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John Brown Terrorist

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In “A Behavioral Analysis of John Brown: Martyr or Terrorist,” James N. Gilbert effectively argues that John Brown’s inhumane actions clearly conform to a modern definition of a domestic terrorist, proving that Brown was an irrational terrorist. Not only is Gilbert a professor and former chair of the department of criminal justice at the University of Nebraska-Kearney, but he is also an author who specializes in criminal investigative theory and has authored Criminal Investigation as well as numerous journal articles. According to Gilbert, Brown lived during a time when both the political process and democratic values had been destroyed by slavery. Brown was a radical abolitionist who believed violence and terror was the only way to overthrow …show more content…

According to Gilbert, “on many occasions Brown expressed his solid belief that society, particularly a society that would embrace slavery, was sick beyond its own cure.” (589) Brown believed that the United States was incapable of reforming itself by abolishing slavery; therefore, Brown gave up on all public policy reforms and legal remedies regarding slavery. Secondly, “as to the terroristic belief that violent government can only be overcome by violence, Brown’s convictions were preserved for posterity by a note he handed to a jailer while being led to the gallows.” (589) Gilbert argues that Brown’s beliefs and actions reflected his morality in which served to justify numerous crimes and multiple homicides. Brown’s actions conform to the definition of terrorism as Brown’s arrogant and insensitive attitude led to reasonable rationalizations for his reckless behavior. In fact, Brown demonstrated a guilt-free conscience on many occasions and rationalized his violent behaviors with moral and religious conviction. For example, Brown, along with eight other men, kidnapped and murdered five Kansans in which they were brutally hacked to death by repeated sword blows. Brown believed that the use of violence and terror was the only way to abolish slavery. On May 26, 1856, later on known as the Pottawatomie Massacre, Brown led a small …show more content…

In fact, Hammond states that, “some would call him a tragic hero, flawed only in his insistence on purity in thought and action coupled with a mystical detachment from the political realities oh his day.” (591) Hammond views Brown as a hero in which he fought for his beliefs and acted on the highest principles which were expressed by the founders of the American nation. Hammond rationalizes Brown’s inhumane actions of violence with moral and religious conviction. Therefore, in his analysis, Hammond insists that Brown’s commitment to higher political and moral goals conformed to the basic principles of human freedom and political and legal equality. However, Brown easily could have fought for his beliefs without invoking fear and terror. Even though Brown may have had good intentions regarding the abolishment of slavery, his good intentions did not lead to good actions. Therefore, Gilbert effectively proves in his analysis that Brown perfectly fits the definition of an irrational terrorist as his violent actions conform to a modern definition of

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