11 charged with sedition in Jan. 6 Capitol riot — so can we call it an insurrection now?
Can we call it an insurrection now?
On Thursday, the Justice Department indicted 11 individuals on charges of seditious conspiracy, those who sought to interfere with the lawful transfer of presidential power by force on Jan. 6, 2021.
These indictments give lie to the GOP claim it was not an insurrection, merely a deadly riot of patriots. Those committing seditious conspiracy are not patriots by any sane definition.
They will have their day in court as all defendants do, though what we witnessed with our own eyes — our Capitol being breached and vandalized, and its legislative function delayed — is forever seared in our memory.
We can expect the people responsible for the planning, organization, funding, execution and promotion of the Big Lie and then the coverup of this sedition to face equally serious charges.
Leon Pascucci, Rancho Mirage
My time with Bob Saget
I would like to share a memory about the time I shared the set with Bob Saget. I was on a game show he hosted, "1 vs. 100," in 2006.
I was fortunate to be part of one of the first episodes on a cavernous Hollywood soundstage. There were myriad production issues to deal with while taping: applying makeup, 101 contestants to mic, getting everyone on their marks, dozens of production crew on the set, an audience, etc.
This massive crowd caused production problems, resulting in take after take. There were clicks, coughs, sneezes, incorrect camera angles, etc.
All the while, Bob was kind to the crew: “That’s no problem, let’s do it again!” He never asked for a break or a seat. But what I remember most was that Bob kept all of us entertained during the 5+ hours it took to wrap the half-hour episode.
He would tell jokes at every opportunity. He engaged with contestants in an honest way, usually ending with a funny comment. He was a real pro and nice man. Godspeed, Bob.
As a side note, I won a little bit of cash, the same amount as the great Ken Jennings of "Jeopardy!" We both missed the same question!
Paul Berg, Yucca Valley
Vote them out
The Republican Party would rather drag our democracy, economy, health care and climate initiatives down not because they are bad, but because they are supported by the Democrats.
Shame on you, Republican Congress men and women (and that includes would-bes Manchin and Sinema), for putting your political agenda ahead of what’s good for your country.
Voters, take note and vote all these obstructionists out in the next election.
Mike McGinley, Palm Springs
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Sedition charges in Jan. 6 Capitol riot show it was an insurrection
