(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Confederate Flag Loving Insurrectionist Argues He Is Too Stupid To Be A Criminal And Is Sorry. [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.', 'Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags'] Date: 2023-02-09 Kevin Seefried: Another "I'm Too Stupid To Be A Criminal!" Insurrectionist. And I'm So Sorry Now! Here we go again with another Jan 6th insurrectionist arguing 1) I am too stupid to be a criminal and 2) I’m soooooo sorry! And we have another judge not giving an adequate sentence to an insurrectionist. Wet, lather, rinse, and repeat. The Delaware man who carried a Confederate flag in the U.S. Capitol building during the Jan. 6 riot will spend the next three years behind bars. The picture of Kevin Seefried, 53, carrying a Confederate flag over his shoulder as he made his way through the Capitol is one of the most indelible images from that day, when hordes of rioting Donald Trump supporters overwhelmed police and swarmed the building. Angry over Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral win and encouraged by Trump’s false statements about voter fraud in the election, the mob breached the Capitol shortly after Congress had started certifying the election results, forcing lawmakers to flee or shelter in place for hours. Seefried and his son, Hunter Seefried, 24, were among the first to breach the building at around 2:13 p.m., entering through a broken window smashed by other rioters. Prosecutors say the elder Seefried was particularly antagonistic during a confrontation with U.S. Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, who was credited with leading a crowd of rioters away from the Senate chamber entrance that day. “Seefried was the first rioter to encounter USCP Officer Eugene Goodman in a doorway near the base of the Senate East Grand Staircase,” the government said in its sentencing memo. “At that point, Seefried, who was still holding his Confederate Battle flag, was at the front of the mob, and for a time, appeared to Officer Goodman to be the only rioter in the area,” the memo also said. “When Officer Goodman commanded Seefried to leave, Seefried jabbed the base of the flagpole at him. Officer Goodman recalled that Seefried was very angry and made statements such as ‘I’m not leaving,’ ‘Where are the members at?’ and “Where are they counting the votes at?’ Seefried also told Officer Goodman, ‘You can shoot me man, but we’re coming in.'” This was a bench trial before Judge McFadden, a Trump appointee who has acquited at least one insurrectionist. The prosecution asked for 70 months, and Seefried’s lawyers wanted 12 months. And like Solomon, McFadden split the difference with a three year sentence. McFadden claimed he was deeply offended by the use of a Confederate flag against a black police officer. Yeah. So offended. Do want to know what else was offensive about Seefried? Get a load of this: In his sentencing memo, Seefried said that he was raised to believe that the Confederate flag — which was adopted by pro-slavery forces in the Civil War — was simply a “symbol of an idealized view of southern life and southern heritage,” and that he lacked “even average intellectual capacity” to understand what it actually means. “Mr. Seefried did not appreciate the complex and for many, painful, history behind the Confederate battle flag,” his brief said. “It was difficult for Mr. Seefried to recognize the extent to which the flag is a controversial symbol and while some view the flag as a symbol of southern heritage as he had been taught, opponents see it as a symbol of racism and slavery.” Seefried’s sentencing memo suggested that now, however, he is a changed man. “He unequivocally regrets the emotions that he elicited by carrying the flag on January 6th,” his brief said. “Now, fully appreciating the deeper context behind the flag, he is horrified that his image is out there on the internet in perpetuity for his grandchildren to potentially witness one day.” At Thursday’s sentencing hearing, Seefried said that he “never wanted to send a message of hate,” NBC News reported. I find that argument deeply offensive. It’s another, “I’m too stupid to me a criminal!” defense. And I’m so tired of that bullshit. As others have pointed out repeatedly, YOU CAN BE STUPID AND BE A CRIMINAL! And our lovely justice system does not recognize that as a viable defense. How many mentally disabled men have been sentenced to prison? The SCOTUS has no problem with mentally disabled men being executed, so it doesn’t work as a defense. Don’t get me wrong. Seefried is STUPID! Not only was his crime caught on camera, but since when is DELAWARE A SOUTHERN STATE! Yes, they had slavery in Delaware. Yes, they had plenty of Copperheads in Delaware during the Civil War. But simple geography points out that Delaware is not a Southern state! So what is this shit about his Southern heritage?? And he is a liar. Of course he knew what the Confederate flag means! I know racists. And they only use that “Southern heritage” lie about the Confederate flag when they busted for obvious racism. In the past, racists didn’t give a shit if you thought they were racists. It was fine to be racist. You had nothing to apologize about in the past. Most of your associates and friends were racists. You were part of the club and a member of the right tribe. And look at the bastard in that picture. He’s proud to be walking around with the Confederate flag. He knew exactly what he was doing, and he is only sorry because he was arrested and convicted for his crimes. I’m so sick of this shit. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/2/9/2152117/-Confederate-Flag-Loving-Insurrectionist-Argues-He-Is-Too-Stupid-To-Be-A-Criminal-And-Is-Sorry Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/