One year ago today a mob of people stormed the US capitol in an attempt to stop the election of Joe Biden from being certified. More than 700 people have been charged in connection with the attack, and a congressional committee is investigating the events of January 6th.
On this episode of Intersection we talk with WMFE’s Joe Byrnes who has been following the case of two North Central Florida residents who are members of the Oath Keepers militia group- and charged with conspiracy, obstruction of official proceedings and other crimes.
Just how far reaching are the political consequences of January 6th? And what does 2020 tell us about how future presidential elections could play out? John Hanley, a political science lecturer at UCF, says there are big questions about how new voting laws could influence this election cycle and beyond; and what role state legislatures could play in the next presidential election.
And: how do you teach the events of January 6th to a 7th grade class? Civics teacher Matt Kiernan says it’s an opportunity to show how government works, and how the different branches function in extreme circumstances.