What Does Trump Have in Common With Solomon Northup?

My wife, Kim, and I recently watched the 2013 film, 12 Years a Slave, which won three Oscars, including Best Motion Picture of the Year. It was based on the true story of Solomon Northup, a free and prosperous Black violinist from upstate New York who, while in Washington D.C. in 1841, was kidnapped and sold into slavery. After 12 long years as a slave in Louisiana, Northup was able to regain his freedom and return to his family. In 1853 he wrote a memoir of his tragic but remarkable experience, which is the basis for the movie.

The ‘J6’ of 1851

After Northup’s release on Jan.4, 1853, he sued one of his abductors, James H. Burch, who was in fact arrested and brought to trial. However, because of a Washington, D.C., law that prohibited a Black man from testifying in court against a white man, the charges were dropped, and Burch was released.

Though Northup’s story was completely true with a mountain of evidence (including scars on his back), he was not allowed to testify, so he got nothing for being robbed of 12 years of his life. Twelve years that he could have lived in luxury with his family but spent in pain and suffering more than a thousand miles from his family. It’s hard to fathom a trial in which only one side gets to express their narrative, and that narrative stands without any dissent whatsoever. Oh, wait, you can see that on CNN today if you tune in to the Democrats’ ridiculous Jan. 6 Committee’s kangaroo court. (For a good background, I recommend Mike Huckabee’s article, “‘Emergency’ January 6 Hearing is an Absurdity”).

This faux hearing has brought injustice full circle and set us back 169 years to the days of the unjust trial of Solomon Northrup’s abductor. I realize that being treated like a sub-human on a Louisiana plantation exacting gruesome toil—and even torture—is a far cry from luxurious living at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach. However, from the standpoint of getting justice in Washington, D.C., there’s little difference in the treatment of Donald Trump and Solomon Northup. In both cases, justice was/is being completely denied because neither Trump nor Northrup could present their side of the story. Both are completely one-sided, akin to Joseph Stalin’s “show trials” in Moscow between 1936 and 1938. Properly labeled, they were just that: totally for show with a predetermined outcome. What a disgrace to our country.

Every committee member was cherry-picked by Nancy Pelosi because they profusely hate Trump. They even found two Republican Trump-haters, Kinzinger and Cheney, so they could call it “bipartisan.” You know, like a shoe store owner putting one pair of 13EEEs at half-price in order to advertise “SELECT GROUP HALF-PRICE!” (No disparagement intended if you wear a 13EEE, but that’s not a real hot seller. Most of us were not blessed with that firm a foundation!)

If Only Pelosi Were a Redhead

Desi and Lucy couldn’t have written a more comical script. You may remember Lucy’s great line to Ricky, “Ever since I said ‘I do,’ there are so many things we don’t.” Likewise, it seems that ever since Pelosi took her oath of office and said “I do,” all things ethical (or even legal in some cases) are “don’ts.”

Pelosi and her laughable committee keep calling the unauthorized entrance to the Capitol on Jan. 6 by unarmed, selfie-taking guys an insurrection of the government of the United States. And many of them are still in solitary confinement. But during the J6 hearings, Stephen Colbert’s staffers did the very same thing, and they considered that to be no big deal. The seven staffers were at least arrested for the unauthorized entry to the House of Representatives office building, but of course, they were soon released, with hardly a mention on MSM.

And because the J6 patriots were simply protesting apparent voting fraud (which was later proven), committee chairman Bennie Thompson and committee member Jamie Raskin have led the charge in accusing them of trying to overturn the election. Never mind that Thompson and Raskin voted to overturn the 2004 and 2016 elections, respectively. And I don’t recall shouts of “insurrection!” in 2000 while they were counting the “hanging” and “dimpled” chads after Gore demanded a hand recount in four counties.

No Exculpatory Evidence Allowed

Like the trial of Solomon Northup’s abductor, the most astounding thing of all is that the only information that really matters is not even mentioned! Like why has Ray Epps (a suspected Fed), the only person caught on camera coercing the crowd to go into the Capitol, not testified publicly under oath? And why has there been zero scrutiny over Ashli Babbitt, the only person shot dead during the protest? And why has there been no mention of then-President Trump offering up to 20,000 National Guard troops two days prior but being turned down by Pelosi and Mayor Muriel Bowser? And out of all the silly videos they’ve played, why haven’t they shown the one of Trump saying, “peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.” And for any semblance of due process, why are all nine members selected for the committee among those who voted to impeach Trump? And just an observation from “the cheap seats,” but if you really wanted to know what happened inside The Beast, why wouldn’t you just bring someone in who was actually in The Beast at the time?

‘Lawlessness Will Abound’

Jesus said in the last days, “lawlessness will abound” (Matt. 24:12, NKJVb). Perhaps we’re seeing tremors to that. In my view, Pelosi has done a lot to promote that lawlessness in our government and has brought much harm to America. And if you think that’s an un-Christian thing to say, consider the fact that Paul told Timothy, “Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm” (2 Tim. 4:14a) and went on to say, “the Lord will judge him for what he has done” (2 Tim. 4:14b, NLT). The Lord will judge Pelosi—and all of us, for that matter. {eoa}

Nolan Lewallen, a retired pilot of a major airline, lives near Stephenville, Texas. Nolan’s two greatest passions are the Bible and politics. His new book, The Integration of Church & State: How We Transform “In God We Trust” From Motto to Reality, brings the two together.