John Brown: Terrorist or Freedom Fighter?

Today, I had created a post on this forum about the abolitionist John Brown. Reference below:

http://polzoo.com/component/option,com_fireboard/Itemid,32/func,view/catid,21/id,538/#538

John Brown was an abolitionist who was truly a pioneer for racial justice in his day. During a period where Blacks were enslaved, and seen as essentially, speaking animals, John Brown recognized their humanity and dedicated his own life to save his brother and sister in chains. His life was an example of humanity, compassion and justice. From adopting black children to raise as his own, to aiding struggling Black communities, John Brown was a true revolutionary in every sense of the word. However, this was also a man who used violence to achieve goals, and also murdered innocents in his efforts to bring down an unjust system. He remains a controversial figure up to this day. However, by and large, while I do not condone violence, I see his expressions of it as a natural reaction to a cruel and inhumane society.

Today, our own policies in the Middle East, from the support of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinians to our own occupation of Iraq are similarly unjust. The Palestinians live in veritable human cages in the West Bank and in Gaza, denied the opportunities accorded to human beings, and regularly serve as target practice and the target of bombing raids by the Israeli Defense Forces. The Palestinians are denied not only the freedom and liberty that we take for granted, but are denied even the shreds of human dignity that we would never question for ourselves. In this environment of hellish realities, only violence and hatred can be created. However, when this violence manifests itself, we are quick to label the perpetrators as terrorists without looking at the true cause of the violence, which is the great injustice being committed by Israel. The blood on Israel's hands are the same blood on our hands, because their policies are aided and abetted by our support at every step, and in every way.

Violence against innocents can never be excused and should be condemned. However, terrorism does not occur in a bubble. Terrorism is often a reaction of a helpless and defenseless people against an oppressive, powerful and cruel system. Let us remember that "an unjust law is no law at all".

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed