The final residence of Frederick Douglass, Cedar Hill, in Washington, D.C. — now the NPS Frederick Douglass National Historic Site: Glynn Wilson

The Big Picture – 
By Glynn Wilson – 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Let’s face facts and tell it straight, never mincing words.

That’s what we do here at the NAJ, which is why we have a loyal following — and also why we have detractors and even outright enemies who would at the very least put us out of business, or at worst, kill us.

We’re just not interested in playing games and trying to get traffic with clickbait for profit, or wowing people with lots of purple prose. We try to be transparent and clear, or diaphanous.

Unlike some New York Times columnists, who want to constantly wow us with their allegedly superior vocabulary, like Maureen Dowd, who thinks it’s OK in the national newspaper of record to write with snarky adiaphane, meaning “opaque, non-transparent, non-diaphanous” language. Forgive her. She’s working on a master’s degree in English literature after all these years.

Here is the truth of it. John Brown was a religious zealot, defined as “a person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political or other ideals.”

He had also harbored a plan to free the slaves for 20 years that involved violent insurrection. And when he decided to go ahead with his raid on the fort and armory at Harper’s Ferry, against the advice of Frederick Douglass and others, it became obvious that his plan was doomed to fail.

He suffered the consequences and was hanged, but at least he did get a speedy trial as called for in the Constitution.

At least his cause was just — to end the practice of humans owning other human beings as slaves based on the color of their skin — so some historians are now willing to say that the first shots at Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina were not the first shots of the American Civil War after all. They say those shots at Harper’s Ferry brought the attention of the nation to the cause, and set off a chain reaction of events that made the Civil War and the emancipation of the slaves inevitable.

“If John Brown did not end the war that ended slavery, he did at least begin the war that ended slavery,” in the words of Frederick Douglass. “If we look over the dates, places and men, for which this honor is claimed, we shall find that not Carolina, but Virginia — not Fort Sumter, but Harper’s Ferry and the arsenal — not Col. Anderson, but John Brown, began the war that ended American slavery and made this a free Republic.”

“Until this blow was struck,” he added, “the prospect for freedom was dim, shadowy and uncertain. The irrepressible conflict was one of words, votes and compromises. When John Brown stretched forth his arm the sky was cleared. The time for compromises was gone — the armed hosts of freedom stood face to face over the chasm of a broken Union — and the clash of arms was at hand.”

See This: FREDERICK DOUGLASS Delivers Address on John Brown in West Virginia, May 30, 1881

A photograph of Frederick Douglass from a series of “Carte de Visites” produced from his visit to Hillsdale College on January 21, 1863: Hillsdale College

In his own defense at trial, Brown pointed out what Americans now know all too well. There is rarely justice in this country for a poor man or woman, but the rich quite often walk away from heinous crimes free as a bird. Take Donald Trump, for instance.

“… had I so interfered in behalf of the rich, the powerful, the intelligent, the so-called great, or in behalf of any of their friends, either father, mother, brother, sister, wife, or children, or any of that class, and suffered and sacrificed what I have in this interference, it would have been all right,” Brown said in his own defense. “And every man in this court would have deemed it an act worthy of reward rather than punishment.”

Nineteenth century portrait of John Brown (1800-1859): Universal Images Group

Now look, as the dominant Trump faction in today’s Republican Party (a far cry from the party of Lincoln) attempts to make Americans believe that the insurrection and attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was “legitimate political discourse,” by far the most corrupt criminal to occupy the White House still walks free, and continues to profit from the office in ways the Times calls: A Profitable Post-Presidency Like No Other.

I wrote about this back in September after visiting Harper’s Ferry for the first time.

Harpers Ferry: John Brown’s Raid Made Him a Martyr, Foreshadowing Trump’s Insurrection

Politicians and lawyers in this country like to issue toothless platitudes, saying things like this.

“We are a nation of laws, not men.”

“No one is above the law.”

But they constantly contradict themselves with adiaphane, by saying things like this:

“You can’t indict a sitting president.”

Well, what about a corrupt former president?

I realize it’s never been done before. But you know what they also say:

“There’s a first time for everything.”

I’ve said this at least a thousand times already, far more than any other news or editorial writer in America, but I’m going to say it again today, and dedicate it to Frederick Douglass and John Brown in the interest of celebrating Black History Month.

Trump is not just the worst president in American history by far, he’s also the most corrupt politician we’ve ever seen or are likely to ever see again. If some of his followers still think Trump is not a politician, they are not paying attention to anything but their favorite white, nationalist dictator’s propaganda.

For the good of the people and the future of the country and democracy, I say:

“LOCK HIM UP!”

Look, I know there are those in the mainstream Democratic Party who are afraid to do this, afraid of inciting another Civil War and more sedition and insurrection on the part of his loyal followers.

But if you want to hold onto the House, the Senate and the White House, nothing would be more beneficial to that cause than putting Trump on trial and proving how corrupt he was in fact.

Some won’t believe it still, just like they think he won the 2020 election and Joe Biden didn’t.

But since elections these days hinge on the votes of political independents, suburban voters and a massive turnout from women, young people and progressive as well as mainstream Democrats, nothing would serve this cause more than proving that no one is above the law.

By the way it would also act as a significant deterrent for others who would copy the tactics of Trump to use politics to enrich themselves.

LOCK HIS DUMBASS UP!

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