{"id":2338639,"date":"2024-09-09T10:23:02","date_gmt":"2024-09-09T14:23:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jan-6-convicts-greeted-with-cheers-theres-a-patriot-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-09T10:25:36","modified_gmt":"2024-09-09T14:25:36","slug":"jan-6-convicts-greeted-with-cheers-theres-a-patriot-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jan-6-convicts-greeted-with-cheers-theres-a-patriot-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Jan. 6 convicts greeted with cheers: \u2018There\u2019s a patriot!\u2019 &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fjan-6-convicts-greeted-with-cheers-theres-a-patriot-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2338639&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article narrates the experience of Stewart Parks, a Nashville real estate broker and one-time House candidate\u200c who was convicted for his participation in the January 6 riot. He was sentenced to eight months in a\u200d Memphis federal\u2063 prison for charges of trespassing\u2063 and theft. Despite his initial fears of hostility from fellow inmates due to his conviction, Parks \u2062experienced \u2064quite the opposite. \u2063Upon his arrival at the prison, he was\u200b met with a \u200bwarm\u2063 welcome from other inmates, who \u2064appreciated his stance regarding the political climate and\u200c the former administration&#8217;s reforms.<\/p>\n<p>Parks\u2063 noted that\u200b discussions \u2062around\u2062 politics were generally discouraged, yet many \u2063inmates sought him out to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/floridas-new-law-is-only-bad-for-people-who-believe-parents-have-no-rights-over-their-children\/\" title=\"Florida\u2019s New Law Is Only Bad For People Who Believe Parents Have No Rights Over Their Children\">discuss topics related<\/a> to the 2020 election and former President Donald Trump. He\u200c found that prisoners held favorable views\u2064 towards\u200b Trump\u2019s judicial reforms, \u2062which made his time in prison more bearable. In\u2062 fact, Parks reported that he felt respected\u2063 and even regarded as \u200da &#8220;patriot&#8221; by other\u200c inmates, contrasting significantly with the hostile environment he faced during his \u2063trial in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/theyre-coming-for-your-favorite-podcasts\/\" title=\"They\u2019re Coming For Your Favorite Podcasts\">article sheds light<\/a> on the complexities of being\u200b a convicted \u2063participant in the January 6\u200d events, highlighting how perceptions can shift dramatically depending on the context\u2014in this case, from the courtroom to the prison\u2063 environment, where he was treated with honor rather\u2064 than scorn.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Jan. 6 convicts greeted with cheers: &lsquo;There&rsquo;s a patriot!&rsquo;<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1756364\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>When Nashville real estate broker and one-time House candidate <a href=\"https:\/\/michaelpatrickleahy.com\/24-hours-before-reporting-to-prison-unjustly-convicted-j6-defendant-stewart-parks-says-judicial-elites-in-dc-want-to-stomp-me-down\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Stewart Parks<\/a> was convicted on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/january-6\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Jan. 6 <\/a>riot charges of trespassing and theft and sentenced to eight months in the Memphis Federal Correctional Institute, he expected the worst. <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;When I went in, the plan was I was just gonna keep my head down low and good time my way out,&rdquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=100079008883389\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Parks, 31,<\/a> said. &ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t gonna tell anybody like, &lsquo;Hey, I&rsquo;m Jan. 6.&rsquo;&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Stewart Parks as he readied to turn himself into prison. (Photo courtesy Stewart Parks)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Parks couldn&rsquo;t hide his status, though, because when he was handed off to a Mexican American inmate leader to get him situated, the prison guard said, &ldquo;Hey, he&rsquo;s Jan. 6.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Parks told Secrets, &ldquo;Right then, my thoughts were, &lsquo;Oh, my God, what&rsquo;s going to happen from here? Are there going to be political opposition groups in the prison that are going to make my life hard?&rsquo;&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Just the opposite happened, Parks said, in a surprising pattern that others convicted of <a href=\"https:\/\/extremism.gwu.edu\/sites\/g\/files\/zaxdzs5746\/files\/Stewart%20Parks%20and%20Matthew%20Baggott%20Information.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Jan. 6 charges<\/a> have experienced.<\/p>\n<p>He said prisoners &ldquo;welcomed me in.&rdquo; They made &ldquo;sure I was comfortable and making sure my time in prison wasn&rsquo;t going to be difficult. So, that was a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cnn-president-resigns-amid-affair-allegations\/\" title=\"CNN President Resigns Amid Affair Allegations\">real shock<\/a>.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>While talking politics in prison was a no-no, gang members of all colors wanted to talk to him about the 2020 election and former President Donald Trump. &ldquo;I never had a fight or anybody, you know, put my life in danger or say anything insolent or menacing to me because of my involvement with Jan. 6,&rdquo; Parks said.<\/p>\n<p>He said one key reason is that inmates liked Trump for approving judicial and prison reforms, including the First Step Act. Prisoners also said the Federal Bureau of Prisons ran the facilities better under Trump.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Things were better during the Trump administration, and the inmates felt it,&rdquo; Parks said. In fact, it gave him and the few other inmates convicted in the Capitol riots an elevated position of sorts.<\/p>\n<p>Another reason was that some felt Jan. 6 inmates were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/che-guevara-loving-smithsonian-enriched-by-stimulus-bill\/\" title=\"Che Guevara-Loving Smithsonian Enriched by Stimulus Bill\">political prisoners<\/a>. &ldquo;They knew I didn&rsquo;t belong there,&rdquo; Parks said.<\/p>\n<p>During one walk back to his unit in the prison, he said, &ldquo;Someone yelled, &lsquo;There&rsquo;s a patriot, that&rsquo;s a hero.&rsquo; And here I am trying to be lowkey, and I just couldn&rsquo;t keep my head down because, you know, somebody was always yelling and pointing out that they were excited about me being Jan. 6, and they talked positive about the other inmates. I never once heard the inmates in the prison down anybody Jan. 6.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>It was quite a different scene a year ago, when he was convicted by U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta. As with others charged in the riots to protest allegations of election fraud and the Electoral College election of President Joe Biden, Parks was handled like a traitor.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jan. 6 protester Stewart Parks arrived with a Gadsden flag. He said he committed no violence and stole nothing. (Photo courtesy Stewart Parks)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;In Washington, D.C., it was very hostile,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>Parks said he wants to appeal his conviction and is eager to see if Trump will make good on his promise to pardon nonviolent Jan. 6 cases should he win in November.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike some Jan. 6 convicts, Parks hasn&rsquo;t changed his support for Trump or belief that the 2020 election was tampered with.<\/p>\n<p>While he has returned to running his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-president-trump-gives-pardons-to-73-individuals-and-commutes-another-70-sentences-steve-bannon-is-included\/\" title=\"BREAKING: President Trump Gives Pardons to 73 Individuals and Commutes Another 70 Sentences \u2013 Steve Bannon Is Included\">real estate business<\/a>, Parks said he is also giving speeches about his experience and urging voters to stay alert for ballot and election fraud.<\/p>\n<p>He believes that Trump is ahead in the polls and will win. He said that if Trump doesn&rsquo;t, &ldquo;there will be mass anger like Jan. 6. Yeah, it&rsquo;s just the nation knows we cannot have another four years of [Vice President Kamala] Harris.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SEE THE LATEST POLITICAL NEWS AND BUZZ FROM WASHINGTON SECRETS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>What&rsquo;s more, if Harris does win, Parks predicted that the protests at the Capitol will be even bigger than on Jan. 6, 2021. &ldquo;The whole nation would be there if there was another call for a peaceful gathering,&rdquo; Parks said.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, he&rsquo;d riot again. &ldquo;Freedom is worth dying for,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1756364\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1756364\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>**Jan. 6 Convicts Welcomed with Cheers: &#8216;There&#8217;s a Patriot!&#8217;**<\/p>\n<p>When Stewart Parks, a Nashville real estate broker and former House candidate, was convicted of trespassing and theft related to the January 6 riot and sentenced to eight months in the Memphis Federal Correctional Institute, he braced for a tough experience. &#8220;My plan was to keep my head down and serve my time quietly,&#8221; said the 31-year-old Parks. However, he couldn&#8217;t conceal his identity as a January 6 convict; when he was introduced to a Mexican American inmate leader by a prison guard who announced, &#8220;Hey, he&#8217;s Jan. 6,&#8221; Parks felt anxious about potential hostility from other inmates.<\/p>\n<p>Contrary to his fears, Parks found that fellow prisoners welcomed him warmly. They ensured he felt comfortable and that his time in prison would not be difficult\u2014a surprising turn of events for him. Although discussing politics was generally discouraged in prison, many inmates were eager to talk about the 2020 election and former President Donald Trump with him. &#8220;I never faced any threats or hostility because of my involvement on January 6,&#8221; Parks noted.<\/p>\n<p>He attributed this positive reception partly to inmates&#8217; appreciation for Trump&#8217;s support of judicial reforms like the First Step Act during his presidency. Many prisoners believed conditions improved under Trump\u2019s administration: \u201cThings were better during that time,\u201d said Parks.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, some viewed those convicted from January 6 as political prisoners who didn\u2019t belong there. During one walk back to his unit, someone shouted out praise for him: \u201cThere\u2019s a patriot! That\u2019s a hero!\u201d Despite trying to remain inconspicuous, it became clear that others recognized his status as part of the January 6 events.<\/p>\n<p>This experience starkly contrasted with how he felt during his trial in Washington D.C., where he faced significant hostility after being labeled akin to a traitor by U.S District Court Judge Amit Mehta along with others charged over their actions protesting alleged election fraud related to President Joe Biden&#8217;s Electoral College victory.<\/p>\n<p>Parks maintains that he did not engage in violence or theft during the riot and is currently seeking an appeal against his conviction while hoping Trump will fulfill promises regarding pardons for nonviolent offenders if re-elected next November.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike some other convicts from January 6 who have distanced themselves from Trump or changed their views on election integrity issues since their convictions, Parks remains steadfastly supportive of Trump and believes there were irregularities in the last presidential election.<\/p>\n<p>Now back at work running his real estate business while also sharing speeches about his experiences\u2014encouraging vigilance against ballot fraud\u2014Parks is optimistic about Trump&#8217;s chances in upcoming elections but warns that if Vice President Kamala Harris wins instead: \u201cThere will be mass anger like what we saw on January 6.\u201d He predicts even larger protests could occur if another peaceful gathering is called nationwide should Harris take office again: \u201cFreedom is worth dying for,\u201d he asserted confidently<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2647,"featured_media":2338640,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Stewart-Parks-J6-scaled-1024x683.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[37568,40458,37472,7825,40457],"class_list":["post-2338639","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-capitolriots","tag-criminaljustice","tag-jan6","tag-patriotism","tag-politicalprotests"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Stewart-Parks-J6-scaled-1024x683.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2338639","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2647"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2338639"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2338639\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2338640"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2338639"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2338639"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2338639"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}