Why ‘Liberator’?

One of our inspirations for the new site name is William Lloyd Garrison, an uncompromising abolitionist and editor of “The Liberator,” published from 1831 to 1865. Garrison published his final issue after the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment, eight months after the conclusion of the Civil War.

Garrison was certainly not a man without flaws and rhetorical excesses (nor are we). He had a habit of publicly burning copies of the Constitution for its textual accomodations with slavery. In his early life, he was thought to be reckless with the facts on occasion. In other ways, however, Garrison was far ahead of his time. He was an early believer in racial equality and rejected the idea that slavery could end through gradual compromise. Garrison was also one of the first vocal opponents of discrimination against Asians in America, and was a vocal opponent of the Chinese Exclusion Act.

Garrison’s ideas were radical for his times; thus did he change the times in which he lived. He never saw any profit from his publication of The Liberator, but without question, he changed many minds and helped make abolitionism the majority view in the United States.

We take inspiration from Garrison’s determination, principle, and patience, and from a moral compass that allowed him to see that slavery was evil–and to say so forthrightly–when so many preferred to justify it, accomodate it, or not to discuss it at all. In this regard, we see parallels to South Korea today. We hope our views are more moderate than Garrison’s in the sense that we hope a war between the Koreans can be prevented. We believe, however, that empowering a regime with no regard for human lives or liberties endangers–rather than advances–peace. Those who choose not to discuss the slavery of the North Korean people need a jolt of uncomfortable reality. We intend to contribute our small part of that.