So my RW neighbor is on Facebook this morning to say it was "RIOT not insurrection!" I wonder what

[CTyankee]

he has been reading/thinking.

Can anyone tell me if this is a meaningful distinction, or some wording that "excuses" the rioters?

[Ocelot II]

1. As if rioting in the Capitol was a perfectly OK thing to do?

An insurrection is a riot where the rioters are trying to overthrow the government, but apparently your RW neighbor thinks an ordinary riot where people invade the Capitol, break things and shit on the floor is just fine as long as they aren't trying to overthrow the government. So ask your neighbor why he thinks they were there, and whether rioting, threatening the VP and busting things up is acceptable if their goal was something other than overthrowing the government.

[CTyankee]

3. this is an improvement actually. A couple of days ago he was calling it a "demonstration" (I guess

to make comparison to Dr. King's march or something...)

[Claire Oh Nette]

11. What was that mob's stated goal, again?

A demonstration of the mob's willingness to commit violent acts to prevent the peaceful transition of power, while threatening to Hang Mike Pence and insinuating violence against Speaker Pelosi and AOC, among others.

He's probably a slow information processor, so pictures will be helpful.

They openly plotted their coup on social media and bragged about it.

Cognitive dissonance is an ugly thing.

[gopiscrap]

2. I would think insurrection would carry a stiffer penalty

than rioting. The sedition charges the other day may have spooked some of these assholes

[Tickle]

4. The sentencing has to do

with what it's called. By saying RIOT it lessons everything. Tell your friend you are not buying his BS or be like me and block him lol

[obamanut2012]

5. This indictment has made them move from PROTEST to RIOT

At least.

[Sherman A1]

6. I would not respond in any way

simply hide the post and move on.

[CTyankee]

9. Oh, I won't. He and his family are wonderful neighbors otherwise. They roll down our garbage cans

every week before pickup and then roll them back up afterwards.

[andym]

7. Say "It was both"

as it was-- riot for their behavior, and insurrection for it's intent.

[thucythucy]

8. The distinction I would make is this:

a riot is generally more or less unplanned, often spontaneous. If it has a purpose at all it's to cause chaos, or air grievances, but often the participants each have their own motivations--for instance to take advantage of the opportunity to loot, or simply cause mayhem for the fun of it.

This clearly was not the case on January 6th. The purpose of the action was to overturn an election and prevent the peaceful transfer of power. It was an attempt essentially to overthrow the government by disrupting a process defined in the Constitution as essential to the government's legitimacy.

This is far more dangerous to the health of our democracy than any riot.

[Ohio Joe]

17. Correct answer

[bottomofthehill]

24. This is the clear DC legal definition

Code of the District of Columbia
§ 22–1322. Rioting or inciting to riot.

(a) A riot in the District of Columbia is a public disturbance involving an assemblage of 5 or more persons which by tumultuous and violent conduct or the threat thereof creates grave danger of damage or injury to property or persons.

(b) Whoever willfully engages in a riot in the District of Columbia shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than 180 days or a fine of not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01, or both.

(c) Whoever willfully incites or urges other persons to engage in a riot shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than 180 days or a fine of not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01, or both.

(d) If in the course and as a result of a riot a person suffers serious bodily harm or there is property damage in excess of $5,000, every person who willfully incited or urged others to engage in the riot shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than 10 years or a fine of not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01, or both.

[mopinko]

10. that's fucker carlson's spin.

it wasnt terrorism, it wasnt insurrection, it was just a riot, and no different than portland or kenosha. (which he does not admit was fueled by just such terrorists.)
pretty much the official fux news spin.

[CTyankee]

13. Yep. He wants to subtly get a dig into civil rights marches. Sad to say...

[mopinko]

14. it's their- look over here- shiny object.

[Captain Zero]

12. he hasn't said it til now?it means he's an oath breaker

He belongs to Oath Keepers. I'll bet you s $1.

He's never said anything on FB before?
Suddenly this?
He's been triggered by the arrests of oath keepers as insurrectionists.

I'm guessing he is paid up on his dues for OKs.

[CTyankee]

15. He's always "half saying" things and some responses have been telling...

such as "Are you a republican?" and once "Are you OK?"

There are lots of liberal Dems here in New Haven. I think he's very frustrated being a lone republican in our deeply blue town.

[bottomofthehill]

16. Metropolitan Police declared a Riot on the Capitol grounds. This freed up officers

From around the city to respond immediately to the Capitol to defend it, Members of Congress and Democracy itself. Because it was declared a riot, that does not mean that it was not an armed insurrection, both can be true, but it was a declared riot.

[Cracklin Charlie]

18. Josh Hawley is your neighbor?

Just kidding.

Josh (my Senator, ugh) wouldn’t sign recent legislation honoring the Capitol police, because the word “insurrection” was used in writing the bill.

Now that someone has been charged with serious crimes, they’re back to pretending the insurrection was a tourist visit.

[SWBTATTReg]

22. Jaws Hawley is mine too, and I have not one ounce of respect for his gutter mouth, this waste of

human potential, this disgusting tribute of MO which I cannot stand.

I can't wait until we come up w/ a good, solid candidate to run against him and throw him out of office. I suspect that he's going to not fulfill his office full term, as he'll think that he's too good to be bypassed by the 2024 presidential elections, so he'll do the same thing that he's done again and again and again (kidding in a way, but he's never finished an elected term in office yet).

[Passenger]

19. Your RW neighbor is not up on the latest RW narrative, which is ...

... It was started by FBI agents provocateurs.

[Kid Berwyn]

20. "Insurrection" implies treason.

“Riot” implies chaos.

[gratuitous]

21. Typical misdirection

Derail any conversation or discussion by getting hung up on semantics, and insist that their framing or wording is the only right way to approach the subject.

[Bev54]

23. The RW can no longer use that distinction, once the oath keepers were charged

with sedition, it is formally an insurrection.