Many crimes in the past have carried the designation as "the crime of the century", and deservedly so. They were crimes that gripped the nation as a whole. But has any crime in this country been as dangerous to America as the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6th. It struck at the very core of our country -- the democratic system and the peaceful transfer of power. Had it succeeded, our democracy would no longer exist.
Here is part of what conservative commentator S.E. Cupp had to say about this at CNN.com:
The phrase "crime of the century" has been used to describe the most enduring, sensationalist scandals that rocked our nation -- the kidnapping of the Charles Lindbergh baby, the Son of Sam murders, the OJ Simpson case and the JonBenet Ramsey murder.
These were the crimes and tragedies that captivated America because they were so horrifying, so unbelievable, so awful, we could not look away.
The Capitol insurrection on January 6, 2021, is sadly -- but easily -- added to that canon.
Nothing made that clearer than Wednesday's presentation at former President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial, where the case against him unfolded more like a true-crime documentary than a staid political trial.
The photos, the videos, the phone calls, the affidavits -- some of which had never been shared publicly before -- were chilling, gut-wrenching, horrifying and at times even nauseating. It was a far cry from the usual testimonies of who-knew-what-when.
From the bloodcurdling calls from Capitol police, begging for backup as an angry, violent mob breached the Capitol, to the stunning footage of Officer Eugene Goodman diverting Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah away from an imminent threat of danger, to video of Vice President Mike Pence being hurriedly evacuated, and affidavits revealing rioters "would have killed Mike Pence if given the chance," it is all unspeakably awful and somehow even worse than we knew. . . .
With everything we now know -- and we don't even know it all yet -- it's clear this trial is not about politics. It's not about Republicans or Democrats.
It's not about free speech, and whether we should lock someone up for saying things we don't like.
It's about the near-overthrow of our government, the deaths of five people, the assault on our law enforcement, the unimaginable danger our elected officials, their staffs and in some cases their families were put in, and the clear-as-day connection to the most powerful man in the world, the President of the United States. It's nothing less than the "crime of the century."
