These people broke the law and need to held accountable for the actions. Punished. Stipulated. Can't argue. I'd just like to see some degree of leniency or help for them, because they really are victims in their own way."Judge Howell said, "they were not patriots on Jan. 6, and no one who broke the police lines and stopped the democratic process was a patriot that day."
I don't claim to fully understand the nature of group pathology, but these people have been manipulated and used in a way that this country just hasn't seen before. They believed the actions they were taking were fully justified and in the best interests of (what they perceived to be) their country. They're like children who believe that pro wrestling is real.
Maybe some kind of psychiatric and/or group counseling could replace some of their jail time. The clouds need to clear. This misguided paranoia is not healthy. Most of these people have families.