demographic changes threaten existing power structures.
The Blueprint for Betrayal: Liberty Place
The 1874 Battle of Liberty Place set a dangerous precedent. Five thousand White League paramilitaries – Confederate veterans turned domestic terrorists – overwhelmed New Orleans law enforcement to seize control of the government. They occupied the statehouse for three days, retreating only when federal troops arrived. Their complete escape from prosecution established a deadly pattern: traitors could attack democracy with impunity.
Wilmington: When Traitors Succeeded
The 1898 Wilmington coup d'état remains America's only successful overthrow of an elected government. White supremacist insurgents, threatened by Black political power, murdered between 60 and 250 Black citizens, forcibly removed over 100 Black government officials, and drove more than 100,000 registered Black voters from their homes. The complete failure to prosecute these criminals emboldened future insurrectionists.
It wasn’t until 1972 that another Black person was elected in Wilmington.
Read more here: https://eji.org/news/wilmington-massacre-of-1898/
The remains of the office of the Black-owned newspaper The Daily Record after it was burned in the Wilmington coup and massacre, November 10, 1898. (McCool/Alamy)
January 6th: Treason Broadcast Live
The Capitol attack represented a devastating evolution of this pattern. The insurrectionists:
Constructed gallows while chanting death threats against elected officials
Brutally attacked law enforcement, causing multiple deaths and hundreds of injuries
Hunted through halls of Congress for representatives and senators
Stole classified documents and sensitive technology
Coordinated with extremist militias and political operatives
Deliberately attempted to prevent the certification of a legitimate election
Democracy Under Siege: The Ongoing Threat
The danger didn't end on January 6th – it metastasized. Despite committing violent acts against democracy itself, many insurrectionists walked away with minimal sentences, sending a dangerous message about accountability. Rather than show remorse, they've doubled down, spreading propaganda that attempts to justify their treason while maintaining active connections to extremist networks plotting future attacks. Perhaps most alarming, they've found allies in elected officials who downplay or outright deny their crimes, providing political cover for what amounts to an attempted coup. These insurrectionists haven't retreated – they've simply changed tactics, working methodically to infiltrate election systems and local government positions.
The New Face of Treason: Criminal Networks Targeting Democracy
Today's insurrectionists have evolved beyond mob violence into sophisticated networks that pose an even greater threat to democratic institutions. They coordinate massive disinformation campaigns through encrypted communication channels, where they openly plan future violence. Political operatives provide legal cover for anti-democratic actions, while dark money flows through a labyrinth of organizations funding extremist activities. Most disturbing is their systematic infiltration of law enforcement and military institutions – a calculated effort to neutralize the very forces meant to protect democracy from domestic threats. This isn't just a movement; it's an orchestrated campaign to undermine American democracy from within.
Breaking the Cycle of Treason
History shows that treating insurrection with kid gloves only guarantees more violence. Protecting democracy requires:
Maximum prosecution of all insurrectionists, from foot soldiers to organizers
Targeting the financial and organizational networks supporting political violence
Strengthening electoral systems against sabotage and interference
Teaching the accurate history of anti-democratic violence and its consequences
Supporting journalism that exposes extremist networks and plans
The path from Liberty Place to January 6th is clear: when traitors face insufficient consequences, they don't just repeat history – they escalate it. Every unpunished attack on democracy emboldens the next generation of insurrectionists. Breaking this cycle requires naming these acts what they are – treason – and responding with the full force of law.
A pardon from Trump, the felon, will not cleanse these traitors.
We can never forget what they did, who they are, and what their actions did to damage our nation. January 6th should forever be a day of mourning this insurrection, a call to resist tyranny, and a commitment to rebuild a democracy that serves us all.
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