Conspiracy

To tell the truth, on principle, I don’t like the whole idea of ‘conspiracy’ as a criminal charge, because all conspiracy means is that a couple of people, or a few, got together and talked about doing something illegal.
People talk about stuff like that sometimes. “I’m going to kill him/her/my boss/thatsonofabitchwhoowesmemoney, etc…” We hear it all the time. It’s not, perhaps, the coolest thing to say, but most people don’t go to jail for it.
Also, free speech. Sure, a crime is a crime, but if talking about one is, then thinking about one won’t be far behind, and it’s hard to control what you think. And probably a bad idea.
That having been said, I don’t feel particularly sorry for the thirteen endangered white people in Michigan who were arrested for threatening to kidnap, and maybe kill (it was a conspiracy – they talked about lots of stuff) Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
They are all big white supremacist losers who love Trump, and they were already at the bomb testing and drawing up maps part of the exercise. Even if they weren’t sure of all their goals, kidnapping Gretchen Whitmer seemed to be one part of the plan they were particularly keen on.
Why Whitmer? Because she wanted to make them wear masks, that’s why. Not really enough to start a civil war over, is it?
So, despite my philosophical reservations, I hope all of these scumbags spend a good, long time in jail.