# Why does Congress tolerate Congressmen saying we should overthrow the government? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 11, 2022, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-congress-tolerate-congressmen-saying-we-should-overthrow-the-government/959333 "2022-02-11T21:17:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2022, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-congress-tolerate-congressmen-saying-we-should-overthrow-the-government/959333/1 "2022-02-11T21:17:27Z")
Oh, I’m not even _talking_ about January 6; that was just part of the fun for them. I’m talking about guys like Congressman Thomas Massie, who says that if a mere 30-40% of people believe there’s tyranny, that there should be enough Americans equipped with guns to overthrow the government. > **[Thomas Massie says Americans must own enough weapons to overthrow the...](https://www.rawstory.com/thomas-massie-2656635531/)** > > A U.S. Congressman is calling on Americans to own "sufficient" weaponry to overthrow the government, suggesting they should do so "if 30 to 40 percent agree" the nation is living under "tyranny.""If 30 to 40 percent could agree that this was... Do you suppose there’ll be any consequences, or even a censure from the GOP? Of course not, because the GOP is into that sort of thing! ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2022, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-congress-tolerate-congressmen-saying-we-should-overthrow-the-government/959333/2 "2022-02-11T21:25:02Z")
He’s a Republican. That is all. (Well, he’s a white Republican, but I venture into redundancy.) ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2022, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-congress-tolerate-congressmen-saying-we-should-overthrow-the-government/959333/3 "2022-02-11T22:33:09Z")
One of the two parties in Congress has overthrowing our government as part of its platform. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2022, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-congress-tolerate-congressmen-saying-we-should-overthrow-the-government/959333/4 "2022-02-12T12:04:47Z")
Because they think they’d still be in power if it happened, and that they’d still have a significant nation to rule over. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2022, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-congress-tolerate-congressmen-saying-we-should-overthrow-the-government/959333/5 "2022-02-12T12:31:27Z")
I was going to reply to the OP that since the 1970s, punishment by the House has only been for illegal or unethical activity. But looking it up we have: 1995 Bob Dornan reprimanded for talking bad about Bill Clinton 2009 Joe Wilson reprimanded for telling Obama “You lie.” during the State of the Union. And just in 2021 Paul Gosar censured for making a bad amine parody where he fights AOC and Biden. So yeah, seems like a reprimand is in order. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2022, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-congress-tolerate-congressmen-saying-we-should-overthrow-the-government/959333/6 "2022-02-13T01:20:14Z")
Ironically, the Constitution authorizes state militias (in Article I, Section 8, Clause 15) in part to “suppress insurrections”. He’s arguing against the US Constitution if he supports an insurrection. But basically, keeping dumbasses armed is an important part of the Republican platform. Once they convince 30-40% of the population that elections are being stolen (as they’ve actively tried to do for the past 5 years), they can instigate an insurrection and take over. This is all to make sure our freedoms are safe, of course. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2022, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-congress-tolerate-congressmen-saying-we-should-overthrow-the-government/959333/7 "2022-02-13T01:37:13Z")
Did 40% of the population at the time agree with the Revolutionary War? ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2022, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-congress-tolerate-congressmen-saying-we-should-overthrow-the-government/959333/8 "2022-02-13T01:43:39Z")
Are you asking if 40% of the people who left Britain supported fighting Britain if Britain attacked here? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2022, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-congress-tolerate-congressmen-saying-we-should-overthrow-the-government/959333/9 "2022-02-13T09:16:44Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Did 40% of the population at the time agree with the Revolutionary War? It is estimated that between 40-45% of colonists were Patriots; supporting the effort to gain independence from England. Between 15-20% of the colonists were Loyalists. The remaining 35-45% were neutral, or kept their opinions quiet. There was definitely strong domestic support for the war. Keep in mind that many of those who favored English rule were those who were wealthy and had strong ties to England, so rather than staying and supporting the King, they went back to England (as they had the motive and means to do so). Many Loyalists who stayed were harassed and publicly humiliated. So it’s not a surprise. Also, consider that if there wasn’t a lot of support for independence, it probably wouldn’t have succeeded. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2022, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-congress-tolerate-congressmen-saying-we-should-overthrow-the-government/959333/10 "2022-02-13T20:57:52Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Did 40% of the population at the time agree with the Revolutionary War? Are you implying that if 40% of the U.S. population agrees with Massie, they’d be justified in a revolution overthrowing our current government? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-congress-tolerate-congressmen-saying-we-should-overthrow-the-government/959333/11 "2022-02-16T15:42:50Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > I was going to reply to the OP that since the 1970s, punishment by the House has only been for illegal or unethical activity. But looking it up we have: > 1995 Bob Dornan reprimanded for talking bad about Bill Clinton > 2009 Joe Wilson reprimanded for telling Obama “You lie.” during the State of the Union. > And just in 2021 Paul Gosar censured for making a bad amine parody where he fights AOC and Biden. > > So yeah, seems like a reprimand is in order. Let’s remember what Dornan said- Clinton gave aid and comfort to the enemy during the Vietnam war. I’d say that’s above and beyond “talking bad”, it’s an accusation of treason. Then there’s Joe You Lie Wilson. During the State of the Union address in 2009, Obama stated that the ACA would not cover “illegal immigrants”, to which Joe Wilson shouted “You Lie!” Not only was Wilson incorrect, it broke the decorum of the SOTU speech. He even apologized for it and Obama accepted the apology. Then there’s Paul Gosar. You claim he posted an anime video showing him “fighting” AOC and Biden. Well, he did more than that. In the video, he KILLS AOC. If going public with a fantasy about killing a fellow member of Congress doesn’t deserve a reprimand, what does? ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-congress-tolerate-congressmen-saying-we-should-overthrow-the-government/959333/12 "2022-02-16T18:27:24Z")
Why are you arguing with me **when I agreed with the OP**? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-congress-tolerate-congressmen-saying-we-should-overthrow-the-government/959333/13 "2022-02-16T18:32:30Z")
I was objecting to the way your characterizations minimized the offenses of Republicans. I draw quite a distinction between a fantasy video where one fights with an opponent and one where the fantasy is killing. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-congress-tolerate-congressmen-saying-we-should-overthrow-the-government/959333/14 "2022-02-16T18:47:15Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I was objecting to the way your characterizations minimized the offenses of Republicans. Or, just a thought, maybe I was making it concise to show how it was different now than the olden days where you needed to actually commit crimes to have the House take notice. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-congress-tolerate-congressmen-saying-we-should-overthrow-the-government/959333/15 "2022-02-16T18:52:48Z")
If that was your intent then I was mistaken and withdraw my objections. ---
**Author:** ![Dandan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@Dandan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dandan)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-congress-tolerate-congressmen-saying-we-should-overthrow-the-government/959333/16 "2022-02-16T19:23:00Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Ironically, the Constitution authorizes state militias (in Article I, Section 8, Clause 15) in part to “suppress insurrections”. He’s arguing against the US Constitution if he supports an insurrection. > > But basically, keeping dumbasses armed is an important part of the Republican platform. Once they convince 30-40% of the population that elections are being stolen (as they’ve actively tried to do for the past 5 years), they can instigate an insurrection and take over. > > This is all to make sure our freedoms are safe, of course. “We had to destroy our democracy in order to save it.” This can’t possibly be original. Dan ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-congress-tolerate-congressmen-saying-we-should-overthrow-the-government/959333/17 "2022-02-16T19:33:57Z")
I’d respect it more if he quoted one of Thomas Jefferson’s numerous quote about how rebellion is a good thing. Not much more mind you, just, “Hey, you read a book.” kind of respect.