Alison M. Benders Alison M. Benders is the Associate Dean at Santa Clara University's Jesuit School of Theology. By this Author Feb 10, 2021 The Capitol riot was an attempt to lynch our democracyCommentary: We must be very clear about the nature of the events last month. The Capitol insurrection was an attempt to lynch our democracy. I don’t use that language lightly. Let me explain.