Beware the Capitol riot overreach


"I would like to see January 6th burned into the American mind as firmly as 9/11 because it was that scale of a shock to the system," George Will, the dean of Washington conservative columnists, said on ABC's This Week. His comment encapsulates the case for the commission congressional Democrats (and some Republicans) would like to create to investigate the Capitol riot, which is often compared to the commission that probed the 2001 terrorist attacks.
The comparison between the two events is flawed. What happened on Jan. 6 was dangerous and could have been disastrous. The Capitol breach should not be justified or trivialized. But we would think very differently about 9/11 today if the attacks had failed to bring down the towers and the hijackers themselves had made up most of the death toll. Still, the federal response to that atrocity is instructive here — partially in terms of what not to do.
Some of the post-9/11 reforms surely improved our government's capacity to prevent future terrorist attacks and made Americans safer. But the response also included a war in Afghanistan that has gone on far too long and another in Iraq that never should have been launched. It involved the passage of the badly misnamed Patriot Act, the unconscionable use of torture, and the mass warrantless surveillance of Americans in violation of the Constitution.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The last bit is relevant here. The zeal to root out political extremism, while not without merit, can easily ensnare ordinary citizens if not pursued with restraint. The Reuters/Ipsos poll showing majorities of Republicans believe baseless claims about the 2020 election is disturbing and former President Donald Trump continues to fan the flames almost daily. But it is also an indicator of how quickly an overly broad definition of extremism could capture large numbers of voters.
There are widely held conspiracy theories about every presidential election of the past 20-odd years, with the exception of 2008. People are free to believe eccentric, even inaccurate, things as long as they act peacefully. The rioters at the Capitol did not, but their guilt should not be extended to grandpa on Facebook.
Understand and prevent another Jan. 6. Do not overreach and erode the constitutional norms that were under assault that day.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
W. James Antle III is the politics editor of the Washington Examiner, the former editor of The American Conservative, and author of Devouring Freedom: Can Big Government Ever Be Stopped?.
-
Ghislaine Maxwell: angling for a Trump pardon
Talking Point Convicted sex trafficker's testimony could shed new light on president's links to Jeffrey Epstein
-
Why is the Democratic Party's favorability rating so low?
Talking Points Voters do not like Republican policies. They like Democrats even less.
-
Does depopulation threaten humanity?
Talking Points Falling birth rates could create a 'smaller, sadder, poorer future'
-
Gavin Newsom mulls California redistricting to counter Texas gerrymandering
TALKING POINTS A controversial plan has become a major flashpoint among Democrats struggling for traction in the Trump era
-
Can Texas redistricting save the US House for the GOP?
Today's Big Question Trump pushes a 'ruthless' new plan, but it could backfire
-
The Supreme Court and Congress have Planned Parenthood in their crosshairs
Talking Points Trump's budget bill and the court's ruling threaten abortion access
-
How will Trump's megabill affect you?
Today's Big Question Republicans have passed the 'big, beautiful bill' through Congress
-
How successful would Elon Musk's third party be?
Today's Big Question Musk has vowed to start a third party after falling out with Trump