Originally published via Armageddon Prose Substack:
The big knock on the “insurrectionists” of January 6th – whom people like Lincoln Project founder/DC permaswamp goblin Steve Schmidt have claimed are worse than the purported Islamic terrorist 9/11 hijackers – is that they did something called “obstruction of an official proceeding,” tantamount to an assault on Democracy™ itself.
Via Associated Press:
“The Justice Department has argued that the offense — punishing anyone who “corruptly” obstructs or impedes an “official proceeding” — clearly fits the conduct of the rioters who halted Congress’ certification of Biden’s 2020 election victory.”
Does pulling a fire alarm on camera to prevent a Congressional vote on its “stopgap” funding measure, as Rep. Jamaal Bowman did on Saturday, quality as “obstruction of an official proceeding”?
Via 18 U.S. Code § 1512:
“Whoever corruptly obstructs, influences, or impedes any official proceeding, or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both…
Whoever intentionally harasses another person and thereby hinders, delays, prevents, or dissuades any person from attending or testifying in an official proceeding or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 3 years, or both.”
That’s federal criminal statute in black and white.
Is Jamaal Bowman going to be locked up in the gulag, or will he get a pass as a member of a protected class with the right politics in the DC Swamp? (Biden appointee Matthew Graves, actively prosecuting Jan 6th election protesters, is currently the Attorney General for DC.)
What we have here is an open and shut case, ladies and gentlemen. So it’s off to prison for Jamaal Bowman.
Surely?
Right?
You don’t mean to tell me there are double standards in federal government prosecutions?
For his part, Bowman claims that this was all a big misunderstanding because he doesn’t understand how clearly labeled fire alarms painted in bright red work – to him, they’re the same as doorknobs!
Via Jamaal Bowman:
“I want to personally clear up confusion surrounding today’s events. Today, as I was rushing to make a vote, I came to a door that is usually open for votes but today would not open. I am embarrassed to admit that I activated the fire alarm, mistakenly thinking it would open the door. I regret this and sincerely apologize for any confusion this caused… My hope is that no one will make more of this than it was.”
Assuming we were to take Bowman at his word – and there’s no reason to do that – his admission of his own stupidity would in a decent world immediately disqualify him from serving in Congress.
He’s either criminally stupid or literally criminal. There are no other options here.
If it’s the former, he would be much better suited bagging groceries at Kroger in a helmet for his own protection. At least there he would be earning an honest day’s wage.
If it’s the latter, this is reason #1,785 we are living in abject anarcho-tyranny.
Ben Bartee, author of Broken English Teacher: Notes From Exile, is an independent Bangkok-based American journalist with opposable thumbs.
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