The news cycle moves fast. It's easy to forget about even something as crazy and unprecedented as the January 6 Capitol riot.
But don't forget about it. Specifically, don't forget about the things the government has spent the past year doing to people simply because they acted stupid for one day of their lives:
Matthew Perna, a Trump supporter who was arrested and charged with non-violent trespassing crimes following the January 6 election protests, has committed suicide. According to Perna's family, his suicide came as the DOJ planned to tack on extra charges...
In December, Matthew Perna, 37, pleaded guilty to felony obstruction of Congress and three misdemeanor charges associated with his entry into the Capitol on Jan 6, the U.S. Attorney's office for the District of Columbia reported Friday. He was scheduled for sentencing on March 3.
"They informed him the other day that they were pursuing additional charges. He couldn't take another day," Perna's family told Tayler Hansen in a statement.
Perna was reportedly facing up to 20 years in prison for the "felony obstruction of Congress" charge, an offense which allegedly included a whopping 20 minutes spent taking videos in the lobby of the U.S. Senate.
One year per minute—that's the standard of justice of the U.S. government, apparently.
Perna's obituary, meanwhile, speaks to something sad and terrible happening in our country:
Matthew Lawrence Perna died on February 25, 2022 of a broken heart. His community (which he loved), his country, and the justice system killed his spirit and his zest for life...
He attended the rally on January 6, 2021 to peacefully stand up for his beliefs. After learning that the FBI was looking for him, he immediately turned himself in. He entered the Capitol through a previously opened door (he did not break in as was reported) where he was ushered in by police. He didn't break, touch, or steal anything. He did not harm anyone, as he stayed within the velvet ropes taking pictures. For this act he has been persecuted by many members of his community, friends, relatives, and people who had never met him. Many people were quietly supportive, and Matt was truly grateful for them. The constant delays in hearings, and postponements dragged out for over a year. Because of this, Matt's heart broke and his spirit died, and many people are responsible for the pain he endured. Matt did not have a hateful bone in his body. He embraced people of all races, income brackets, and beliefs, never once berating anyone for having different views.
Rarely do obituaries serve as such terrible indictments of a people.
"He has been persecuted by many members of his community, friends. relatives, and people who had never met him." You can have absolutely no doubt that that is true. The country has treated Jan. 6 rioters as if they were insurgent terrorists responsible for the deaths of thousands; we have cast these people as arch-supervillain insurrectionists rather than the average, low-information, misinformed but more or less harmless men and women they ultimately are.
The worst part?
Many people were quietly supportive, and Matt was truly grateful for them.
"Quietly supportive." That's about how it goes. Few people apparently have the stomach to stand up and defend their fellow Americans from this snarling zeitgeist. Nearly everyone is too afraid to take a stand for fear of being dragged on social media; a scant number of people are willing to point out, "Hey, maybe we shouldn't be treating some dunderheaded rioters as the functional equivalent of Adolf Hitler."
This speaks very low of our country today.
Matthew Perna was not a perfect man. He did a stupid thing. He probably deserved some sort of legal consequences. He did not deserve what happened to him.
Nobody does.
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