You may not be aware that there are still American citizens rotting in jail for the high crime of being total idiots on January 6 of this year. But they're in there, being held indefinitely, essentially forgotten by the entire country.
One participant in the day's riot, Thomas Sibick, has been petitioning officials for a pretrial release from jail; last week, he wrote a letter to a judge that is quite literally the textbook definition of "Orwellian."
The full text of the letter is as follows:
Your Honor,
My name is Thomas Sibick and in an attempt to provide an understanding of who I am I felt compelled to write, because my conduct on January 6th was unequivocally an aberration of the high moral standards I hold myself to. What happened at the United States Capitol that day does not provide an adequate representation of my character.
Although I strive for excellence I will be the first to admit that I am not perfect. My life has been full of joyful times, however there has been a fair share of growing pains, none more significant than what I am currently experiencing. The shame, dishonor, and regret endured are without question the worst emotions ever experienced. I disagree with what occurred that fateful day, especially the trauma suffered by Officer Michael Fanone, it is without question unconscionable.
January 6th was a disgrace to our nation that left a scar [T]rump is ultimately responsible for, but we are strong and will heal from it. While many praise Trump I loathe him, his words and his actions are nefarious causing pain and harm to the world. He is not a leader and should be ostracized from any political future, what he honestly needs to do is go away!
Throughout my incarceration I have had ample time for self-reflection which has enabled me to grow and become more cognizant of my being, ultimately having a profound impact on my core values. I have vowed to never attend another political protest in my life, that was my first and last! In addition, I will never allow myself to be consumed by the mob mentality, it is dangerous and undoubtedly out of character.
I give irrefutable assurance to the court that if I am released I will without hesitation abide by any and all conditions set forth. All I desire is peace, reconciliation, and unity. We must all work together to build a better nation.
Sincerely,
Thomas Sibick
Um, wow.
Aside from his appropriate regret for having allegedly assaulted a Capitol police officer, the rest of the letter reads like a desperate Stalinist-style confession written by a man who has been utterly broken by the full weight of the government.
What is happening to this country? Is this what we are becoming? Is this what we've already become?
