Four of the five Proud Boys members found guilty Thursday for their role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol were convicted of seditious conspiracy, a rare and gravely serious federal charge. Those seditious conspiracy convictions, combined with earlier ones against the leader of the Oath Keepers and his close associate, represent strategic victories in the Department of Justice’s continuing battle to preserve democracy and are worthy of celebration.
Convictions against groups of bad actors sometimes lead to a far greater possibility of attacks carried out by lone actors.
But convictions against groups of bad actors sometimes lead to a far greater possibility of attacks carried out by lone actors. That’s why caution is warranted. The Proud Boys and Oath Keepers convictions could be good, bad and ugly all at the same time.
The good part is readily apparent. The defendants mentioned above posed an existential threat to the tradition of peaceful transition of power in our nation. Sentencing guidelines and the ages of those convicted mean that some of them could take their last breath from inside a penitentiary. We should celebrate the fact that they’re now more likely to lead a prison choir than another insurrection.
It’s also good that these high-profile convictions, and the arrests of at least 1,000 Jan. 6 participants, appear to already have had a chilling effect on would-be MAGA marauders. For example, the recent “hush money” charges brought against former President Donald Trump by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg didn’t lead to any kind of significant protests — let alone violence — despite Trump’s call that his supporters protest. Why? Dr. Heidi Beirich, co-founder of the nonprofit Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, said, “People seem really deathly afraid that they’re going to get arrested.”
The potentially bad outcome from high-volume arrests and high-profile convictions may be less obvious, but it includes…
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