As I contemplate the 4th of July this year–reflecting on it’s meaning of freedom and as I learn more of our American history–I’m reminded how costly and quite honestly, messy, this ‘freedom’ deal has been and continues to be even these days.
An important example of this price that I’m just learning is the history of “Mount Misery”. This Massachusetts historic home comes with a sinister past. In 1833, “Mount Misery” was apparently the home of a farmer, Edward Covey, who also routinely took on the role of “slave breaker,” the New York Times reported as a side note to a travelogue on the town of St. Michaels thirteen years ago.
According to that Times article, Covey got his hands on the “rebellious” slave called Frederick Douglass, who grew up in the area. Covey’s goal was to make Douglass docile and to break his spirit. However, after one year of Covey trying to “break” him, Douglass reportedly fought back, and escaped.
After that escape from “Mount Misery”, in his writings, Douglass described the violent but formative experience in his book, “My Bondage and My Freedom,” writing, “I shall never be able to narrate the mental experience through which it was my lot to pass during my stay at Covey’s. I was completely wrecked, changed, and bewildered; goaded almost to madness at one time, and at another reconciling myself to my wretched condition.” His freedom was definitely messy and costly even though his published truths of torture were ultimately beneficial to the freedom of many enslaved souls through changed laws.
Frederick Douglass is one black man that actually made it into some of our American history books because of all that he accomplished. He was recognized as an American social reformer, activist, orator, writer, and statesman–becoming a national leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and New York–famous for his speeches and sharp antislavery writings. Accordingly, he was described by abolitionists in his time as a living counterexample to slaveholders’ arguments that slaves lacked the intellectual capacity to function as independent American citizens. Likewise, Northerners at the time found it hard to believe that such a great orator had once been a slave.
Douglass also actively supported women’s suffrage, and held several public offices. Without his permission, Douglass became the first African-American nominated for Vice President of the United States as the running mate and Vice Presidential nominee of Victoria Woodhull, on the Equal Rights Party ticket.
Even though about 15 years ago, to preserve this aspect of American slavery–it was suggested to turn “Mount Misery” into a museum or a monument to a horiffic chapter in our history, however, it was learned back in 2006 that someone had purchased this property as a vacation home. And you might ask–who would purchase such a house given its torturous history and title? Answer: Donald Rumsfeld bought this property known as “Mount Misery” while preparing to invade Iraq in 2003 for $1.5 million.
Doesn’t it seems ironic that this notorious plantation run by a practiced torturer would now be owned by Rumsfeld, himself accused as the man principally responsible for the U.S. military’s program of torture and detention? (Rumsfeld served as secretary of defense from 1975 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford, and under Bush from 2001.) His tenure was controversial for its use of torture and the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse scandal–he resigned from his position in 2006. It seems birds of a feather do flock together.
Our freedom and the democratic values that keep it that way are invaluable, Warriors–we should all do whatever it takes to maintain our loving kindness values–messy or not–it’s worth it–and our holistic wellness will benefit as well.
Covid19 Humor: Does anyone know if we can take showers yet or should we just keep washing our hands?